And yet another crocheted soaker (The DH calls soakers “Cave Man Shorts”) for the Wee Diva (Can a Wee Diva ever get enough of these??). Different pattern, this time… One woman said she could crochet this soaker in three hours, so Crochet Diva took on the challenge that ended up being more of an all day project — Perhaps if it was a soaker for a newborn, instead of a toddler. Either way, this was an easy pattern to work up. 
Crochet Soaker Pattern Link
June 24 2008 | Yarn and baby and crochet and green and pattern links | 5 Comments »
After the Kool-Aid dyed soaker pieces dried, Crochet Diva crocheted the pieces together and crocheted a ribbed waistband and leg bands.
Voila, Finished Object:
June 21 2008 | Yarn and baby and crochet and green and soaker and wool | No Comments »
The Wee Diva needed more wool soakers, so Crochet Diva crocheted her latest soaker out of White Lamb’s Pride 85% Wool/15% Mohair. Then, Crochet Diva soaked the soaker in warm water with one squirt of dish soap for about 20 minutes.
While the soaker was soaking (hehe), Crochet Diva prepared everything for the dying process. Some people dye their wool before they crochet with it, but Crochet Diva only wanted to dye the exact amount of wool, so she opted to dye the soaker after she crocheted it.
Here is what is needed for Kool-Aid dying:
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2-3 Packages of Kool-Aid or other drink mix (Depending on how deep you want the color to be)
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2 TBSP White Vinegar per Kool-Aid Packet
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2 TBSP Water Per Kool-Aid Packet
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Plastic Wrap (Crochet Diva ended up using a ziplock baggy)
Mix Kool-Aid, Vinegar, & Water in bowl and stir until your drink mix is fully disolved. Lay Plastic Wrap flat on work area. Put wool or soaker on top of plastic wrap. Gradually pour Kool-Aid mixture on your wool or wool item until entire surface is colored. Then wrap in plastic wrap and sit in a glass dish (This is where Crochet Diva put the soaker in a plastic baggy, and then put it into a glass dish). Put dish with wrapped soaker in microwave for three minutes. Check your baggy, and the water should no longer be colored, but should be clear:
Notice in the picture, the water in the corner of the baggy is clear, and no longer purple like grape Kool-Aid (Be careful not to burn yourself, it will be VERY HOT). When the water is clear it means that the Kool-Aid has completely absorbed and set into the wool. Rinse wool item in cool water. Then, take wool item and put onto a dry towel and roll to wring excess water from wool item. Notice how after the soaker is taken from towel, no purple residue is on the towel. The dye is really completely set into the wool.
All done, now hang dyed item to dry!
June 20 2008 | green and soaker and wool | 5 Comments »
Here at CrochetCastle.com, Crochet Diva tries to incorporate crochet into as many facets of life as possible. With so much “GREEN” talk about preserving the environment these days, Crochet Diva couldn’t help but think “What about the disposable diapers??” Sure, a person can crochet market bags, recycle plastics, glass, and cans, but not much can be done about landfills FILLED with these diapers… The Wee Diva PREFERS cloth diapers, so why not? Why fill a landfill with diapers when your baby can wear natural handmade woolen soakers. Soooo Comfy (And cute, too). The Wee Diva loves her soaker (Of course, at first thought it was a “Hat” :-P).
Here are some tips on lanolizing and caring for woolen soakers.
June 01 2008 | baby and crochet and green and soaker and wool | 7 Comments »
These seem to be the crochet trend lately. With all of the “Green” talk around, it isn’t any wonder people are seeking alternatives to both the “Paper or Plastic” choices of recent years. There are many patterns for crochet market bags, and Crochet Diva whipped this one up in no time. There are so many ways to help save our planet, and every little bit helps.
The wee princess is so used to her momma crocheting hats that she had to try the market bag on her head…
She couldn’t do this if it were “Plastic”… 
May 18 2008 | Hats and crochet and green and pattern links | 2 Comments »
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