Easy Crochet Market Bag

Sometimes it is so hard to come up with spring and summer things to crochet but this market bag is perfect!!! It's easy, adorable, functional and so fun to make. You can make it in cotton yarn or acrylic yarn. I used a leftover half of a Caron Big Cake to make this one and it was the perfect amount of yarn. Market bags are big this spring and summer too! If you don't want to use it for holding your fresh fruits and veggies, you can use it as a beach bag, packing snacks for a park day or a picnic or using it as a diaper bag for your littles.

What you'll need:

• 5 or 6 mm crochet hook
• approximately 350e yds of cotton or acrylic yarn (I used half a Caron Big Cake)
• scissors
• yarn needles
• stitch marker

Abbreviations:

• Chain (ch)
• Single crochet (sc)
• Half double crochet (hdc)
• Double crochet (dc)

Instructions:

Round 1: ch 4, (last 3 ch count as 1st dc) 11 dc in first ch. Slip stitch to join. (12 stitches)

**pattern note** use a stitch marker to mark the last stitch to keep track of the rounds

Round 2: *ch 4, sc in next dc; repeat from * to the end of the round. (12 spaces) -move stitch marker

Round 3: *ch 4, sc in next ch 4 space; repeat from *

Round 4: repeat round 3

Round 5: *ch 4, sc in next ch 4 space, ch 4, sc in next ch 4 space, ch 4, sc in same ch 4 space; repeat from *. (18 spaces)

Round 6: repeat round 3.

Round 7: increase in every 3rd space. (increase is the same as round 5)

Round 8: repeat round 3

Round 9: repeat round 7

Round 10-13: repeat round 3

Round 14-16: repeat round 7

Round 17-32: repeat round 3

Round 33: ch 2, 3 hdc in every ch 4 space. slip stitch to join

Round 34-35: *ch 2, hdc in next 2 stitches, skip every 3rd stitch; repeat from *. slip stitch to join

Round 36-38: ch 2, hdc in every stitch. slip stitch to join

Strap:

Row 1: ch 1, sc in next 10 hdc stitches. ch 1, turn.

Row 2-94: *10 sc, ch 1, turn; repeat from * till end of row 94. 

**leave about a 12 inch tail to sew the strap to the other side of the bag.**

Weave in ends and the bag is finished!!

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Chunky Mermaid Tail Blanket

Okay, so I worked on this blanket about 2 weeks. It was so simple and I just kind of went with it. This is a super super basic mermaid tail blanket. Perfect for beginners! It only uses a couple stitches and then some sewing at the end. My kiddos love this blanket because it is so soft and extremely warm! I made it with Lion Brand Hometown USA yarn in Phoenix Azalea and it took 10 skeins for a lap size blanket. If you want it to be able to cover your arms too, I'd add 2-3 more. Or if you want it to be kid size, you'll probably only need around 8. This pattern makes it really easy to adjust it to the size you want.

This is also a good project for a birthday or Christmas gift. It only took me about 2 weeks to make it but I was working on some other projects in between. You know how it is, can't ever just have one project at a time. I know I'm guilty of having at least 6 right now. 🙈 

What you'll need:

• 10 mm or 11 mm crochet hook (this pattern works with both)
• 10 skeins of chunky yarn
• scissors
• yarn needle

Abbreviations:

• Chain (ch)
• Single crochet (sc)
• Half double crochet (hdc)
• Double crochet (dc)
• Slip stitch (sl st)
• Back loop (bl)

Instructions:

Tail

Ch 30
Row 1- hdc in the 3rd chain and hdc across the row.
Row 2- ch 2, turn, hdc in bl
*Row 3- ch 2, turn, hdc in bl till 2nd to last stitch.
Row 4, ch 2, turn, hdc in bl across the row.*
 Repeat * to * till end of row 14.

*Row 15- ch 2, turn, hdc in bl till end of row. 2 hdc in last stitch.
Row 16- ch 2, turn, hdc in bl till end of row.*

 Repeat * to * till end of row 26.

Connect tail on the straight side with a sl st. You'll start working on the body from there.

Body

Starting at the sl st

Round 1- ch 1, sc around the edge, sl st to join. (you should have about 38 stitches)

Round 2- ch 2, hdc in each stitch in the round. sl st to join.

Round 3- ch 2, *hdc in next 2, 2 hdc in every 3rd stitch* 

     Repeat * to * till end of the round. sl st to join.

Round 4- ch 3, *dc in next 4, 2 dc in every 5th stitch*

     Repeat * to * till the end of the round. sl st to join.

Round 5-9- ch 3, dc in each stitch in the round. sl st to join. *don't join at the end of round 9*

Row 10-35- ch 3, turn, dc till the end of the row.

Row 36- ch 1, sc across till the end of the row. 

Fold the edges of the tails up to where the tail and body connect, use your yarn needle to sew about 5 stitches together on both sides of the tail. 

You can close the bottom but I left mine open because I like to be able to stick my feet out the bottom.

Then you just weave in the ends and it is finished!! 

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What to do with all your scrap yarn!!

So I'm sure you also have a big stash of scraps and leftover yarn like I do! Now the question is, what do we do with it! Well I have a few good ideas for that. I know I have a bunch of leftover yarn and I am always trying to come up with new ideas for it.

Scrap Yarn Blanket

This is probably one of the easiest ways to use up most of the leftover yarn scraps you have! There are so many different ways you could do it too. Granny squares, granny stitch, V stitch, C2C and a ton more! I have one finished with a granny stitch and another one started with the V stitch. If you don't have a lot, then you can always make a baby blanket too!! 

Pom Poms

Duh!! Pom poms are amazing and we can use them for so much stuff!! You can make a pom pom rug, make poms to put on top of your hats, add some poms to the corners of you blankets, or just make them for your kids to have a "snowball fight"! My kids love the throw them at each other! 

Popsicle Holders

Popsicle holders for your little people! Instead of using all those paper towels to wrap around the popsicles to keep their little hand warm, you can make some super cute holders. Little Star Wars ones are so adorable because then it looks like they are holding little light sabers. You can do other character ones, or just make it rainbow if you have a bunch of different colors! 

Need a quick 15 min 1 stitch pattern for this - click here.

Cup Cozys

Cup cozys are so easy to make and are super cute!! You can make a bunch of them with the scrap yarn and then use other colors to make little flowers or a unicorn horn to add onto it! You can also add little charms on to them too! This is another easy and super fun project to do and you can totally give these as gifts to your friends!!

Cat Coaster

 Cat coasters are so easy to make too and they are a great way to use up some of those bigger balls of leftover yarn! Just click the link to go to my pattern for these! You can make these really quick too so they are perfect if you need a last minute gift or something else to add to your craft fair! Click here for the pattern to make these!

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15 Minute Crochet Popsicle Holder

This is literally the easiest thing I've made! It takes 15 min (maybe less but I have a 4 year old who requires my attention every 30 seconds) and it's great because then you aren't using a million paper towels for the popsicles. Especially in the summer time! I know here in VA it starts getting warm at the end of Winter and my kids are ready for popsicles as soon as the temps hit the 70s. You can even use your scrap yarn to make these! So here it is!

What you'll need:

• Some yarn in whatever color you feel like using! I used some leftover Red Heart yarn.
• 5 mm crochet hook
• scissors 
• yarn needle

Abbreviations:

• Chain (ch)
• Half Double Crochet (hdc)
• Slip Stitch (sl st)

Instructions:

When you make your slip knot, you'll want to leave the tail long (around 6-8 inches). I accidentally left mine short so the end was a struggle. 

Ch 17, connect so you are working around.

Round 1-11- Ch 2, hdc all the way around till the end, sl st to join.

Use your yarn needle to sew the bottom with the tail.

Weave in your ends.

The end! Now you have a popsicle holder! 

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