September 10, 2012

Quick, Cheap and Easy

Now that I have a home, I am slowly discovering all the things that I need, that I do not currently own. Lawn implements, actual trash cans, a lawn mower, etc. Some things are smaller though.

The finished crochet plastic bag holder.

The last few weeks I have been realizing that the wonderful thing of a "plastic bag holder" is missing from my kitchen. The last one we had was my moms and so it went back to her in the move. Today I thought I would remedy this issue. After looking around on the net for a crochet pattern and not really seeing any I liked, I just kind of winged it based loosely off this pattern that uses old VHS tape for yarn.

Here's my pattern:

Items needed:
One elastic hair band (.97 cents for a pack at walmart)
About half a skein of yarn (I used a variegated I Love This Yarn)
About 2 hours
Basic crochet skills

Round 1: 20 single crochet around the hair band
Rd 2: 20 sc around
Rd 3: (2sc in first, 1 sc in next)* Repeat around (30sts)
Rd 4: chain 4, skip one stitch, double crochet in next, (chain 2, skip one stitch, double crochet in next)* Repeat around, close round by slip stitch in to second chain in original chain 4.
Round 5- as long as you want: keep doing chain 2, and one double crochet in the chain space around for as long as you want till you achieve the length you want.
Once you have achieved the length you want, stop and chain 8, slip stitch that back into the stitch you made it from to create a loop for hanging it from a peg.
Round 45: Single crochet around
Round 46: Single crochet around
Round 47: (Single crochet two together (decrease), single crochet)* Repeat around.
Round 48: (Single crochet two together (decrease), single crochet)* Repeat around.
Bind off and weave in. Finished!

Those last four rows are just to give the top of the bag a little structure so that you can fill it easier. If you want a nice wide opening, just do one row of the decreases.

The bottom with elastic band.
The top with hanging loop shown.
You have now saved yourself some money from buying any number of strange devices or "vintage/handmade" items off Etsy!

Before. Shoved into each other and into a cupboard.

After! Out of sight, in between the fridge and cabinets.
Oh! And just FYI, this whole thing is light enough that I am hanging it there with a Command Hook that holds up to .5 lbs. So no worries about damaging your cabinets to install it or something else!

UPDATE:
Made a second one for my mom. Slightly changed the pattern a bit, might be clearer than the first.


Hanging Plastic Bag Sleeve Holder
Note: This pattern starts at what will be the bottom of the sleeve and works to the top. This variant of the pattern uses a hair band at both ends (2). Also has the same loop for hanging from a nail or hook.

Row 1: 25 sc around hair band, slip stich to join
Row 2: chain 1, 25 sc around, slip stich to first
Row 3: chain 1, (2sc in one, sc in next) *repeat around (38)
Row 4: chain 1, 38 sc around, slip stitch to first
Row 5: chain 4, skip one stitch, dc in next stitch, (chain 2, skip 1 stitch, dc in next)* repeat around, end by slip stitch in space of the chain 4 from beginning, 
Rows 6 to 40: repeat row 5, anchor the dc in the top of the dc from the row below it, do as many rows as you like making it short or long to your desires
Row 41: chain 8, anchor the chain with a slip stitch into the base of the chain to make a loop, sc around
Row 42: chain 1, sc around (38)
Row 43: decrease (sc two together, one sc in next)* repeat around (25) 
Row 44: 25 sc around a second hair band, slip stitch to join.
Bind Off.

UPDATE 2:
Made a third for a co-worker. She likes cats so I used two different gray yarns and alternated colors for different rows to get it a kind of tabby look. Also added an embroidered nose and whiskers as well as some ears.

The color changing has a pattern to it. It is as follows: Do rows 1-4 in light gray as well as the decreasing at the top. Row 5 starts the color changing with a single row of dark gray, then 2 light, 1 dark, 2 light, 2 dark, 1 light, 1 dark, 1 light, 2 dark and then start over. I guess you can also just do it randomly if you wanted.