National Crochet Month Post #7: Washcloths

I recently became fascinated with making crocheted washcloths.  I make mostly simple ones, all double crocheted rows, measuring approximately 8.5" x 9".  I love all the colors of yarn that exist and making quick items like washcloths makes me feel a sense of completion that I just don't get with things like afghans.

I wrote a post about my washcloths here.  And here are some pics, including some I didn't use on my previous post.  All yarns are either Lily Sugar'n Cream or Peaches and Creme yarn.

I hope you enjoyed your first Saturday of National Crochet Month!

I Love Yarn!

It may be the beautiful colors, the soft texture, or the wonderful feeling of creativity and accomplishment that working with yarn gives me.  Whatever the case may be, I LOVE YARN!!!

HAPPY I LOVE YARN DAY 2014!!!

Wonderful new soap and a matching washcloth, too!

Our Grapefruit Handmade Soap has finally cured, and I couldn't be happier with how it looks and smells.

And serendipitously, I finished making a washcloth using Peaches & Creme cotton yarn in Candy Colors  yesterday.  I didn't realize it until I started taking pictures of the grapefruit soap this morning that the colors in the washcloth match really well with the soap.  I haven't decided if I will sell this washcloth in my Etsy shop or use it.  It is so pretty, if I may say so myself!  

I hope your day is exploding with happy colors!  Happy crafting!

New crocheted item--soap savers! Plus, a few project updates.

Yes, I am still working on my green and white king sized afghan:

and my red, white, and blue afghan:

but those are long-term projects that I work on little by little.  However, when I want to work on something and finish it rather quickly, I choose a smaller project.  Having finished my amigurumi cat Limey:

and begun working on a polar bear for Lizzie:

I decided to try to make a project I've been wanting to make for quite some time:  a soap saver.  What exactly is a soap saver?  Well, do you ever have tiny pieces of soap that are just too small to use effectively but too big to throw away?  I know I do!  And making my own handmade soaps makes me want to conserve my handiwork as much I can.

We hved several small pieces of soap in that category:

I made this fun soap saver using a pattern by Lion Brand. It is a simple design using mostly single crochet.  I used Sugar'nCream yarn by Lily in Moondance.  It is really pretty .  I love how the colors changed as I crocheted.  Of course, I was watching McLeod's Daughters as I worked.  Yes, I am still watching it.  I just watched the pivotal episode 26 in season 4.  Those of you who are fans know which one I am talking about, but I won't spoil anything for those of you who haven't seen it.  :)

After I was finished, I posted a picture on Instagram, which then went to my Facebook page.

My cousin Janet rightly asked me what a soap saver is.  I explained exactly what I said above and then I told her I would use it and let her know how it works. So this morning, I put the leftover soap in the soap saver,

 I tied it tightly with the drawstring,

 and then I took my shower.  I realized you need to get it thoroughly soaked before it will be effective.  After that, I used it like I would a washcloth, but this time with soap built into it.  It lathered up nicely and smelled great.  Plus, I loved using up soaps that I wasn't quite ready to say good-bye to.

I hung the soap saver by the drawstring to my shower caddy to dry out.  I love my new soap saver!

After finishing the Moondance soap saver, I realized I had already started on one many months ago, but I had never finished it.  {The story of many of my projects.}  So I found the one I had been working on and finished it off.  This one was made with Fiesta by Peaches & Creme.  I can't seem to find this particular color of yarn for sale anywhere, so my guess is this color has been discontinued.  I just listed this item for sale on Etsy. Here are some pics:

This is my last full week of summer break.  I hope to make the most of it.  Have a bright, sunshiny day!

--Jenn