I’ve been working on wool covers for my daughter to wear with her cloth diapers. Wool has some amazing properties, it can absorb up to 40% of its weight in moisture without feeling wet, and it allows for airflow which helps prevent diaper rashes. Also, it never stinks!

I’ve been trying two different types of wool covers - wraps and soakers. The first one I made was a wrap that I completed using the Tickle Turdle online pattern.

I used the yarn that I had previously dyed and accented it with purple to make it a bit more “girly”. The wrap turned out okay, but I don’t really like the fit of it on Elizabeth. I think I will try to alter the pattern, making the tabs longer and changing the leg holes a bit.

The second type of wool cover that I’ve looked into is a soaker. I haven’t been able to find a pattern for a soaker in crochet that I like, so I decided to make up my own.

It didn’t turn out very well I had done the first body part in the round, and then switched to back and forth to decrease for the legs. This caused the stitches to look different from each other. I messed up when decreasing at some point, and so I ended up with an odd number to bind with an even number (at the top of the legs) which caused it to bind crooked. The legs are different as well. But now I know where I need to improve the pattern, and I will try again!

If anyone has a good link to a crochet soaker to share, I would love to see it

A crocheted coffee cup cozy is a great way to express yourself while doing your small bit to help the environment.

These are super easy to make, and make a great way to use up ends of skeins you may have laying around. To make them, I chained 35 and made sure it fit snugly around the cup (I had an empty cup from my favorite coffee joint to use for sizing), depending on the size you want or the yarn you use, you may need to chain more or less.

From there, I simply did single crochet in the round. About three rounds in, I did a round of repeat increases (2sc in one chain, 2 sc in the next two chains) so that it flared out slightly to fit the cups. Another three rounds of sc in each chain, and then I did a round of decrease (10sc, sc2tog) so that it was tighter around the cup. The rest of the cozy was single crochet and I finished when they were the width I wanted, about two and a half inches. Weave the ends in, and there you have it - a custom reusable coffee cozy.

These can be personalized in so many ways so you can make them to suit your personality, or the seasons, holidays - whatever you like! If you make them out of an acrylic yarn, you can simply throw them in the washer and dryer to clean, making them easy to care for. And they would make a great gift for a coffee lover

No new crafts today, but the crew here at Crafty Daisies would like to show off some of our ongoing projects, some that will be finished in no time, and others that may or may not see an end.

Heather is currently working on an afghan for her husband, Mykle. He requested a really wide once because the one she made him previously was too narrow and he couldn’t wrap up in it. So this one is made to the equivalent in width of a king size blanket, which is a perfect size for him but is taking fffooorrreeevvveeerrr to make. She is alternating rows of single crochet and double crochet for a tight knit, and plans on bordering it with dark brown to finish it off.

Jen loves making this felted bag so much that she has practically memorized the pattern and currently has 2 in the making. She can’t wait to felt this - the green color is so bright and the trim is a swirl of pinks, turquoise and gold. All that’s left to do is going back to the craft store to buy more green wool. The bottom needs to be sewn together and gusseted, the straps need to be finished and sewn on, and then it will ready to wash. But then who to give it to…?

Candace is not a fan of the knitting, but when she found this yarn for cheap, she bought eight skeins of it and decided to make a baby blanket. What started as a gift for a friend who’s expecting a girl, has now turned into a blanket she will keep for herself and her future daughter (if she’s blessed with one, otherwise back into a gift it shall turn). Not only b/c the colors are so great will she keep it, but also b/c it is a slow-going project. But as all knitters know, it’s an easy pick up and put down WIP.

Winters get really cold here, so I made up a quick pattern for a baby scarf that would be functional and cute. It is super easy and can be made in an evening.

I used Bernat Softee Baby (sport weight) and a G hook. I didn’t do a gauge because I don’t think that’s important with scarves

Chain 15.

Row 1: Single crochet in 2nd chain from hook, sc in each chain to end, turn.

Row 2: Ch 1, sc in 2nd sc from hook, *skip 1 sc, sc in next sc*, repeat from * to * until end of row. Turn.

Row 3: Ch 1, sc in 2nd sc from hook and each sc to end of row. Turn.

Repeat rows 2 and 3 until scarf is the length you want, I made Elizabeth’s 24″ long.

Finish with a row of reverse sc around the edge of the scarf.

Have fun making one tonight!!

Have you ever wanted to make a needlepoint project with a particular picture on it, or perhaps incorporate some words into your knitting or crochet?
Check out this great free resource, knitPro 2.0. This is a great site that allows you to upload a picture into the program, and it generates a chart for your use as a pdf file, allowing you to follow it and make any personalized project you desire.

This program will generate charts for needlepoint, cross stitch, crochet and knitting. A great way to make a special personalized gift and expand your techniques!

Who knew you could use Kool-Aid® for more than a sweet drink? Dying yarn with Kool-Aid® can be a economical way to get your wool to be bright and vibrant without a lot of mess. The process is simple and can be completed in a couple of hours.

This method only works with animal fibres, such as wool, mohair, and alpaca. You’ll want to use a 100% product, rather than one blended with artificial fibres.

You’ll need a glass jar, a skein of wool in a light color (I chose a beige merino wool), a package of Kool-Aid® in the flavour / color of your choice, a spoon for stirring and a pot. Be sure that you only use the unsweetened drink crystals, or the color wont adhere as well.

Begin by adding warm water to the glass jar, and add the drink crystals. The amount of water is irrelevant, you simply want to make sure that your wool is completely submerged. If you want a vibrant color, use the entire package of crystals. If you desire a lighter color, add less Kool-Aid®. Submerge your wool in the mixture (I use half a skein per drink mix package to get the brightest colors), using a spoon to release any air bubbles and to ensure that the wool is completely submerged.

Place the glass jar into a pot filled halfway with water and set on the stove burner at medium temperature.

Leave on the heat until the water becomes clear or cloudy (some colors) and the wool has absorbed the dye.

Remove from heat and let the jar and water cool to room temperature. Rinse with the same temperature water. Extreme temperature differences between the rinsing water and yarn may cause the yarn to felt, so take caution!

The result is a brightly dyed wool yarn that can be used for any project, even felting. The color wont run in the wash, which is a bonus.

Another option is to submerge only half the wool to be dyed, resulting in a striped yarn.

Happy dyeing!!