Crochet Hook Roll Tutorial

Yes... we're dragging out the sewing machine again!  Ok, I know you are all like me... all of your crochet hooks are stored neatly by size and type and you can always find your scissors... what?  Why can't you stop laughing?!  :oP 

I hear you, I really do.  On the go, everything ends up in a pile at the bottom of the most organized project bag you could find... been there.

I have a bunch of project bags that I really love but I still need hook rolls. 

I like being able to lay everything out flat, to put my active hook in a separate slot rather than the bottom of the bag, to have room for scissors, and glasses, and to not have to tie it all up in a ribbon (total non-starter if I have to actually tie it.  It just is.  lol)  So here is my favorite, very basic yet effective crochet hook roll.  As usual, I am not a seamstress and therefore I skip all the proper protocols like cutting straight, pressing seams or caring whether it has perfect 90 degree angles.  ;o)

Materials:

Any fabric will do, you'll need about a half yard in total. Mix and match them up just for fun!

3 - 10 in squares, fabric
1 - 10 x 8 inches, fabric
1 - 10 in square, fusible fleece
1- 8 in elastic, I like waistband elastic
Matching thread, scissors, pins, something to measure with

Decide which of the 10 inch squares will be the front (the piece partially hidden by pockets inside) and the back (the part you see when it's rolled up).

Fold the third 10 inch square in half and line it up with the edge of your front piece.  Do the same with the 8 x 10 piece, making sure to fold the 8 inch side in half so the 10 inch side matches your other edges.

Pin the pockets in place at both edges.  This is just going to keep everything in place while we work on the pockets.

Time to whip out that measuring device!

 I personally like the pocket on the far right edge to be about 2 1/2 inches wide so I mark that one first.  That ways it's wide enough to slide a pair of cheaters in there for fine work.  ;o)

Then, I divide the remaining width by 5 and place pins equally.  Each section will be about 1 1/4 inches wide this way... but now is the time to customize it and make it work for you!

Line up your measurement pins and get ready to sew the pockets.  In the photo here you can see the two horizontal pins at the right, holding my pocket fabric in place, and a vertical pin just below the presser foot.

Once you have your aim set, remove that vertical pin!  Do NOT sew over it.

Sew straight down, through all layers, right off the bottom edge.

Do the same for each of the pocket pins across the width of your piece.

It'll look something like this...

Time to remove the pins holding the pocket fabric in place at the edges.  It's not going anywhere now.

Set this piece aside while we switch to the back for a moment.

Grab the piece of fabric you'll be using for the back and the fusible fleece.  They should be roughly the same size, but don't worry about the edges matching up perfectly.

Place them together on your ironing board. The fusible fleece has a rough side and a smooth side.  The rough side should touch your fabric.

Follow the directions on your package - most will say to press on high for a few seconds in each are, starting in the center and working toward the edges.  Keep the iron moving to help prevent scorching.

After pressing, you'll see the two layers have fused together into one thicker piece.  This will help your hook roll keep it's shape as well as add another layer of protection between your tools and the outside world.

What was I saying about the edges don't have to match up perfectly?  ;o)

Now to put the front and the back together!

Place the front and the back together with right sides facing.  Don't worry, we're only going to sew three sides while it's inside out.

Pin the left side and be sure to place pins where your pockets meet the edge to help keep them from rolling and creating weirdness as you sew.

Pin the bottom edge, smoothing all the layers together from the center outward.  Don't worry if the edges are a little crooked as long as they are as close as you can get them without going crazy.

Leave the top completely open, we'll deal with that later.  Now, for the right side... most of this will be pinned normally, but where we have pins at the pocket fabric on the left side, we're going to add that elastic.

It's important to remember that we'll be turning this right side out, so for now, the elastic will actually be in between the layers.

Take the time to place the elastic properly.  Make sure it is between the front and the back, not pocket layers.

Fold the elastic in half, and line the edge up with the edge of your fabric - with the loop sandwiched in between.

Pin the elastic into place.

I've pinned the layers just above and just below the elastic, as well as through the elastic itself.

If you look closely you can see the edge of the elastic under my finger.  The rest of the elastic is lying flat between the layers...

Sew your square!

Start in the top right corner and sew down the right side (be careful over the elastic as it may be especially thick there - you may have to adjust your presser foot).

When you reach the bottom right corner, leave the needle in the fabric, raise your presser foot, and turn your fabric 90 degrees.  This way, you can continue to sew the next edge and maintain a nice crisp corner.

Sew across the bottom, execute another turn, and sew up the left hand side. 

Cut your thread and remove from the machine.  Don't sew the top yet!  ;o)

Trim your seam allowances about 1/4 inch from the thread.  Make sure all pins are removed, threads trimmed and everything is nice and tidy because once we turn it right side out you'll never go back.

Last chance!  lol

Turn the entire piece right side out through the open top. 

You should see your pockets and your elastic
 all properly in place.

If not, now is the time to go back and fix things.

Trim the top edge so that all the layers are fairly even.  it doesn't have to be perfect.

To close the top, fold the front and back edge toward each other and in, so that the topmost edge is actually the fold.

I find pinning each end in place before I start pinning the middle helps me keep it even and flat.

Pin all the way across, leaving no openings.  We'll top seam it closed.

Sew a straight seam through all layers straight across the top edge.  I run two seams about an 1/8 inch apart to make sure I catch all the fabric edges inside.

We're almost there!  One last seam for the flap...

 If it's helpful, put a hook or two inside to help gauge the height.

Fold the top edge down toward the pockets.  I like the flap come down just below the pocket edge - where I am pointing in this fuzzy photo below.

Sorry about that!  My hands were getting tired.  lol  Two hands on the camera is always best.

Anyway, find that sweet spot between how much room you want for your hook height, and keeping them covered.  Fold all the way across, creating a new "top edge" of the roll.

Pin your new top edge in place and sew a top seam across from edge to edge.  This will hold your fold in place permanently.

Now go fill it up!

 

I know it sounds like a lot of steps, but I promise, once you make one, you'll be making one for every project bag. 

 

Ummm... sort of like I did, to match my other project bags by Slipped Stitch Studios.

 

If you're taking your project on the go, may as well have fun doing it!

 

Disney Villains Meet Up at the Haunted Mansion
(fabric at Joann)

 

 

 

Flowers in the Dowager's Garden
(fabrics by c'est_la_viv at Spoonflower)

 

 

Vincent Meets the Doctor's Peeps

(fabric by id_designs at Spoonflower and risarocksit at Spoonflower)

 

Aliens belong in UFOs (Unfinished Objects)
(fabrics by id_designs at Spoonflower)

 

 

 

 

 

Time And Relative Dimension In Lace

Irish lace is an incredible crochet technique for joining individual motifs with chain "mesh" to make one fabric. 

This example is one I found online but there are many others... collars, bags, even jackets and dresses, especially wedding dresses.


Each of the motifs is made first, they are arranged in a pleasing pattern and connected by the mesh into a work of art.  I cannot compete with that.  lol  I can't.  I have such respect for the women of old who turned a ball of cotton thread and a crochet hook into  a living, making this awe inspiring lace.

I can however be inspired by their legacy, and spin it into something totally geeky.  :oP

Abigail Bailey uses this "motifs held together by mesh" technique in her Time And Relative Dimension In Lace (TARDIL) shawl pattern.

Fans of Doctor Who will recognize the TARDIS (Time And Relative Dimension In Space), daleks, cybermen, weeping angels and adipose in my version... as well as a sonic screwdriver, bow tie and fez.  Because bow ties (and fezzes (and Eleven!) )are cool.

Once the panel made of motifs and mesh is complete, the shawl is crocheted around it.

It can be time consuming to go through so many steps, but I think it's safe to say whether its true Irish Lace or this geeky version, its definitely one of a kind!

Wibbley-wobbley, timey-wimey stuff

My son-in-law Andrew does some amazing drawings!  he also does portraits and will have a booth at the upcoming Phoenix Comicon.

So, I have been crafting away on geeky things like The Hobbit inspired dwarf gloves, kid sized super hero gloves, some characters, and some wibbley-wobbley, timey-wimey stuff...

like this tote.  It may seem like an ordinary bag to you... but for fans of Doctor Who, this is a great joke!  You see, the Doctor has this time machine called a TARDIS (Time And Relative Dimension In Space). 

The TARDIS looks like a blue police phone box but in reality, that's just because its chameleon chip is stuck.

The coolest thing about the TARDIS, and the one thing everyone says when they get to see it, is that it is "bigger on the inside"... and so is this bag.  No, really.  You'd be surprised how much you can fit into one of my crocheted bags!

I made one for Steve last year to carry his 'ready at hand' stuff while we were on vacation.  We walked out of the hotel lobby after checking in and someone asked to buy it from him.  I was very impressed with myself!  And, ever since, I've had lots and lots and lots of requests for it.

The tricky part is that I really am a crocheter with a short attention span.  I rarely, and I mean rarely ever repeat a project.  So... here we are, it's the month before Comicon and I want to give Andrew my most requested item for his booth.  I made another tote.  While I was at it, I made two totes.  One for Andrew, and one for my Etsy shop.

If you ever wanted a TARDIS tote, now is the time, because this short attention span crocheter can't say I will ever be making them again.



But... you should watch for Time And Relative Dimension In Lace, coming soon.

The angels have the phone box!

Doctor Who?  (spoilers!)

6/5/12: I'm updating this post so all my Doctor Who toys can play together.  :oP

Since posting about the weeping angels, I've made Martian Boy (Donna Noble's name for Doctor "Ten").

I just love Donna Noble.  I may have to figure out how to make a Donna doll.

 
There's no good way to explain adipose.  They are cute, creepy and gross all at the same time!

But they sure are friendly when they wave goodbye!

Steve and I have been catching up on the Doctor on dvd.  I think it's safe to say our favorite episode is "Don't Blink!".

The premise is that the Weeping Angels are actually out to get us.  They are not really weeping either... they are just trying to avoid seeing each other because when they are seen, they turn to stone.

That also means that when no one is looking, they move very fast.  Hence... "don't blink"!

The Doctor travels in a TARDIS, disguised as a police call box. 

As soon as I saw it, I knew I had to have one.

It's bigger on the inside.

Trust me.

Anyway, there we were, watching away, and this episode about weeping angels came on... and I knew I had to have one.

Hard to tell the difference from the one at the beginning right?  :oP

Then, I started to wonder about making one that gets caught reaching out... and I knew I had to have one!







If you look carefully, you can see that I used a wire pin to hold the reaching hands in place.




By then, I was satisfied that the angels really do have the phone box!  But today, the angels keep jumping off the windowsill.  Of course, it could be the breeze... but what if... what if...

"Don't blink. Blink and you're dead. They are fast. Faster than you can believe. Don't turn your back. Don't look away. And don't blink."  The Doctor