Crochet Bowls from Recycled Clothing

     For Christmas I made some Key/Coin stash bowls for some men on my list.  I recycled a loved one's brown knit pants.
     This bowl is soft and will keep the keys, coins and whatever else is in the pocket from scratching the furniture.  You could also stash the bowl in your suitcase if you need something to coral your "pocket stuff" at the hotel.
      Make any size bowl you need.  You only need a hook large enough to manage your "thread."

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Tuesday Teaser

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Not a detailed tutorial but just enough to tease your brain with an idea.

   Those older knit pants make a great stretchy "thread" for crocheting.  It works and handles much better than a nonstretchy cotton type fabric. I chose a manly neutral color that would show soil easy.

    I cut off the elastic waist band.

 I cut apart at the crotch so I had 2 leg pieces.

I used my large fringe cutting ruler to cut 1 inch strips.  This ruler sure makes for quick cutting.  A leg fit under the ruler so I could make one slice across without re-positioning the ruler up. Thus, the reason for cutting the pants apart into 2 legs.

The legs were laid offset on top of each other and cut at same time to make cutting time quicker.  Offsetting them helps me to know one didn't shift.

   I goofed because I was so excited about my idea. I forgot to follow the directions for making the long continuous "yarn" I had intended to make. Following those directions would have save a LOT of time!
   Since I had made the mistake and cut all the way across the leg, I then had to cut down the seam line which made individual short pieces which I had to tie together.  Because the fabric was so stretchy, it still turned out ok.

   What I should have done was cut across within 1½ inch to the end and stopped.  When cutting was finished, the leg should have been opened and with scissors cutting one layer only, a snip was to be made from the end of the right strip to the top of the left strip as indicated in the picture.  You can google "cutting long continuous strips from plastic bags" to find a You Tube.

   I didn't sit and spend time tying the ends, but just tied as I came to an end as I was crocheting.

Crochet Directions:

   There was no specific pattern with hard fast directions to follow.
Basically, use a hook large enough to handle your "thread."  
How many stitches per inch will depend on the thickness of the "thread" you end up using and the hook you use. This project is all about "letting your thread tell you how to make your bowl."

*Chain a loop only large enough to make a very small hole for the bottom of the bowl. You don't want the hole so large a dime will fall through it.
*First round: Fill the loop with as many single crochet stitches as possible but yet keeping flat.  Crochet very loosely or you will be fighting this project. If you can't get 2 stitches in each stitch on the next round, you may find yourself taking this round out and making the stitches much looser. 
*At the end of each round throughout this project, do 1 double crochet to start the next round. 
*Second round: 2 single crochet stitches in each stitch of the first round.  Your goal is enough stitches to make a flat bottom. It might be you only need 2 stitches in every other stitch?
*Third, 4th, 5th however many rounds you need to make the bottom of the size bowl you need, stitch a single crochet in possibly every other stitch.  Experiment to find out what it takes to keep the circle laying flat. Thickness of stitches will determine how many rounds you will need.  You may not need 4 or 5 rounds
*When you want to start making the side of the bowl, single crochet in the back thread only in each of the stitches. This stitches makes a "rim" for the bottom of your bowl.
*Single crochet in each stitch until you reach the height of the side of the bowl you want.

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