Archives for April 2013

How to Make Bath Salts and a Crochet Flower Cozy

How to Make Bath Salts and a Crochet Flower Cozy

how to make bath salts

Learn how to make bath salts and pamper yourself (and your mom). Store the crystals in a mason jar and wrap it with a fun crochet flower cozy. This is a beautiful Mother’s Day gift idea. (Mom, if you’re reading this…I guess you know what you’re getting for your special day!)

The bath salts are surprisingly simple to make. We’ll start with them because you’ll want them to be completely dry before storing (otherwise the salt may get clumpy).

How to Make Bath Salts

bath salts ingredientsAs I mentioned, learning how to make bath salts is easy. The hardest part is figuring out what scent you want! Think about who the bath salt is for. If it’s for you, do you like floral? Do you want something relaxing or energizing? Do you like a lot of scent or just a hint of it?

Essential Oils are available in natural grocery stores. The bottles will list their scent as well as their characteristics. Some will even list whether they work well in a bath. Common scents include: peppermint, lavender, rosemary, eucalyptus and orange.

Scented Bath Salts Ingredients:

  • 2 cups Epson Salts
  • 1/2 cup Baking Soda (optional)
  • Essential Oil (as desired)
  • Scraps of Yarn
  • Aluminum foil
  • Cookie sheet

Note: Sea Salt can be used in exchange or in addition to Epson Salt. Table salt cannot be used.

Baking soda is a skin softener and is an optional ingredient. It can be used in equal parts to the salt.

scented yarnScented Bath Salts Directions:

  1. Mix salt and baking soda together.
  2. Sprinkle several drops of Essential Oil onto scraps of yarn. Stir yarn through bath salt mixture to desired strength of scent.
  3. Repeat Step 2 if needed.
  4. Line cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Spread salt mixture onto cookie sheet to dry.
  5. Periodically stir salts. Allow to dry completely (overnight).
  6. Store in mason jar.

How to Make a Crochet Flower Cozy for Mason Jar of Bath Salts

mothers day gift ideaThis crochet flower reminds me of the annual tradition my family had of planting flowers in my mother’s yard on Mother’s Day. That tradition was the inspiration for this cozy.

This crochet flower can be sewn directly to the cozy or affixed with a pin (something like a coiless pin would work well). Using a pin will allow the flower to be removed and used to decorate other things.

This is a great stash buster project. We’ve used Vanna’s Choice yarn (medium worsted weight). We love her blend of bright colors and pastels.

Skill Level: Intermediate

Stitches Used: Slip Stitch, Single Crochet, Double Crochet, Treble Crochet

Technique Used: Crochet in the Round. Cluster Stitch

Note: Replace the cluster stitch with a single crochet and this Intermediate pattern would be rated Easy.

CROCHET FLOWER SUPPLIES

  • Vanna’s Choice: Black, Raspberry, Radiant Yellow, Fern
    (Pastel: Pink, Silver Blue, Dusty Green, Beige)
    (Purples: Dusty Rose, Dusty Purple, Purple)
  • Crochet Hook: H
  • Yarn Needle

COZY INSTRUCTIONS

Cluster Stitch Instructions:

Cluster Stitch: Insert hook into next stitch (the current working stitch), YO, draw through stitch, YO, pull through one loop on hook, insert hook in the stitch one row below and one stitch back, YO (pulling yarn from the inside of the project), pull through stitch, YO, pull through one loop on hook, insert hook two rows below the current working stitch  (pulling yarn from the inside of the project), YO, draw through stitch, YO, pull through one loop on hook, insert hook in the stitch one row below and one stitch ahead of the current working stitch (pulling yarn from inside the project), YO, pull through stitch, YO, pull through one loop on hook, YO, pull through all five loops on hook. *Note, the next working stitch is under the last YO.

Black

Ch 34, join with a sl st.

Rnd 1-4: Sc around. (34)

Rnd 5: Sc around. Change color to Radiant Yellow with sl st. Ch 1. Finish off Black and weave in ends. (34)

Rnd 6: 2 sc, *cluster st, 3 sc* around. End with 3 sc. Change color to Fern with sl st. Ch 1. Finish off Radiant Yellow and weave in ends. (34)

Rnd 7: Working in the back loop only, sc around. (34)

Rnd 8-9: Working in both loops now and throughout, sc around. (34)

Rnd 10: 33 sc, sl st. Finish off and weave in ends. (34)

With 12” length of Raspberry yarn, embroider a small stitch into the center of the cluster st.

cozies flat

FLOWER INSTRUCTIONS

Center

Radiant Yellow

Ch 3

Rnd 1: 5 dc in third ch from hook. (Count ch-3 as first dc). (6)

Rnd 2: Working in back loops only, sc around. Finish off leaving a long tail for sewing. (6)

Attach Raspberry to the front loop of any stitch of Rnd 2.

Rnd 3: Work the following stitches in the front loop of each stitch around, (sc, dc, trc, dc, sc). Finish with a sl st in the first sc made. Finish off and weave in end. (6 petals made)

Sew flower to cozy.

flower and leaf mason jar cozyNote: Turn the edges of the flower under for a puffy looking flower (as seen in the pastel cozy on the far left). Or leave ends of Rnds out for a layered look (like the two on the right).

UPDATE: I recently added leaves to this cozy. You can get the pattern to the leaves on the Crochet Mother’s Day Gift post.

More Cozies in Store

coffee cup cozy patterns ebookLove this flower cozy? There are more seasonal, holiday and just for fun cozies in the store in our Crochet Cup Cozy eBook. We’ve created an entire collection with 28 designs one ebook.

Looking for the cup and mug version? They’re in the ebook.

Each design in the ebook has instructions to fit Mugs, Cups and Mason Jars. Every design has a delicious recipe or fun craft.

All 3 flowers pictured at the beginning of this post are in this ebook! AND the ebook includes 4 new designs – Dracula, Vampire, Mummy and Blue Jeans.

Available in the StoreRead more about the set:

Blog: Coffee Cup Cozy Collection

Store: Coffee Cup Cozy Collection

Mason Jar soap Dispenser Update

Did you make the mason jar soap dispenser? I did. I have mine by my kitchen sink. I’d like to share with you what I discovered after a few months of use.

mason jar soap dispenser by kitchen sink

First, I have to admit: I love my mason jar soap dispenser. I do most of my hand washing by the kitchen sink, so it’s been a godsend (that word may be a bit dramatic…but I really do love it!). This would also be a cute dispenser for dish soap (just sayin’).

The pump worked great, the soap flowed smoothly (no air bubbles), and it didn’t clog.

But after a few months of use, when the soap was nearly used up, I noticed a brown fleck floating in the soap. That’s kind of strange since I hadn’t opened the dispenser since filling it with soap. I had my suspicions of what it must be.

Rust on LidYep, it’s rust. The scratches I put on the inside of the lid when drilling the hole for the pump had all turned into rust. Not a pretty picture.

But, that’s ok. Now that I know about the problem, I would modify the soap dispenser as follows:

  1. Make a ring from plastic packaging , or
  2. Use a plastic canning jar lid instead of a metal one, or
  3. Replace the metal ring once a quarter

If you are doing option 1, simply use a permanent marker to trace around the metal lid on a piece of plastic packaging. Cut it out and follow the directions outlined in the mason jar soap dispenser post we wrote a few months ago.

This issue with rust and metal is not a new problem (though it’s new to me). A week or so ago I went to an antique mall with a girlfriend. While there, I stopped to use the restroom and saw a mason jar soap dispenser by the sink! The lid appeared to be made of tin. Curiosity got the better of me and I took a peak under the lid to see if it at a rust problem.

The inside of the lid was not copper/red/brown with rust, but it was black and murky leading me to believe that it had a similar unhappy reaction to being used as a soap dispenser.

Bottom line, mason jars are a fun way to make soap dispensers…but a little extra care with the lid will make a difference between one that is used for a short while vs. one that is used long term.

If you missed it, you can see our original post on how to make a mason jar soap dispenser with crochet owl cozy we posted a few months ago. Enjoy!

Summer Scarf – Single Stranded Broomstick Cowl

Summer Scarf – Single Stranded Broomstick Cowl

Summer Scarf

As the temperatures start to rise, a summer scarf project is just the thing. We’ve whipped up our Broomstick Lace and Puff Stitch Cowl in a soft and luxurious Milky Whey yarn.  Oh la la, it’s heavenly!

Broomstick Lace and Puff Stitch Cowl pattern on Etsy.

Not only does the Milky Whey yarn have beautiful drape, it’s extremely soft and comfortable to work with and feels silky and smooth around the neck. It’s my number one go-to scarf these days!

The light and airy single stranded broomstick lace pattern makes this a nice summer scarf. The cowl pictured is extra long…allowing it to wrap around the neck once or twice. For a cooler version (for those really hot summer days) I would recommend crocheting a shorter or thinner piece.

Summer Scarf – The Pattern

milky whey broomstick closeThis summer scarf was made following the Broomstick Lace Scarf Pattern. It’s amazing how different a piece will look when you simply change the yarn!

The Milky Whey pictured has really nice drape. And if you can get your hands on some, I would highly recommend it. You won’t be disappointed, promise! Nice alternatives would be bamboo or silk (or a cotton blend). I think the stitch pattern really stands out with a yarn that has little elasticity.

The repeat in this pattern is easy to memorize. This is a great project to toss in a bag and take with you as you run errands. It uses only a few stitches – chain, single crochet, puff stitch and broomstick lace.

We have created a couple of quick videos that demonstrate the stitches used in this piece. You can see them on YouTube:

Broomstick Lace and Puff Stitch Cowl pattern on Etsy.

Enjoy!

Administrative Professionals’ Day Gift Idea

Administrative Professionals’ Day Gift Idea

Administrative Professionals Day

We’ve create a fun gift idea for Administrative Professionals’ Day. It’s colorful and cheerful and will look adorable on your Admin’s desk. (Of course, this is a cute gift idea for other special days like Mother’s Day or birthdays. This would also be a fun “just because” gift for a gardening friend…just sayin’).

Flowers were a traditional present back in the day when I was receiving gifts for Secretaries Day. Now that it’s called Administrative Professionals’ Day, I still think flowers make the perfect gift. But this mason jar planter with a crocheted cozy adds a new twist to the gift! Love it!

Administrative Professionals’ Day Gift Idea – Mason Jar Planter

Daisy Mason Jar with ComputerFor those Administrative Professionals who love flowers, you simply can’t go wrong with a mason jar planter! We’ve used daisies in our jar…which could be transplanted right from the jar into the garden. Annuals or herbs would be nice alternatives.

SUPPLIES:

  • 1 mason jar
  • 1 plant or herb
  • A few rocks or glass beads
  • Potting soil
  • Charcoal (optional)

A note about container gardening:

Charcoal is often used in container gardening to cut down on bacteria. It is also an additive that helps plants thrive. Please note that charcoal used in gardening is not the same as charcoal used for grilling. Visit your local gardening center for charcoal to use in container gardening. Charcoal is only needed for those plants that will be staying in the jar long term.

Container Gardening

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Place 1” of rocks or glass beads in bottom of jar.
  2. Place ½” of charcoal on top of rocks (optional).
  3. Fill jar with dirt and flower.
  4. Water the plant just enough that water reaches the bottom of the jar but does not pool.

Administrative Professionals’ Day Gift Idea – Daisy Mason Jar cozy

Mason Jar PlanterThe potted plant is a beautiful Administrative Professionals’ Day gift item all by itself. We think a colorful daisy cozy will add more pizzazz to the gift…and this cozy doubles as a cup cozy!

This project is a great way to use up your yarn stash. We’ve used Vanna’s Choice. She has lots of bright and beautiful color options.

Skill Level: Easy

Techniques Used: Crochet in Rows and Rounds.

Stitches Used: Chain, Single Crochet, Half Double Crochet

SUPPLIES:

  • Vanna’s Choice Yarn: RASPBERRY, RADIANT YELLOW, WHITE
    (Yellow Flower: CHOCOLATE, MUSTARD, FERN)
    (Pink Flower: AQUA, RASPBERRY, ESPRESSO)
  • Crochet Hook: C,F,H
  • Yarn Needle

COZY INSTRUCTIONS

Crochet Mason Jar CozyRadiant Yellow

Hook: F

Ch 3

Rnd 1: 12 hdc in 3rd ch from hook. Join with a sl st. (12)

Rnd 2: Sc around. Join with a sl st. (12)

Finish off and weave in ends.

Attach White to any st.

Use Hook: C

Rnd 3: Ch 14. Sl st in same st from Rnd 2 (14th ch from hook). Sl st. (corner petal made) *Ch 9, sl st into same st from Rnd 2 (9th ch from hook). Sl st.* Twice. (2 petals made). Ch 14. Sl st in same st from Rnd 2 (14th ch from hook). Sl st. (corner petal made) *Ch 10, sl st into same st from Rnd 2 (10th ch from hook). Sl st.* Twice. (2 petals made). Repeat from beginning to make a total of 12 petals. Sl st into base of 1st petal made. Finish off and weave in ends. (164)

Note: The ch-9 petals are the top and bottom of the flower.

Attach Raspberry around corner petal (Ch-14 space). Attach it to the corner that has two ch-9 petals to the left.

Use Hook: F

Rnd 4: Work sc, ch 1, sc around corner petal. Ch 2. *2 sc around next petal, ch 2.* Twice. Repeat from beginning 3 more times to work around flower. Join with a sl st. (52)

Rnd 5: Work sc, ch 1, sc in ch-1 corner space. Skip a st. *3 sc around ch-2 space, skip 2 sts* 3 times. Repeat from beginning to work around the flower.
Join with a sl st. (48)

Use Hook: H

Row 6: Sl st into ch-1 space. Ch 2 (count as 1st st), turn. 10 hdc, hdc dec (into sc and ch-1 space). (12)

Row 7-23: Ch 2 (count as first st), hdc across. (12)

Finish off and weave in ends.

Join ends with whip st across.

More Cozies in Store

coffee cup cozy patterns ebookLove this daisy cozy? There are more seasonal, holiday and just for fun cozies in the store in our Crochet Cup Cozy eBook. We’ve created an entire collection with 28 designs one ebook.

Looking for the cup and mug version? They’re in the ebook.

Each design in the ebook has instructions to fit Mugs, Cups and Mason Jars. Every design has a delicious recipe or fun craft.

All 3 daisies pictured at the beginning of this post are in this ebook! AND the ebook includes 4 new designs – Dracula, Vampire, Mummy and Blue Jeans.

Available in the StoreRead more about the set:

Blog: Coffee Cup Cozy Collection

Store: Coffee Cup Cozy Collection