Crochet Clothes / Coat Hanger - Tutorial

I love crochet and I love giving old objects a new lease of life so this project is perfect for me, it makes my soul happy.  I was given some old fabric covered coat hangers years ago, my great Auntie had covered them in fabric but the padding was started to break down so I decided to pimp them up.   

The wooden coat hangers hidden underneath are lovely but the clothes just keep sliding off them, this project stops that issue whilst looking oh so pretty.  I thought I would type up a little tutorial for you all , so here we go.

Take one wooden coat hanger, some yarn of your choice, a crochet hook (I used my favourite 4 mm Tulip hook) and a yarn needle.  Now chain enough stitches to go around the hanger.   Not too few as you don't want loads of gaps showing if you have to pull it to go round and not many as you don't want a saggy coat hanger, no one wants to look at a saggy coat hanger lol.  I chained 12 stitches here.

Now add one turning chain and then single crochet all the way back to the beginning.

Keep added new rows of single crochet ....... now is the time you can mix it up a bit, why not add some new colours for fun?

To do this pull in the new colour just before you finish the last stitch on your previous row as shown above.  You can then either cut the old colour leaving a few inches tail to thread into the hanger cover at the end or leave it and pick it back up later in the pattern if you are using the colour again.

As you go along keep checking if you have made it long enough, it is easy to get carried away on the creative wave.  You need it to be a couple of rows longer than the hanger each end.  When you have finished pull your yarn through to lock the stiches off.  Then sew in any loose ends.

Fold your creation over so the top touches the bottom length ways.

Then fold it again so the start touches the finish.  This will show you where the centre of your creation is, I have marked it above with my wool needle.  

Feed your creation over your clothes hook so that the hook is where you marked the centre. 

 

Now you need to cut a long length of yarn that matches you creation best.  Make sure it is at least twice the length of your coat hanger.  Thread your yarn onto a yarn needle and then run a running stitch along the end of your clothes hanger cover, pull the yarn all the way through leaving enough tail to knot off when you have finished.

I then run a satin stitch (I think that is the name of it) along the length of the hanger to close the cover over the hanger.  Make sure you pull the yarn all the way through as you go along.  When you get to the end knot off both ends and feed the tails into the inside of of the hanger cover.

You can add some pretty flowers, pom poms or what ever your heart desires to your creation to finish it off.

Now run off, find a lovely old vintage dress and hang it on your new hanger ........ it will make your heart skip a little beat in joy.

PS Before you run off pop over to www.lemonadeyarns.co.uk where the owner is offering 25% off all her cotton yarn until mid March 2015.  Cotton yarn is perfect for this project !

Creative Therapy

I have a lot to thank for finding my creativity again a few years ago.  I am not sure what it is about creating things, whether it is the rhythm whilst creating a crochet blanket, the satisfaction of having something to show for your time or the beautiful distraction that wonderful coloured wool is but crochet, sewing, knitting etc is certainly a wonderful thing indeed.

This last few months has seen me being pulled towards my creative side even more than ever.  Crochet has been my main go to craft but sewing and cross-stitch have had their moments too.

On 1 December whilst waiting in for a delivery that was late a big glass jar full of sewing threads fell onto my big toe.  I nearly leapt through the roof due to the pain that followed but was pottering (well hobbling around a week later).  Fast forward a doctors appointment that I had to wait a week for and an xray that was a further 2 days wait and I am sat in a minor injuries unit feeling rather shell shocked after being told that I had, in fact, managed to break my big toe all the way through and crush it a bit too for good measure.

The following days saw me using crutches as if I had had a few swigs of vodka before I set off (the joys of having ligaments that don't work properly).  I must confess I had to laugh at what I must have looked like on the school run that first day ...... I was literally bouncing off peoples garden fences trying to get to grips with how to use these things.

I got rather good on them in the end thank goodness and did contemplate doing some break dancing moves whilst using them ...... I didn't feel it wise to follow this idea through in the end.

Christmas and New Year passed by in a bit of a blur of guilt, pain and a lot of feeling fed up.  The poor kids were stuck in with me as I couldn't drive (hence the feeling of guilt).  We snuggled up in front of the fire most days watching films whilst I crocheted the time away.

On a brighter note the time at home did mean I found some hidden treasure, just look at this lovely wool stash I found hidden away !

This of course had to be turned into a scarf from me and I also created some sparkly, jingle jangly (they have some cute little bells on them) wrist warmers for my little one.

The days turned into weeks and another xray showed that my toe had done nothing, zilch, nada mending ...... maybe a teensy bit of mending but nothing that really showed up on the xray.

I was then told to come off the crutches and walk on my foot. This meant me having to try and erase the image I had seen on the xray, putting my trust in the consultant and as he told me.  I have another xray lined up in a few weeks time ...... I am hoping above all hopes that this will show that my toe has been behaving and doing some mending.  I am missing pottering around, I am missing work and my work mates, I am also concerned with my sanity, I have crocheted scarfs, wrist warmers, beards, red noses ........... what on earth will be created next if it isn't mending !?!

Now I am wondering, do they give yarn out on prescription???