Rasta Slouchy Beanie - Free Crochet Pattern

Happy Sunday everybody! I hope you are having a great weekend. I have a great slouch hat pattern to share with you today, and I'm so excited about it! This hat is so me. The colors, the stitch, the way it fits, I just love it. I love it so much I wrote down the pattern to share with you!

This awesome yarn had previously been used for something else, but I ended up not liking it and putting it down for another day. Two years later... it finally caught my eye on my 'wall of yarn' and I decided to make something fun and funky!

Chunky iPad Sleeve - Free Pattern

Do you ever find yourself with some chunky yarn and not know what to make with it? Sure you could do a hat or scarf, but how predictable is that? (not to mention I'm horrible at making hats)

So after searching and searching for something to make I decided to just make something of my own. I decided an iPad sleeve would be nice, something I can slip my iPad into and not have to worry about it getting bumped or scratched. The chunky yarn works perfect for this! It gives a lot more padding than your standard worsted weight yarn would.

The pattern is pretty simple, but I figured I'd share it anyways for those beginners that are looking for something quick and easy to make. You could easily resize this to fit a kindle, nook, or other tablet as well by chaining the width of your tablet instead of the recommended number of chains.

Chunky iPad Sleeve

Craft Space Revamp!

In case you haven't heard, I'm not the neatest person in the world. So my craft space is ALWAYS messy. Everything has an order.. To me.. But I was sick of having to untangle yarn and search for the right hook I needed. So I decided it was time to revamp my space, and try and make it as user friendly as possible! 

Thanks to some Pinterest inspiration I was able to easily and affordably create this little nook in my basement for my yarn and crochet work. I still have a long way to go, but wanted to share a little peek of what I've done so far!

First thing I did was find this over the door shoe organizer at Target on clearance. The pockets are the perfect size for a full skein of yarn, and it holds them perfectly, ready for use! This might have been the best thing I've ever done. You could even hang it in your closet! :O

Then I bought some command hooks and made a sort of clothes line. This displays all my recently finished works and some of my favorite pieces. It helps me keep my motivation on days I don't feel productive. It also helps remind me of what I need to work on!

Then I used some baskets from the dollar store (my favorite place to shop!) and some collapsible storage cubes I had lying around and made a space for extra yarn. The baskets hold my WIP's, helping me to only keep 3 projects going at once (even though I usually have more anyway).

Then I found these metal buckets at Target for $1 each. I grabbed a few and used some of my extra command hooks to hang the buckets above my desk. I originally kept all my hooks, needles, and misc items in a coffee cup on my desk and a little dish, now they're easily accessible, and I still have desk space!
To help keep all my papers and magazines in one place, I grabbed this magazine holder from Big Lots for $2. It's way less intimidating than having a ton of papers stacked on my desk!

The last thing I did was organize the rest of my 'stash'. I'm guilty of getting halfway through something, or even finishing something, and just throwing it in a pile. If anyone wants a bunch of miscellaneous unfinished projects let me know! I've been saving it as scrap yarn, hoping I'll have time to do something with it one day (yeah right!).

So that's what I've accomplished so far. I really hope to get some more organization going on, but for now, this is great for me! If you don't already have a designated space for your crafts, find one! I started with this tiny desk in my basement, and it (embarrassingly) has evolved into my own little yarn sanctuary!

Save Your Scraps: Scrap Yarn Crochet Ideas!

I've been saving all the little scraps of yarn I make since I've started crocheting. I have a bin at the bottom of my yarn storage (see pics of my stash here!), and I just toss them in there when I finish a project, usually to be forgotten about.. Until now!

 

Dun Dun Dun!!! That's my scrap 'bucket'. I had already started tying it up and raveling it into a ball before I took the pic, but there is still a ton of yarn left!

I recently joined CrochetTalk, a blog for crocheters, and after seeing a sticky about what to do with scrap yarn, it inspired me to finally pull my pile out and get to work.

My plan is to make it into one big ball, and then crochet either a rug or blanket out of it. It doesn't matter what it looks like, because I know I'll enjoy it knowing it was made from yarn that would have originally been thrown away! 

So what about you? Do you keep your scraps? And if you do, when was the last time you took them out and made something? There are tons of patterns that use the smallest bits of yarn! Here's a few unique ideas to get you started!

Here you will find a pattern for cotton facial scrubbies! Perfect for washing your face and getting your face fresh and clean!

Or how about This wine glass coaster? Never lose your wine glass again by making it stand out from the others. Make a bunch of different colors so everyone can have one!

How about an adorable hair bow? This can be used in your hair, tied to a pets collar, pinned to the front of your sons shirt, or put it on a bag! Requires just a tiny bit of yarn and can be made in lots of fun colors!

A crochet rose is nice too! Put it on a hat, bag, headband, or just give it to someone special!!

Have any more ideas for some great scrap yarn usage? Post a comment below!!