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Archive for June, 2008

Suh-Wif-Fur Loopy Dust Mop Cloth (Free Crochet Recipe)

Monday, June 30th, 2008

Over the weekend, I crocheted a basic reusable cloth to use with a certain trademarked floor sweeper meant to be used with name-brand disposable cloths. I improvised, but there are free crochet patterns for that (Tonya Hume’s Swiffer Cover, Tiff Crochets Swiffer Cardi, and Gherkin’s Bucket Crochet Biffer Shrug, for starters). I used the basic cloth, and it worked fine, but I found myself wanting a loopy, dust mop type of cloth to do things like clean the ceiling fan blades, so after a couple of pointlessly difficult tries at making one out of loop st squares, I finished this one – made flat in one piece, with pockets at the side to slip over the head of the sweeper.

UPDATE 3 July 2008: Turns out I have an older, smaller model, and many people have the newer, larger model. Larger size is now included in the recipe.

Yarn: 1 ball Lily Sugar n’ Cream kitchen cotton (70.9g/120 yds 100% cotton) [AUS/NZ: 10-ply cotton]
Yarn Substitutes: Pisgah Peaches & Creme kitchen cotton, Lion Brand Lion Cotton, Kitchen Cotton, Cotton-Ease, Nature’s Choice Organic Cotton, Blue Sky Alpacas Organic Cotton, Dyed Cotton, Pakucho Organic Cotton, or any other worsted weight cotton or cotton-blend yarn of your choice. You could also use wool – it attract dust nicely!
Crochet hook: I/9/5.5mm or size to get gauge
Knitting needle: US13/9mm/UK00 dpn [OPTIONAL] – to make loops over (can use finger, pen, dowel, etc.)
Crochet Me loop stitch tutorial by Chloe Nightingale
Measurements: SMALLER (older models) 3″/7.5cm wide, 9.5″/19cm long, LARGER (newer models) 4.5″/11.5cm wide, 10″/25.5cm long. Will fit on a Swiffer ™ sweeper – but the sizes can vary, so check the measurements of the sweeper you are using and adjust pattern as needed to fit.
Gauge/Tension: in sc, 16 sts/16 rows = 4″/10cm. In loop stitch, 16 sts/10 rows = 4″/10cm

The hook size will seem large for the yarn, but the loop stitch can get very tight, making it harder to crochet and resulting in a firmer fabric than necessary. Crocheted flat in one piece, with single crochet flaps sewn down along the sides so that the dust mop can be slipped on and off the sweeper head.

This pattern may be used by individuals to make and sell finished items (for example, at craft fairs, on Etsy, as charity fundraiser items). Please give credit where credit is due.

Abbreviations:
ch = chain
sc = single crochet [AUS/NZ/UK: replace with dc = double crochet]
st = stitch
lp st = loop stitch

Instructions for sizes given as SMALLER(LARGER)

To make evenly sized loops, I worked the loops over a double-pointed knitting needle. I work the entire row and then slide the knitting needle out of the loops.

Begin with first flap:
ch 13 (20)
1) sc 12 (19)
2) ch 1, sc 12 (19)
repeat row 2 until piece measures 2″/5cm long (7 rows)
[for LARGER size, you may want to make the flaps a little longer]

turning row:
sc 12 (19) in front loops only

looped surface:
1) lp st 12 (19)
2) sc 12 (19)
repeat rows 1 and 2 until loop st section measures 9.5″/19cm(10″/25.5cm) long.

turning row:
sc 12 (19) in front loops only

second flap:
1) ch 1, sc 12 (19)
repeat until second flap measures 2″/5cm long. Fasten off.
[for LARGER size, you may want to make the flaps a little longer]

Assemble: Fold flaps to back (smooth side) and sew the sides down, leaving top of flap open. Weave in all ends. I don’t think this needs blocking, but if that would make you happy, wash with mild soap and wet-block to size.

Posted in Free Patterns, crochet | 4 Comments »

Mango Season

Monday, June 23rd, 2008

I've been a little busier lately – the primary therapist at work was out sick for a week, so I was heavily booked for a few days and have had to rest and ice one of my hands as a result. I had projects I wanted to work on, but didn't, as I needed to give my hands and wrists a break. This weekend, I did a lot of mango picking. The trees with fruit seem to be ripening all at once. Some of you might think that it would be fantastic to have an abundance of ripe mangoes. Some of you might understand my lack of enthusiasm. The dogs, the goats, and the goose all eat mangoes but even they can't keep up with all the fallen ones, which have to be cleared as they attract rats, fire ants, and other pests. We've been selling some to the co-op, but they can only take a limited amount (in previous years, they've been able to take more, but I suspect the economic pinch this year has people cutting back). We have been giving away, I kid you not, hundreds of pounds of mangoes (Aloha Knitters, if you see me this week, it will be with mangoes). Mom has been using her new-to-her dehydrator, the freezer is full of containers of mango, and we have been experimenting with mango kanten (a seaweed-based gelled dessert – kanten, aka agar, is vegan, the flake and bar form have a neutral flavor, and the results are firmer than animal-derived gelatin). I am pureeing and freezing mango in ice cube trays, to pack into containers and keep in the freezer for making smoothies with. I had mango cobbler for lunch today. If I remember to buy sticky rice and coconut milk, I'll be having mango sticky rice this weekend.

I am not very interested in eating any more mangoes.

Fortunately, Jr. is not over them yet. Mostly he likes to use them for a game of fetch, one in which the mango gets progressively slimier and squashier until it bursts open.

The golden-brown blur at the bottom of the frame is Trip, circling Jr. like a landshark, just waiting for the opportunity to steal his mango. As we all know, when one is in a yard with dozens of mangoes just lying on the ground, the best one is the one in your brother's mouth.

Posted in hawai'i | 10 Comments »

Star Jasmine Headband

Saturday, June 14th, 2008

I had been working on a crochet pattern for a hat using a pinwheel motif – one that I'd made several of some years back – and then I saw two or three other very similar patterns and reorganized my priority list. This week, I had some handspun cotton left over from another project and a gift package to put together. I thought a nice summery headband would do the trick, so I went through my stitch dictionaries.

This is the first version: misshawklet handspun organic cotton (turmeric), size C/2.75mm hook, sized to fit a medium (22"/56cm) head. I like the fit, although I think the ties are a little too short, and I'm not completely happy with the motif. I think the flowers look too thin and spindly. It was a little difficult to work with the hook size (the yarn is unevenly spun, mostly about sportweight), and I'd chosen the hook size in an attempt to get a certain tightness to the overall look.

Second version: misshawklet handspun organic cotton (silver gray), size E/3.5mm hook. This is sized to fit a small (19" – 20"/48cm-50cm) head, but it's shown on my medium-sized head, so it looks a little short. I'm happier with this version – changed the stitches used and the stitch count a bit, and now I think the flowers have a fuller look, which I like. It's only slightly narrower than the first version. I'm also thinking that I could do a version with a covered elastic strap, eliminating the ties. I've still got some of the handspun in pumpkin…

Posted in Star Jasmine, yarn | 5 Comments »

Oops! Jules & Julia Errata

Sunday, June 8th, 2008

For Jules, the last part of the Sides section should read:

Canada/US
NO EYELETS: hdc ea st for 6 (8, 10, 12, 14) rnds or until 3/4” – 1” / 2mm – 2.5mm shorter than desired finished length.

Australia/UK
NO EYELETS: htr ea st for 6 (8, 10, 12, 14) rnds or until 3/4” – 1” / 2mm – 2.5mm shorter than desired finished length.

For Julia, the last part of the Sides section should read:

Canada/US
NO EYELETS: hdc ea st for 6 (8, 10, 12, 14) rnds or until sides come to within 0.5 – 1” / 1.25 – 2.5cm top of ear or desired length (wearer’s preference may include not having the ear touched by the brim).

Australia/UK
NO EYELETS: htr ea st for 6 (8, 10, 12, 14) rnds or until sides come
to within 0.5 – 1” / 1.25 – 2.5cm top of ear or desired length
(wearer’s preference may include not having the ear touched by the
brim).

Posted in Jules & Julia | Comments Off

Locals: did you know? (tantara)

Thursday, June 5th, 2008

While playing the vocabulary game at freerice.com (got up to 600 grains of donated rice), I found out that 'tantara' is a for-real kine actual in the dictionary word, meaning "a trumpet or horn fanfare" – so from now one when I say that so-and-so is getting all tantara, I will imagine a row of trumpeters with little flags.

Posted in hawai'i | 1 Comment »

Jules & Julia (Crochet Hat Pattern Set)

Sunday, June 1st, 2008

Both worked in lightweight 100% cotton yarn, these warm weather hats are quick and easy to crochet. Jules is a short beanie-style cap and Julia is a sunhat with gently flared brim. Both hats have the option of a cord threaded through eyelets for a snugger fit or just a different look. Meant to be casual and easy to care for, these hats are easy to fold or roll up and toss into a bag. Julia’s brim can be smoothed out to a gentle, even flare, or allowed to ruffle gently. For a stiffer, sturdier brim, you may want to include millinery wire in the last round or two of stitches.

Two versions of the pattern are currently available: one using North American (Canada/US) and one using Canadian/UK crochet terminology. Both versions give measurements in metric and non-metric.

Sizes: xs (s, m, l, xl) 18 (20, 22, 24, 26”)/46 (50, 56, 61, 66cm)

Crochet hook: E/4/3.5mm or size to get gauge

Gauge: 20 sts/14 rounds = 4”/10cm in half-double crochet (UK: half-treble)

Yarn:
Jules: S (M, L, XL): 1 (1, 1, 2) skein(s) each Color A and Color B
Julia: S (M, L, XL): 1 (1, 2, 2) skein(s) each Color A and Color B (M will use just about the entire skein of Color B; you may wish to have more yardage on hand just in case)

Color A: Blue Sky Alpacas Organic Skinny Cotton (100% cotton 150yds/137m), Birch [undyed creamy white] (or color of your choice)

Color B: Blue Sky Alpacas Dyed Skinny Cotton (100% cotton 150yds/137m),
Sprout [spring green] (or color of your choice)

About the yarn: Skinny Cotton is a dk/sport weight/3 Light yarn (Australia: 8-ply) composed of 8 strands of tightly spun 2-ply which are then spun together fairly loosely. It makes a firm, slightly stiff fabric that is soft against the skin and which resists pilling. Possible substitutes for Jules include Blue Sky Alpacas Handspun Organic Cotton DK, Cascade Cotton Rich DK, Classic Elite Provence, Ella Rae Baby Cotton, Hemp for Knitting allhemp6, allhemp6Lux, Cashmere Canapa, and hempton; Rowan Pure Life, Tahki Cotton Classic DK, and Vickie Howell Collection Craft. Possible substitutes for Julia include Hemp for Knitting allhemp6 and allhemp6Lux, and Tahki Cotton Classic DK. For Julia, getting a fabric stiff enough so that the brim will stand away from the face is more important than getting exact gauge.

Abbreviations Used
ch = chain
st = stitch
sl = slip
sl st = slip stitch
dc = double crochet (US/Canada: sc = single crochet)
htr = half treble crochet (US/Canada hdc = half-double crochet)
inc 1 = increase one stitch; for this pattern, work 2hdc into 1 st (Australia/UK: 2htr into 1 st)
rnd = round
instructions for different sizes given as XS (S, M, L, XL)

Currently the pattern has written instructions only. Schematics and charts will be added at some vague date I call "the future". With that in mind, the pattern is currently priced at $3.75 USD and available through my Etsy shop (mkcarroll.etsy.com), and as an instant download on this page and through Ravelry (please note that you do not require a Ravelry membership to make purchases). If you purchase through Etsy or this page, your name and email will be added to a list so that I can send you the charts and schematics at no additional charge when they become available. Ravelry members who purchase now will automatically have an updated version in their Ravelry personal pattern library when it becomes available. This means that if you buy now, you will eventually have the full pattern, which will sell for at least $5.50!

CANADA/US