Cute hippie style hairband with flowers

We were invited to a hippie party, and I wanted to make a hairband to wear with my costume. However, I think it turned out looking really good, so I use it on other occasions as well. It has a touch of summer to it, since it is so colourful. I used double yarn to crochet it. The white colour is consistent the whole time, and the second colour changes.

What you need: Some leftover cotton yarn, crochet hooks size 5mm and 2,5mm, 3 small buttons, apx 10 cm elastics. A needle and some sowing thread.

How you make it.

1. With double yarn (white and green), and crochet hook size 5: crochet 7 chain stitches, *turn, do 1 sc in the 2nd st from the hook, and continue with 5 more sc, 1 ch.* repeat from * to * one time.

2. Turn. Do 1 sc in the 1st sc, 2 sc in the 2nd sc, 1 sc in the following 2 sc, 2 sc in the next one, and 1 sc in the last. 1ch, turn.

3. * Do 1 sc in the second st from the hook (the first sc), 1 sc in each st throughout the row (= 8 sc), 1ch, turn.* Repeat from * to * 11 times. The first 4 rows with green and white yarn, the last 7 rows with orange and white yarn. (See colour change tip at the end.)

4. With white and lilac yarn: Do 1 sc in the 1st sc, 2 sc in the 2nd sc, 1 sc in the following 4 sc, 2 sc in the next one, and 1 sc in the last. 1ch, turn.

5. * Do 1 sc in the second st from the hook (the first sc), 1 sc in each st throughout the row (= 10 sc), 1ch, turn.* Repeat from * to * 42 times. The first 6 rows with lilac and white yarn, then 7 rows with turquoise and white, 14 rows with yellow and white, 7 rows with turquoise and white, 7 rows with lilac and white, 1 row with orange and white. (See colour change tip at the end.)

6. Do 1 sc in the second st from the hook, then skip one, and do 1 sc in the next 5, skip one, and do 1 sc in the last st on the row, 1 ch, turn.

7. * Do 1 sc in the second st from the hook (the first sc), 1 sc in each st throughout the row (= 8 sc), 1ch, turn.* Repeat from * to * 10 times.The first 5 rows with orange and white, then 5 rows with green and white.

8.  Do 1 sc in the second st from the hook, then skip one, and do 1 sc in the next 3, skip one, and do 1 sc in the last st on the row, 1 ch, turn. Do 1 sc in the second st from the hook (the first sc), 1 sc in each st throughout the row (= 6 sc). Cut the yarn, and pull it through the loop. Secure all ends.

9. Measure your head, and compare it to the hair band. Cut some elastics that fits your measurements, and sow it on the band, to attach the ends.

How to make the flowers:

Use single yarn and crochet hook size 2,5 mm.

1. Do 5 ch st, and 1 sl st to bind them together in a ring.

2.  In the ring, do *3ch, 3dc, 3ch, 1 sl st* repeat from * to * 5 times. Cut the yarn, and pull it through the loop. Secure the ends by weaving them in on the backside of the flower.

Make 3 of them, or more if you want.. Sow them onto the hair band with the buttons in the middle.

Flower power hippie jeans (and sandals)

As I mentioned, we were attending a hippie costume party earlier. You already saw the t-shirt I made for my boyfriend, and here's how to make the jeans 😉

What you need:

1 pair of old jeans, preferably tight fit, some fabrics with flowers or other colourful fabric. Maybe some old curtains? A sowing machine ( If you are not VERY good at sowing by hand.. LOL..), thread that matches the fabric, blue in this case.. , scissors, measuring tape, and something to mark the fabric with. I used an ordinary soft pencil, since I am not good at this..😉😉

How you do it

Split the outer seam on each leg of the jeans up tho the knee. For my jeans it was 44 cm. Then cut out two triangles of the flowery fabric that has sides that match the length of your split. For me: 44 cm. Add a couple of extra centimeters on all three sides for seams. Then use pins to attach the fabric in your split opening. Remember to match right side and wrong side. Use the sowing machine to sow your triangles on, and fold them in the bottom. Easy peasy new hippie jeans!

I made shoes as well! 

Shoes were a problem for both of us.. But then I remembered that hippies were known to use sandals. I bought 2 pairs of dead cheap flip flops, and some plastic flowers that I think was made for scrapbooking or something.. I glued the flowers on with hot glue. Maybe not the most inventive of ideas, but it worked.. After all we did not want to spend tons of money on something we were going to use 1 day. So.. If you ever get invited to a hippie party. I hope you got some inspiration here. 😘

Painted hippie T-shirt

Last month we were invited to a hippie costume party. We needed costumes! I was lucky to be able to borrow a dress from a colleague, but what about my boyfriend's costume? I made a pretty cool T-shirt and some hippie jeans for him. Here's how I made the T-shirt.

What you need

1 plain white T-shirt ( I bought the cheapest one I could get.) Some paint in happy colours. I used different kind of paint for this. I tend to buy test colour cans from my DIY store, so some of them are interior paint, and some exterior, but it worked out really well, I think. A thin paintbrush, rubber band, a pencil, and a big bowl to draw a ring to help you with the pattern. 1 piece of wood or styrofoam, or cardboard to put inside the t-shirt to keep it straight, and to prevent the paint from bleeding into the back side.

How you do it

Put the piece of wood/styrofoam/cardboard inside the t-shirt, and tighten it by using a rubber band on the backside, like this:

Then use a big bowl (Mine is 26 cm in diameter.) and a pencil, and draw a ring in the middle of the front of the t-shirt. Use the pencil to draw a spiral towards the center of the ring.
Then you can start painting the first colour. I used quick, short brush strokes towards the drawn line. Started in the middle, and worked my way outwards. When the first colour is dry, you can do the second, then the third and the fourth, until you have filled the circle with colour. I chose to paint in this sequence: Dark Blue, Green, Red, Yellow, which made the yellow and the red most visible, and I wanted the brightest colours to show the most.

Make sure your paint cover the pencil marks!
When all the colours have dried up, you may write the text. I used white paint for that, and painted by free hand. But I'm sure you may find text online that is usable as a template, if you prefer that. I just thought that the hippies were all happy and non-material, and made things themselves.. Hehe 😀

Wash cloths in happy colours #3

The light blue wash cloth is made of the same quality cotton yarn as the rest of them. I like to knit patterns into the cloths. It makes them pretty to look at, and also much more fun to make. This pattern is also quite easy, as you just move it one stitch for each round, and then move the other way after 6 rounds. The blue squares are knitted on the right side, and pearled on the wrong side, and the white squares are pearled on the right side, and knitted on the wrong side.

What you need: 1 bundle, apxm 50 grams of cotton yarn (50 gr = 160m), knitting pins (2,5 mm), and a needle to sew the ends.

How you do it: Cast on 60 stitches. Knit back and forth according to the pattern. Repeat it in width and height until there's about 3m left of yarn. Cast off, and secure the ends by weaving them a bit back and forth into the stitches. You now have another great wash cloth, and no excuse not to have a clean kitchen counter! 😉

Funny, adorable caterpillar backpack

 This was my summer holiday project this year. We stayed a week in a cabin, and it was nice to have something to do when we were sitting on the porch in the evenings. The backpack is really easy made. No fancy stitches at all 😉 And if you ask who I made it for? Myself of course! It's the perfect size for all the things I bring along every day, and it also has room for my lunch bag.
The measurements are: Base 10 x 21 cm, height 31 cm width 26 cm.
It is made very similar to the cat shoulder bag I posted here a while back.

What you need: 

Apxm 3 bundles of 50 grams yellow cotton yarn (50 gr = 160m)
Apxm 3 bundles of 50 grams green cotton yarn (50 gr = 160m)
Some scraps of white, blue, pink and peach cotton yarn.
Crochet hooks size 4 and 6. A needle to secure the ends.

This is how you do it:

Work with triple yarn, and crochet hook size 6mm, and all three bundles of the same colour at once.

1. Crochet 31 chain stitches using the green yarn, turn, do 1 sc in the 2nd st from the hook, and continue with 29 more sc.
*turn, 1 ch, 30 sc* Repeat from *to* 13 times.

2. Then start crocheting around the base, doing 1 sc in all sts. Change to yellow yarn. (See colour change tip below.) Continue around in stripes of 4 rounds in height, until you have 6 yellow stripes.

3. Change to green colour, and do 1 sc in all st for one round.

4. Make holes for the drawstring like this: *2 sc, 2 ch*,  repeat from *to* until you have completed the round.

5. Do 1 sc in each st, and continue for 2 rounds. Cut the yarn, and pull it through the loop. Secure the ends on the inside.


6. Make the drawstring like this: Use double yarn, one green, and one yellow, and size 4 hook. Do 6 ch, do 1 dc in the 4th st from the hook, 2 dc. *3 ch, 3dc*. Repeat from * to * until desired length. Mine is 90 cm. Cut the yarn, and pull it through the loop. Weave the string through the holes on top of the bag, and then use the yarn ends to sow it together as a "ring".

The Lid

 1. Use triple yarn as above, start with green colour. Make a magic ring. If you don't know how, there's a good tutorial here. Make 4 sc in the ring, and tighten it. 1st round: Do 2 sc in each st. 2nd round: Do 1 sc in the first st, then 2 in the next throughout the round. 3rd round: Do 1 sc in the first 2 st, then 2 sc in the third st throughout the round. Continue like this.. Change colour for every 4th round. (See tip below for change of colour.) When you have made 2 yellow rings, proceed to step 2.

2. 4 ch, 1 dtr, 1 tc, 2 dc, 1 hdc, 7 sc, 1 hdc, 2 dc, 1 tc, 2 dtr, 1 ch, turn

3. *Do one sc in each st, 1 ch, turn.* Repeat from * to * 6 times.

4. Cut the yarn with a long enough tail to sow the lid onto the bag. Pull it through the loop. Sow the lid in the middle of the upper yellow stripe on the bag. Remember to place it in center of the backside.

Appliquetions

Use double yarn, and size 4 hook for these.

Eyes (Make 2 of them..): Blue yarn: Make a magic ring. Make 4 sc in the ring, and tighten it. 1st round: Do 2 sc in each st. Change to white yarn: Do 1 sc in the first st, then 2 in the next throughout the round. 3rd round: Do 1 sc in the first 2 st, then 2 sc in the third st throughout the round.4th round: *1 ch, turn, 1 sc in the first 3 st, then 2 sc in the forth.* Repeat from * to * 4 times. Yes. It's supposed to be only half a round.😊

Mouth: I used 1 thread of pink, and 1 thread of peach coloured yarn. Do 11 ch, turn and work 1 sc in each ch, start with the second one from the hook. turn. Continue back and forth with sc, but skip the second st, and the second last st in every row. You will end up with a triangle. Cut the yarn, and pull it through the loop.

Now sow the eyes and mouth neatly onto the lid,-  to give your caterpillar the look you want, experiment with where you place them..

Shoulder straps (I made one of each colour.) Triple yarn, and size 6 hook : Make 8 ch. Do 7 sc, start with the second ch from the hook. *Turn. 1 ch, 7 sc.*
Repeat from * to * until you get the desired length for your back. I wanted mine to hang low on the back, so I made them long. But remember that they will stretch a bit when worn.

Sow the shoulder straps onto the bag. I placed them low on the upper yellow stripe. and just above the base.

Congratulations! You have now made your very own caterpillar backpack!

Tip for colour change: If you are like me, and don't see the fun in securing a lot of lose ends, do like this:
Cut the "old" colour yarn, leaving 15-20 cm ends. (When you work with triple yarn, like on this backpack, cut one thread at the time, and do it three times for each colour change.) Start the "new" colour with the same ends, and lay them together on top of the stitches you are going to crochet. Then crochet around the ends as you go along, and the ends will disappear into your project. This way you only have to secure the beginning threads and the ones at the end. Your colours will change gradually and it will look like this.

Wash cloths in happy colours #4

These knitted cotton wash cloths are my all time favorites. I have tried lots of different kitchen cloths over the years, but I think these home made ones beat all micro fibers and other fabrics. They are also easy to make and can go in the washer on 60 degrees C. As I make a lot of these.. (I change my cloth several times per day, lol), I like to try out different patterns, so it won't be boring knitting them, ..Here's another one of my patterns, the lilac cloth with small hearts..

What you need: 1 bundle, apxm 50 grams of cotton yarn (50 gr = 160m), knitting pins (2,5 mm), and a needle to sew the ends.

How you do it: Cast on 60 stitches. Knit back and forth according to the pattern. The lilac squares are knitted on the right side, and pearled on the wrong side, and the white squares are pearled on the right side, and knitted on the wrong side.
Repeat it in width and height until there's about 3m left of yarn. Cast off, and secure the ends by weaving them a bit back and forth into the stitches. You now have another great wash cloth, and can keep your counter shiny and clean 😉

Knitted ponytail hair band

These fun to make hair bands are great to keep your hair away from your face on a windy day, or perfect for the summer party. You can choose a colour that matches your favorite summer dress.

What you need: Some scraps of cotton yarn (50 gr=160 m), knitting pins 2,5 mm, some elastic, and a needle that fits the yarn.

How you do it:

Step 1. Cast on 22 stiches.

Step 2. Knit back and forth for 25 cm.

Step 3. Cast off.

Step 4. Fold the patch lengthwise, and sew it neatly along the side. NOT the short sides. It is supposed to look like a small knitted hose :)

Step 5.  Thread some elastic through your knitted "hose", and tie it together when it is as tight as you wish your hair band to be. Cut off the ends of the elastic. Then sow the two ends of your knitted hose together, around the elastic, secure the ends, and your hairband is ready to make your hair look great :)

Adorable lanterns for cozy summer nights

These crocheted lanterns are bound to lighten up your summer nights this year. They are really easy and quick to make, so why not make some extra and gift your friends 😁 I chose soft pastel colours, but they will also look great in plain white, or any other colour you like.

What you need: Some leftovers of cotton yarn (50gr=160m), a crochet needle size 2,5 mm, an empty glass jar (mine are 10 cm tall, and diameter 6,5 cm) and a needle to secure the ends. You may use any size of jar, you wish. Just adjust the pattern to your size of jar. These small ones, that I used are perfect for tealights.

How you do it:
Step 1. Make a magic ring. If you don't know how, there's a good tutorial here.

Step 2. Make 6 sc in the ring, and tighten it.

Step 3. Make 2 sc in each stitch.

Step 4. Make 1 sc in the first st, then 2 in the second, and so on 1 round.

Step 5. Make 1 sc in the first and second st, then 2 in the third, and so on 1 round.

Step 6. Make 1 sc in the first and second and third st, then 2 in the forth, and so on 1 round.

Continue like this (1 more st between each time you increase for each round) until your work fits the base of your jar. Lay your crocheted patch under the jar to see if it fits.

Step 7. *Make 1 dc in each st.* Repeat from * to * the whole round.

Step 8. Make 3 ch (Will count as 1 dc), 1 dc.*2ch, skip 2 st, and make 1 dc in the next 2 st. *
Repeat from * to * throughout the round, and make 1 sl st in the 3rd ch from the beginning of the round.

Step 9. Make 1 dc around all ch from the previous round, and 1 ch above all dc from the previous round. (= 2 ch, 2 dc throughout the round), then 1 sl st to end it.

Step 10. Repeat step 9 until required length. Test this on your jar as you go along.

Step 11. The top border: * Make 5 dc between the pair of dc from the previous round, 1 sl st around the ch.* Repeat from * to * throughout the round. (On the orange one, I used 7 dc instead of 5, but I ended up preferring 5.)

Step 12. Secure the ends by weaving them back and forth a little on the inside of your work.

The yellow and green ones got a multi coloured string weaved around the last row before step 11. Simply take one thread of each colour yarn (apxm 1 meter), and twine them to make the string.

The orange and blue ones got a small heart around them.

How to make the cute hearts:

Step 1.
Make 6 ch st.
Step 2.
Make 1 sc in the 2nd st from the hook, and continue with 4 more sc.
 *turn, 1 ch, 5 sc* Repeat from *to* 4 times.You now have a 5x5 square.
Step 3.
Turn the square 45 degrees, and in the middle st on the side: crochet 5 dc
1 sl st in the corner. Then in the middle st on the next side, do another 5 dc
sl st along the side until you reach the corner.
Cut the yarn long enough to reach around your jar, and pull it through the slope.
Secure the end from the beginning on the backside of the heart.

Put a candle in, light it, and enjoy.😄

Wash cloths in happy colours #2

The peach coloured wash cloth is made of the same quality cotton yarn as the rest of them. I like to knit patterns into the cloths. It makes them pretty to look at, and also much more fun to make. This pattern is very easy, as you just move it one stitch for each round. The peach squares are knitted on the right side, and pearled on the wrong side, and the white squares are pearled on the right side, and knitted on the wrong side.

What you need: 1 bundle, apxm 50 grams of cotton yarn (50 gr = 160m), knitting pins (2,5 mm), and a needle to sew the ends.

How you do it: Cast on 60 stitches. Knit back and forth according to the pattern. Repeat it in width and height until there's about 3m left of yarn. Cast off, and secure the ends by weaving them a bit back and forth into the stitches. You now have another great wash cloth, and no excuse not to have a clean kitchen counter! 😉

Wash cloths in happy colours #1

These knitted cotton wash cloths are my all time favorites. I have tried lots of different kitchen cloths over the years, but I think these home made ones beat all micro fibers and other fabrics. They are also easy to make and can go in the washer on 60 degrees C. As I make a lot of these.. (I change my cloth several times per day, lol), I like to try out different patterns, so it won't be boring knitting them, ..Here are  some of my patterns, and I start off with the most simple one.. The moss green cloth.

What you need: 1 bundle apxm 50 grams of cotton yarn (50 gr = 160m), knitting pins (2,5 mm), and a needle to sew the ends.

How you do it: Cast on 60 stitches. Knit back and forth until there's about 3m left of yarn. Cast off, and secure the ends by weaving them a bit back and forth into the stitches. You now have a great wash cloth, and no excuse not to have a clean kitchen counter! ;-)

Soft warm alpaca hat

Knit a hat in an evening! This matches the scarf I made a couple of weeks ago 😊
They are both remarkably soft, and will keep you nice and warm in cold weather.

What you need:
1 pair of knitting pins size 15 - 3 different colours alpaca yarn, apx 25 grams of each - 1 wool needle to secure the ends.
I used this yarn: AdLibris alpakkagarn which is 125 m per 50 gr bundle.
These colours: Dusty blue - Dusty pink - Off white

Step 1. Use one thread from each colour throughout your work. Cast on 46 stitches.

Step 2. Work rib = K 1/P 1 for 20 cm.

Step 3. K1, K2tog  1 row

Step 4. P2tog 1 row, K2tog 1 row and repeat this until you have 7 stitches left.

Step 5. Cut the thread, and pull it through the remaining stitches.

Step 6. Sew  along the side. Don't make the seam too tight. Secure the ends.

KEEP WARM! 😊

Easy made sea glass pendants

It's always nice to see what treasures you can find along the seashore. I have collected some sea glass that I thought I'd turn into jewelry. These are my first attempts. It was quite fun, so I think I may make some more later on 😉

You will need pliers and wire cutters for this work!

The white one is really simple. Just some ordinary steel wire that I wrapped around the glass. I then made a little ring for the chain in some of the wire on the backside.

The green one took a little more time, but was not at all difficult. You will need copper wire in 2 gauges.

Bend the thickest one around a tine of a fork or something similar. In the beginning I left the fork in the bend to better keep the correct distance between the wires. Weave the thin wire around the thicker one. Some small pliers are useful! Keep them parallel for a while, and after some cm you can tighten the thin wire more and more to make a pointy end.

Use your sea glass to measure how long you want it to be. The last couple of rounds, I wrapped the thin wire around the outside of the thick one. Cut the ends, and bend it around your glass.
Make a small ring, and secure it to the wire on the backside, for the string or chain you want to hang it on. Try to put all ends in, so they won't scratch. You can use a tiny bit of hot glue on the ends, if you don't manage to hide them 😊

Last minute Valentine's gift - Crochet a heart bookmark

These bookmarks are very easy made. I love crocheting these cute hearts, and they are done in no time.

What you need: Crochet hook number 4 and some cotton yarn (50 gr=160m).
These hearts are crocheted with double yarn.

How you do it:


Step1.
Crochet 8 chain stitches, turn, do 1 sc in the 2nd st from the hook, and continue with 6 more sc.
 *turn, 1 ch, 7 sc* Repeat from *to* 6 times.You now have a 7x7 square.

Step2.
Turn the square 45 degrees, and in the middle st on the side: crochet 7 tr
1 sl st in the corner. Then in the middle st on the next side, do another 7 tr
sl st along the side until you reach the corner. You now have the big heart.
Step3.
40 ch
Step 4.
  Make 1 sc in the 2nd st from the hook, and continue with 4 more sc.
 *turn, 1 ch, 5 sc* Repeat from *to* 4 times.You now have a 5x5 square.
Step 5.
Turn the square 45 degrees, and in the middle st on the side: crochet 5 dc
1 sl st in the corner. Then in the middle st on the next side, do another 5 dc
sl st along the side until you reach the corner.
Secure the ends, and Voila! Your bookmark is done!

Super easy Valentine's cards

Still haven't got a card for your Valentine tomorrow? Here are some ideas for really easy and quick to make cards.

All you need is some coloured carton, decorative paper and some fine liners. It's always nice to receive home made cards. Even though they are as simple as these.

Upcycle old frames and coat racks

I had these old frames and coat racks, and a basket for bits and bobs, lying around. I was going to throw them away, but then I came up with the idea of painting them. They were all different colours and didn't match at all. Now they have gotten a new trendy look and match each other , and also the shoe rack I made last week. Our hallway will be totally renewed.. Hehe 😁

Before

After

What you need: Some old things you want to renew, masking tape for sensitive surfaces, stencil glue, paper, scissors, paint, sanding paper, household ammonia (or other suitable product for cleaning the surface), paintbrushes.
I used these colours: S1510-Y70R Deco pink - S4010-G70Y Green harmony - 2415-Y71R Delightful pink - S5010-R90B Kveldshimmel (Blue), and  S0510-Y10R Smörboll
 I cut out the hearts from ordinary printing paper, and used stencil glue on them to be able to take them easily off after the paint had dried. Since I used so many different colours, it took a couple of days to let each colour dry sufficiently before the next one. Therefore it is important to use a masking tape of good quality, otherwise you won't get the glue residues off 😊

Easy made colourful hat with hearts

Hi 😊
Maybe this will be a good gift for Valentine's Day? It was fun to make with all the happy colours, and with these big knitting pins, it takes only one evening!

What you need: Circular needle (50cm or smaller) and double pointed needles size 7 mm, a wool needle to secure the ends, yarn that fits the pins. Approx 60 grams of yellow and some leftovers from 6 other colours. I used this yarn Cortina Soft, which is 55m per 50 grams, and 100% wool.

How to make it :
(This will fit grown ups, head size 54-58 cm)
Cast on 72 stitches on the circular needle, and work around. Knit rib K2/P2 5 rounds. Continue with the pattern, which you repeat all the way around, and do it twice in height.

There's supposed to be a round of yellow on top of the pattern, that does not show very good on the picture.
After the 6th row of hearts, K 1 round, AT THE SAME TIME dec 2 sts evenly by knitting 2 together.
Change to the double pointed needles, and
*K9 sts, k2tog * Repeat from *to* the whole round.
*K8 sts, k2tog * Repeat from *to* the whole round.
*K7 sts, k2tog * Repeat from *to* the whole round.
*K6 sts, k2tog * Repeat from *to* the whole round.
*K5 sts, k2tog * Repeat from *to* the whole round.
*K4 sts, k2tog * Repeat from *to* the whole round.
*K3 sts, k2tog * Repeat from *to* the whole round.
*K2 sts, k2tog * Repeat from *to* the whole round.
*K1 sts, k2tog * Repeat from *to* the whole round.

Cut the thread and pull it through the last 7 sts. Use the wool needle to weave in all ends on the wrong side 😊

Cute black crocheted shoulder bag with kittens

Hello again 😊
This is something my daughter asked me to make. Her old shoulder bag was very ragged and totally worn out. And she  wanted a new one with cute kittens on, so here it is.

The measurements when it's lying flat are 32x32 cm, and the base is 8x24 cm.

What you need: Crochet needles nr 5 and 6, approx 300 grams of black cotton yarn (50 gr=160m), some leftover cotton yarn for the kittens, a sewing needle,  3 pairs of googly eyes, and hot glue.

How you do it:
The bag is crocheted with triple yarn, so use 3 bundles at the time.
Crochet 31 chain stitches, turn, do 1 sc in the 2nd st from the hook, and continue with 29 more sc.
*turn, 1 ch, 30 sc* Repeat from *to* 9 times.
Then start crocheting around the base, doing 1 sc in all sts. Continue around until the height of the bag is 24 cm.
3ch, 1dc, *2ch,2dc* repeat from *to* until you have completed the round.
Do 1 sc in each st, and continue for 5 rounds.Cut the thread, pull it through the loop, and secure both ends on the inside of the bag.

Shoulder strap:
Crochet 7 chain stitches, turn, do 1 sc in the 2nd st from the hook, and continue with 5 more sc.
 *turn, 1 ch, 6 sc* Repeat from *to* until required length. Mine is 111 cm. Cut the thread, pull it through the loop. use a needle to sew the strap onto the bag. I put it 9 cm down from the edge and sew along three sides of the strap up to the row of holes.

Kittens:
These are made with double yarn, and crochet hook nr 5.
Step 1. Make a magic ring. If you don't know how, there's a good tutorial here.

Step 2. Make 6 sc in the ring, and tighten it.

Step 3. Make 2 sc in each stitch = 12 stitches.

Step 4. Make 1 sc in the first st, then 2 in the second, and so on around the ring = 18 stitches.

Step 5. Make 1 sc in the first 2 st, then 2 sc in the third st. Repeat all the way around = 24 stitches

Step 6. Make 1 sc in the first 3 st, then 2 sc in the forth st. Repeat all the way around = 32 stitches

Step 7. Make 3 dc in the next st, 1ch, 3 more dc in the same st.

Step 8. 6 sl st

Step 9.  Make 3 dc in the next st, 1ch, 3 more dc in the same st, 1 sl st, cut the thread and pull it through the loop.

Make all 3 kittens in different colours. Embroider on the noses, and sew the kittens onto the bag.
If you like, you can put on googly eyes with hot glue. According to my daughter, everything gets better with googly eyes 😉

How to make the rope:
I used 5 strings of black, and one string of each colour I had used for the kittens.
Make the strings twice the length you want the rope to be, and twine each end in opposite directions. If it's a long rope, you will need a helping hand with this. When it's sufficiently twined, fold in the middle, and make a knot in the open end.

Knitted Valentine's candle jars

These are easy and quick to make. You may choose any colours you like. I wanted to make red and pink hearts, but didn't have pink yarn, at the moment, therefore it turned out one red and one purple.

What you need: Double pointed needles size 3,5 mm, some leftover yarn that fits the needles. (I used wool for these, but any yarn will do.) 2 glass jars approx. 8 cm diameter, a wool needle to weave the ends.
How you do it:
Red hearts jar:
Cast on 60 sts on double pointed needles size 3.5 mm with white yarn. Knit rib K2/P2., - three rounds. Then knit pattern:

The pattern should be repeated 3 times around, and it ends with K1 white round on top.
Knit rib K2/P2., - three rounds. Cast off, and weave the ends on the wrong side.
Purple heart jar:
Cast on 60 sts on double pointed needles size 3.5 mm with white yarn. K 3 rounds and continue with the pattern, which should end with 1 white round at the top. K 3 rounds and cast off. Weave the ends in on the wrong side.
Then just put your knitted cuffs around the jars. wrap some yarn around the top, and tie a bow 😊

Awesome hilarious house sign

Hi!
I'm sure you agree. Nothing says welcome like a sign that makes you laugh, right? I'm sharing this to show that you don't need to be a skilled artist to be able to make something fun and personal.

This sign will most likely only fit the people living in our home, which is me, my boyfriend, and my grown up son, who is eager to move out. But all you need is an idea. Maybe you've seen a fun picture on Tumbl. or maybe you saw a comic strip that was perfectly you? Transfer it into stick men, and make your own very personal door sign. All you need is paint, brushes, a pencil, 2 screws, 2 eye screws, clear varnish and some planed wood.
I painted all sides of the sign with white outdoor paint first to make it withstand the rough weather here. I then painted the background with a very thin layer of blue and green. When it's dry, use a pencil to sketch  your idea, and then paint it. If there are pencil marks that shows, remove them with an eraser when the paint has dried. Put 2-3 layers of varnish on top of it, if it's going to be outdoors. Then screw the eye screws on top, and hang it up. Enjoy all your smiling visitors! 😁

Super easy polymer clay jewelry

Hi again😊
It's February, and Valentines is coming up. Time to make some hearts.
These polymer clay jewelry are so easy to make, that even small children can manage.

The heart pendant is made simply by adding some pink coloured clay to the white clay, and kneed it in a bit. Then roll it thin, and use a heart mould to cut it. Make a little hole with a toothpick before baking, and use some wire to make a ring in the hole after it has hardened.
The bracelet to match it is made with the same clay, and just rolled in the hand. Make a hole through it before baking. I used ordinary thin cotton yard to thread it on, and then made some chain stitches on each side until preferred length. Tie a loop in one end, and thread a bead on the other. The loop should be as wide as the bead, and you have a lock 😉

This heart pendant is made of white clay and a pink freshwater pearl. I made a hole in it with a tooth pick before baking, and used wire to make a ring in the hole after it had hardened.

This one is not a heart, but laces says love as well, right? 😉 Simply use a rolling pin to make the clay really flat and thin. Then roll the upper part around a knitting pin. Use some old lace to press gently into the clay (while the knitting pin is still in there), and you will get a beautiful pattern. I baked it with the knitting pin in it, and gently removed it when the clay got cold.
Tip: If your sides are not all smooth after baking, you can use a metal nail file to improve them.