Whimsical Works

Project of the Week
If you liked this pattern, check out more by the artist!
EASY CROCHET WATER BOTTLE HOLDER
By Amanda Saladin at lovelifeyarn.com
Looking for a cute and fun way to carry your water? Try this easy and free crochet water bottle holder
pattern!

WHAT YOU’LL NEED
Yarn: Yarn Bee Sugarwheel Cotton in Paris Mornings
(DK Weight #3)
Crochet Hook: US Size G (4.00mm) **Please
check your mm as this can vary for this size hook
Notions: Yarn needle, scissors
Gauge: 16 sts and 10 rows = 4″ (10cm) in dc
Finished Size: Fits a standard 16.9 fl oz bottle

BASE
With darker gray, make magic ring.
Rnd 1: Ch 3, 7 dc in ring – 8 sts.
Rnd 2: Ch 3, dc in same st, 2 dc in each st around
– 16 sts.
Rnd 3: Ch 3, 2 dc in next st, *dc, 2 dc in next st;
repeat from * around – 24 sts.
Rnd 4: Ch 3, dc in next st, 2 dc in next st, *dc 2, 2
dc in next st; repeat from * around – 32 sts.

 

BODY
Rnd 1: Ch 3, dc blo in each st from previous round
– 32 sts.
Rnds 2-3: Ch 3, dc in each dc – 32 sts.
Change color to light gray.
Rnd 4: Ch 4, *skip dc, dc in next dc, ch 1; repeat
from * to last chain, join with sl st to 3rd ch of beginning
chain.
Rnds 5-9: Ch 4, *skip ch-1, dc in next dc, ch 1;
repeat from * around, join with sl st to 3rd ch of
beginning chain.
Change to pink.
Rnds 10-15: Repeat round 5.
Change to cream.
Rnd 16: Ch 3, dc in each dc and ch-1 – 32 sts.
Rnds 17-18: Ch 3, dc in each dc – 32 sts.
Change to dark gray.
Rnd 19: Ch 1, sc blo in each st; turn.

STRAP
For the strap we will be using the thermal stitch,
which works single crochet in different loops. If
you have trouble with this stitch, please see a thermal
stitch tutorial for help.
Row 1: Ch 1, *insert hook into blo of st and open
front loop from the row below, complete sc; repeat
for next 3 sts; turn – 4 sts.
Repeat row 1 for desired strap length. Strap shown
in picture is 7.5″ for a simple crochet carrier strap.
If you desire a shoulder strap, work your strap until
it is desired length, usually over 36″. Fasten off.
FINISHING
Sew strap to opposite side of carrier.
Weave in ends.

Here’s How to Make Handmade Paper from Recycled Materials

From paperslurry.com
Making paper by hand at home can be a pretty simple process. It’s also a
fantastic way to use up your old receipts, scrap papers, junk mail, and copy
paper that you were about to throw in the recycling bin, and instead create a
thing of glorious handmade beauty.
Have those recycled papers hanging around? Some sort of plastic storage
tub, and a kitchen blender? With a few supplies and these basic instructions,
you’re well on your way to making handmade paper and being ridiculously
friendly to the environment.
Keep reading for the tutorial!
Supplies for Making Paper
Water
Scrap Papers
Plastic storage tub or vat
Kitchen blender – get one from the thrift store
Mould & Deckle (a screen attached to a frame)
Wood boards OR sponge & rolling pin
Towels, wool blankets, cloth, pellon, Sham-wows, or other absorbent material
STEP 1: CUT UP PAPER
Cut or rip up your paper into about 1 inch squares.
Soak your paper for a few hours or overnight.
Drawing, printmaking, and watercolor papers are best because they are
generally made from stronger fibers (such as cotton rag, and not chemically
treated tree fiber). Your fiber/scrap choice and its characteristics dictate the
quality of the final sheet.
However, experiment with junk mail, office paper, paper grocery bags, the
yellow pages, rejection letters, and more. No plastic, people.
Also, experiment with different color combinations.
STEP 2: BLEND IT & MAKE A VAT OF PULP
Fill up a kitchen blender with water. Throw in a good handful or two of the
cut up scrap papers (not too much more, or you’ll burn the blender motor
out). Blend. Keep blending until it’s a pulp.
Don’t make your smoothies with that blender anymore.
Have a storage tub hanging around? Those concrete mixing vats from the
hardware store also work. Fill up the tub with your blended pulp, about 1/3
to 1/2 way. Add more water to the vat. The more pulp to water, the thicker
your paper will be.
STEP 3: PULL SOME
SHEETS
For this, you’ll need a
mould and deckle. It’s
basically two frames that
are the same size, one with
screen attached.
Now, for sheet formation:
Stir your vat of pulp.
Hold the mould screen
side up, and place the
deckle evenly on top.
Holding them together
at a 45 degree angle, dip
the mould and deckle to
the bottom of the vat and
scoop up, holding the
mould and deckle horizontally.
As you lift it out of the
slurry, give it a quick shake back and forth, and left to right to align the
fibers and make a more uniform sheet. Stop shaking before the sheet is fully
drained.
Let the water drain to a drip.
STEP 4: COUCHING (**Pronounced coo-ching. For real.)
‘Couching’ means to transfer the wet sheet from the mould to a flat, absorbent
surface. Wool felts are ideal, but there are many other options: wool
blankets, smoother towels, thick paper towels, non-fusible interfacing or pellon,
sham-wows, or bed sheets. Set
up your felt with a board underneath
and soak your couching materials.
Remove the deckle from the mould.
Place a long edge of the mould on
the felt.
In one smooth motion, place the
mold face down, press down, and lift
from that initial edge. Think of this
like a close the door, open the door,
motion.
STEP 5: PRESSING
Option 1: Hand Pressing
Place pellon or paper towel on top
of your freshly couched sheet. With
a sponge, press gently at first, then
press firmly with as much pressure
as possible. Have a rolling pin or old
paint roller? Use that to press your
paper even more.
Option 2: Board Pressing
Place another felt on top of your
freshly couched sheet. Continue to
couch another sheet, layer another
felt, and repeat. Layer one final
felt and another wood board when
you’ve made a stack. Take the post
outside to a concrete or stone surface.
Stand on it!
STEP 6: DRYING
Option 1: Surface Drying
Find a flat, non-porous surface.
Smooth wood boards, plexiglass,
windows, and formica surfaces work
well.
Take your wet sheet and gently press
onto the flat surface. Make sure the
edges are pressed down well.
Let the paper dry (1-3 days depending
on humidity levels and thickness
of the paper).
Peel it off.
Option 2: Exchange Drying
Get some blotters, towels, or other
absorbent, dry, flat material.
Layer the material and then your wet handmade paper on top.
Repeat. Create a stack.
When you’re done, place a wood board or a book on top. Weigh it down with
more books or something heavy.
Check it once every day and exchange the damp material with dry material
until your handmade paper is dry.
Option 3: No Restraint Drying
This one’s easy. Take your wet sheet and throw it on a shelf, table, counter…
and let it dry. It’ll be wild, wrinkly, and textured, but sometimes wild and
free is good.
Option 4: Dry on Pellon or Cloth
After pressing, peel and hang up the cloth or pellon (with the wet paper still
stuck to it) that you’ve couched onto, and hang on a clothesline with the top
edge of the pellon.
Because you’ve pressed the paper to the pellon, the pellon will restrain the
paper as it dries.
Once the paper is dry (1-2 days), peel it from the pellon. The paper will be
slightly wavy.
Also, if you have left over pulp in the tub, you can save it. Take a mesh paint
strainer bag, or a fine mesh pasta strainer to drain out all the water. A condensed
version of the pulp will be left. Squeeze that into a ball, and let it dry.
To reuse down the road, simply soak overnight, rip apart, and blend again.