Tawashi

Yes, I had to jump on the bandwagon. I kept seeing this antibacterial acrylic yarn on etsy and wondered-what would you use it for? Ravelry answered that question. Both seller of this yarn on etsy (here is the other seller)are part of the Tawashi group on Ravelry. Tawashi (from what I can gather) is Japanese for "scrubbie". I wasn't sure about acrylic for scrubbing dishes, but this is treated with silver ions which gives it it's antibacterial quality. It certainly dries faster than the cotton and won't have that "funky odor" the cotton can get. You wash it and hang it to dry and, supposedly, if dried in the sun, regenerates the ions.

So, I ordered some yarn (came in a week-yay) and made my first Tawashi. This is the spiral scrubbie type, but someone on Ravelry explained it well enough how to put it together for those who mentioned they were confused, so Rav members can see it here. A lot of the Tawashi patterns are in Japanese and this is the schematic link for the chart (warning, pdf). I should get 2-3 Tawashi's outta a skein, but I'll post more on that later. So, without futher ado 23-44 Tawashi:

"Monogrammed" Water Bottle Holder

Yup, I promised a few out of these and still have to make one for Elena's camping trip. This is for a little boy. Dark colors as not to show the dirt. Last minute I decided to cross stitch an A (for his name) on it to add some color to it (see, I know how to cross stitch too, but stopped a while ago due to carpal tunnel syndrome. I even got rid of all my cross stitch stuff, but have samplers all done here, not framed, but done).





Basic Over the Shoulder Water Bottle Holder Pattern.

Changes: Strap done to about 34" to accommodate kids height.

Yarn used: Peaches N Cream in Licorice. It's a 2.5 ounce ball of the solid-still have enough left to use the black for the trim on another one I planned to make for myself in black, white and gray. Trim is done in Cherry Red Cotton Ease, as well as the cross stitch "A".

Another Bottle Holder

Yup, another-thrilling isn't it? Originally it was for Elena for her camping trip, but I lost track while making the strap and it's too long once it stretches a little. One skein of Peaches N Cream (Fiesta, I think)and the edging done in scrap Cotton Ease.






I do plan on making stuff other than these holders and swiffer shrugs, really I do. I bought an awesome moebius pattern from Ele on etsy. I adore her patterns and they are always perfect. I saw she had the finished moebius in her store and asked about the pattern, so she wrote it up. She wrote it up using Sugar N Cream (she said lots of her buyers prefer chain store yarn), but let me know the changes and tweaks for using a different type of yarn-she is selling one already made using it and it looks stunning. I'd like to try it with GGH Bali which is a cotton/acrylic blend, but much lighter than Cotton Ease (although I may try one with that too). I bought some of the GGH off of ebay, but not in the color I would have preferred. Anyone know of where I can order this on line without paying an arm and a leg? I also bought the Violaine pattern from Chez Plum which I intend to make using TLC Cotton Plus, plus test a pattern for Amy (which I started and hated the yarn and just got the yarn I plan to use Amy-I didn't forget). The spinning is waiting too, some pencil roving ready for dyeing, but I am getting stuff organized and the little stuff is just in between stuff-things are moving along, slowly, but it's all falling into place.

Pattern Errata-Over the Shoulder Water Bottle Holder

Eeeek-the first pattern I ever posted that I didn't have tested and I found the error myself (thank goodness I decided to make another one for Elena's Brownie Camping trip next weekend). The error was a typo-sheesh and the item will still turn out, just won't fit as snuggly, hence making the weight of the bottle make it wider-what I didn't like about the other patterns.

The error was in round 3-it SHOULD HAVE READ CH 1, SC IN BACK LOOP OF EACH DC OF PREVIOUS ROUND. I inadvertently put in dc instead of sc, hence making it wider and kinda wonky with the ch 1. Again, it was a typo because the one I made didn't have that and as I was making my second one, I knew immediately it was making it too wide. I fixed the pattern on this site, redid the MS Word version and pdf version for Ravelry. Unfortunately, there were 39 downloads on Ravelry of it before the change and 2 after the change. I posted the errata right on the Ravelry page and also PM'd each of those who queued it-but I know of two who made it already (and must have wondered "mine isn't snug"-sorry guys).

Better proofreading next time-promise. Maybe I need an editor (LOL) who would have asked "Why a ch 1 and then a dc?"-blah.

If anyone who isn't on Ravelry and has problems printing from the site and wants a Word version or PDF version emailed to them, Email Me and I'll get one out to you.

Over the Shoulder Water Bottle Holder-Correction Added

After messing around with a few patterns I found online and not being happy with how much they stretched from the weight of the bottle or how the straps were worked, I just came up with my own pattern.

OVER THE SHOULDER WATER BOTTLE HOLDER






Both pics are clickable

This fits a standard 16.9 ounce plastic water bottle. The will fit tightly and you will have to tug it on, so if you are a tight crocheter, check after the first several rounds, you may have to go up a hook size and use more yarn. The cotton stretches from the weight of the bottle and the straps will too, hence a tighter fitting holder that when you wash it and dry it, will go back to its original size and not be next to your knees by the end of you using it. Designed to wear across the shoulder with the bottle hanging on the other side.

Materials:
One Ball (2 ounces of Sugar N Cream yarn). This was done in an ombre and used ever bit of yarn without any leftover-the solid colors have more yardage and I am not sure about the yardage of the Twists or Stripes. Any WW 100% cotton is fine.

H 5.0 mm hook

Tapestry needle

Stitch marker (optional, but helps with counting rounds).

Instructions:

Round 1- Ch 4 (counts as first dc), 11 dc in 4th ch from hook. Join with sl st in top of beg ch 4 (12 dc).

Round 2-Ch 3 (counts as first dc and do a 1 dc in same st as ch 3 here), 2 dc in each dc around. Join w/sl st in beg ch 3.(24 dc)

Round 3-Ch 1 and sc in bl (back loop) only of each dc (this forms where the bottom of the holder goes around the bottom of the bottle shape).

Rounds 4-26-these are done in a spiral method-place marker in first stitch of each round and work 1 sc through both loops of previous round to til round 26. This should end up being about 3" from the top of the cap of the bottle and where the holder ends-remember stretching). Do not finish off.

Strap:
Ch 1 and turn-sc in same stitch as ch 1 and next 3 st (4 sc), ch 1 and turn. Continue this until strap is the length you desire (Mine was about 42"-remember, it stretches). When it gets to the size you desire, fasten off and whip stitch to other side of holder opening (eyeball it-it's just a bottle holder). You can sl st it on, but I preferred the way the whipstitch looked.

Join yarn from right side of strap (side facing you) and sc evenly along one side. Repeat for other side. Fasten off and weave in ends.

Again, this will fit the bottle tightly, but once you get it on the bottle it stretches perfectly!

ETA: CORRECTION MADE TO ROUND 3-SC INSTEAD OF DC (IT'LL STILL WORK, BUT IT IS A CORRECTION)

This pattern and all its contents are ©copyrighted April 2008 to Deneen St Amour and may not be copied, reproduced in any way, or used for profit in any way. Pattern is for your personal use only. You may sell the finished item. Any questions, contact me at yarnsandmusings(at)gmail.com.

I will have this pattern set up later as a free Ravelry download for anyone who is a member. ETA: Oh my, I uploaded this onto Ravelry at 1:55 this afternoon, by 2:00 someone had favorited it and now, at 5:00 PM, there have been 14 downloads of the pattern, it's in 5 queues and favorited by 2, it's kind of freaking me out.

Long Time No Blog-Perfected Wet Jet Shrug

Yes, it's been a little bit since I blogged, craziness here, however I did finally perfect the Wet Jet Swiffer Shrug. Yes, I know you've all been on the edge of your seats waiting, but wait no more (LOL).

The original pattern was for the basic swiffer and worked out great. But then I bought a Wet Jet two weeks ago and the regular swiffer shrug caused a wrestling match putting it on, especially after washing it (cold water, low dryer and tiny shrinkage). The Wet Jet has one side that is thicker then the other for "scrubbing action"-so I had to tweak it up a bit, but it's washed and dried and fits absolutely perfectly. Unfortunately, I am unsure about how much yarn it used (I weighed it after washing and it weighed 2.1 ounces of WW cotton yarn-Bernat Handicrafter).








I did a tweak for this on a prior post, but have perfected it now (I swear). I did see someone did a shrug for a Wet Jet, but it looked different then mine-perhaps an older or newer model-I bought mine recently and it's the purple one. Here are the tweaks:

Chain 22 for starting chain

Do hdc for rows 2-8
Row 8 (ch 2-counts as dc, so 1 dc in first hdc and end with 1 dc in last dc)
Do fpdc/bpsc for rows 10-31
Row 31 is now Row 32 because of the additional row added above.
Do last hdc section, row count is 33-39

You still have to stretch it a little to get it over the thicker side, but it fits the entire bottom perfectly and stays on well.

Onto other news, warning about credit card fraud-yes, I didn't think it would happen to us. Mike and I had a credit card we decided not to use because it had higher interest, but kept it for "in case of emergency". Well, I cut mine up so I didn't accidentally use it and didn't think about it again. Last Wednesday a statement for it came in showing a $5.00 charge to a donation to the Cancer Society. Mike asked me about it and I knew I hadn't used it at all. I felt funny calling the credit card company to complain about a donation of so little, but it just didn't seem right. Mike thought maybe they were off a digit on the card and it might have been an accident, but they usually ask for expiration date, code number on the back, billing addy-the whole routine.

Stuff has been busy and Mike didn't call, but this morning I came home to a message from the credit card company saying they had a few questions about recent activity. I called Mike, gave him the number and told him to call since I cut the card up long ago and didn't even have the account number. He called and apparently this past Saturday, someone charged $250.00 worth of internet purchases to the card. Well I know it wasn't myself or Mike, so he had to cancel the card and they're sending us forms to fill out. They won't give any other info out about the charges til we do the paperwork (why I don't know, it is our card and they called us before we had a chance to call them). I guess the $5 was a test run on the card-dunno. Of course, the billing is on hold til it's all cleared up, but what a PITA really. It just made me wonder how anyone got the info? I mean, I had used it online before, it was a Paypal back up funding card, etc. The list is endless. I guess any employee who processed the card at one point would have all the info and hold onto it awhile. Ironically, Mike and I had stopped using the card and at least the credit card company picked up on it quickly-just so weird.

Ego Deflater

Today I ran out to the local supermarket for a few items. This supermarket has the big screen that shows each item and total. I am looking at the screen and I see "senior discount". As I am reading the screen I'm thinking "this must have been for the woman before me", but no it's my items, so what to I do? Blurt out "hey, are you giving me senior discount?" and then whip my sunglasses off. Of course I said it jokingly and the lady behind me is laughing her butt off (she was about 10 older years than me)-she is rolling. The clerk, who was about 20, gets all red-faced and said "On Tuesdays, anyone who looks over 30 is offered the discount"-yeah, quick thinking on her part. I'll have to stop next week and see if they do it again. Yes, my ego was deflated over $0.24 savings!