Crochet Tin Covers :: Ta-dah!

Oh my. I have to admit that it's given me a silly amount of guilty pleasure keeping you guessing over this creative make. Sorry. Well no, truthfully I'm not really very sorry, it's been tremendous fun reading your comments on my last post, I've enjoyed it so much!

Ok, enough with the teasing, shall we cut straight to the story? It all started last week when I bought my first small £1 pot of spring narcissi home from the supermarket. I buy these every year, you may remember I crocheted some blue and white jar jackets for them a few years back. I'm currently using those jars to hold pens and pencils, so I simply popped the pot into a very cute little 1940's china jug (a recent ebay purchase). But they didn't look right. They wobbled and wibbled.

I thought to myself that what I really needed was a little dish with a flat bottom. Cos then I could keep the narcissi in the very lovely bright yellow plastic pot, but have some sort of un-wobbly vessel to stand them in. I began looking around on the Shelves of Doom to see if I could find some sort of a dish, but nothing appeared. And then the idea hit, it came whizzing into my Creative Mind just like that. It was the shape you see. I had this flat-bottomed dish shape in my mind. And this is what whizzed in........

A tuna tin.

Of course! It's the perfect size and shape. Per-fect. I just needed to remove the contents (tuna/mayonnaise sandwiches anyone?) and come up with some sort of pretty cover for the empty tin. Genius!

Now I decided to keep it very simple. I figured that all I needed to do was to make a kind of a cuff that would sit neatly around the tin, much as I did for these jars, remember them? No bottom needed, just the sides to be covered, with a pretty decorative edging around the top.

I could not WAIT to get started, I cannot tell you how stupidly excited I became over this idea. Like I felt I would burst if anyone tried to stop me from doing this thing.

I set to work. I got out my basket of Rowan handknit Cotton (oh how I adore this yarn!), a 3.5mm hook and off I went. Round and round creating rings of colourful, cottony stripes.

I had originally thought about finishing off the top edge with a little scallop or picot, but somewhere along the way I got fixated on the idea of using beads. Not sure where this influence came from, but I felt sure I could have a go at actually crocheting in some beads as I worked. I maybe saw it done somewhere, but can't recall. So I just had a play with it until I worked out how to do it.

And was it successful, this beady finish?

Oh YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes yes yes yes yeppity yeah-haw yes it was!!!!!!!!!

It really worked out beautifully.

Want to see?

Want to see my first tuna tin cover???

Ahhh ok................................................................................................

Ta-dah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Big smile. I LOVE it. It's just so colourful and cute and perfectly simple.

And it goes beautifully with the yellow pot I think.

Pretty and Practical.

Do you like the effect of the beads? Isn't it great? I used plastic beads from a child's jewellery making set, as they are colourful and quite chunky and have big holes for threading. I couldn't use the pretty glass beads that I have as the holes are too small, but I've since discovered an incredible range of coloured glass "pony beads" that are designed specifically for threading onto DK weight yarn. They're available online from a well known Rowan knit designer called Debbie Abrahams....do check them out if you like this sort of thing. I've ordered myself some but they've not arrived yet, I'll show you when I get them.

I figured that these covered tins could be used for all sorts of things, not just to hold plant pots. I've got this overwhelming urge to force feed my family tuna for every meal and make dozens of these sweet little things. For holding coins and buttons and paperclips and jewellery and all manner of Small Things.

So of course once I'd made the first one, I had to make more. Had to experiment a little with the stripes and the top edge and the business of prettifying the hooky.

So out came the buttons. Nothing I love more than to stitch buttons onto crochet.

I made the stripes wider this time too (double rows of each colour) and tried out a scallop edging along the top.

This is the third one I made, finished off with vintage mother of pearl buttons.

Awwww they look so cute all together! I took them up to the bathroom shelf to photograph them as I had an idea I wanted to see them against a blue background.

The blue one with the pearly buttons was snapped up by a visiting friend. She called round for a cuppa as I was making it and declared that she was in love with it and really had to take it home. Who was I to argue? Plus it gave me reason to make another one, cos two's just never enough.

I tell you, these are sooooo addictive. And quick too. By the time I came to make this one, I knew what I was doing and it only took about an hour, I kid you not.

I made up a couple of my teeny tiny flowers, and did four "half leaves".....by that I mean I literally made half of the original leaf pattern (ch 6, begin in 2nd ch from hook and work dc, htr, tr, htr, dc, finish off)

Stitched them all into place and added a couple of buttons.....

Awwwwwwwwwwww! I think this might be my favourite one of all.

A handful of colourful, creative scrumptiousness.

Pretty, pretty.

And useful too....they work a treat with these little plant pots. Just as I imagined when the idea first formed.

♥ Love ♥

I made this rather girly one for Little Lady this morning. Little B was out with Daddy so I took the opportunity to make/photograph a tutorial for you.

I'm so excited about the crochet+bead technique. It's amazing. And it's sparking off all sorts of new creative ideas (I'm thinking round cushions with a beady edging, a beaded bag, and a long, skinny scarf with a beady bottom edge!)

I'm going to try and upload/write the tutorial this weekend for you.

Better get yourself some tins of tuna in anticipation.

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 Edit to add :: someone yesterday (who doesn't like tuna) suggested using pineapple tins instead. Marvelous idea, we are getting a bit tuna'd out here. Tomorrow I'm scouring the supermarket shelves for tins. Cat food you say?

Another Edit :: (( thank you)) for all the tin love! I've uploaded the pics for the tutorial but won't have time to write it until tomorrow. In the meantime if you want to get started, this is it in a nutshell ::

You should make a foundation chain to tightly fit your tin (mine was 46+1 for turning). Work in dc (sc for US peeps), in Back Loops Only. At the end of the first row, sl st into beginning chain so that it joins up and looks like circular bangle. Work all future rows with right side facing (no turning) and always end row with a sl st join (no sewing up). Crochet ends in as you go (no darning). Scallop edging as follows :: work one row of dc, then next round in same colour, *skip 1 stitch, work 4 htr in next st, skip 1 st, sl st in next st* and repeat. Beading tutorial will come tomorrow.

By the way I'm moving onto pineapple tins, they're slightly taller = more play with stripes and embellishment possibilities. Also I've now got a mad urge to stitch ric rac braiding onto crochet......I'm thinking ric rac braid+buttons!! My cup runneth over!!!!

xx

(((( THE TUTORIAL IS READY! ))))

 

 

 

 

Comments

[Jessica]

Great idea Lucy. I might have to make some lovely simple cream ones for my girly bedroom. But i wonder.... don't you end up with a dangerous sharp inside edge to the tuna tin...where you pull the lid off.

Thanks again! Lovelyjubbly stuff. x

[Sophie]

Oh Lucy these are gorgeous! Totally you in a can! ;)

[tracy]

Hi lucy,
PRETTY, PRETTY, PRETTY !! you clever lady.
See you tomorrow Tracy XX

[Archie the wonder dog]

Wonderful!

[Claire]

Are the tin edges not sharp?

[Jo]

Am thinking ric-rac with bobbles, Lucy. Love the tins. So many possibilities as well as for scrummy daffs.

[Issy Gardiner]

Lovely Lucy!!!
What a great idea:)))
Keep up the good work
Best wishes
Issyx

www.hookytime.blogspot.com

[jeannette]

it doesn't seem to be linked, which i don't understand.
[email protected]

[jeannette]

lucy, i'd love to send you some wonderful beads i have from the walmart in fort collins, colorado i visited years ago. it was children's jewelry and i couldn't resist. i think they'd be right up your alley. hopefully my email address is attached to this. contact me there with your contact details if you like.

[Emma]

Beaded crochet - inspired!

[Edith]

Hi Lucy,

I'm following your blog for 2 months. I love it.... I am from Holland, my English is not so good but i would like to say that I love the things you make.

Edith

[Julia Nunn]

Could you tell me where you got your lovely spotty handled crochet hook please?

[jeannette]

http://matildajaneblog.com/ric-rac/

i like this. it doesn't display the ripply ness of the rick rack as other projects do, but i am hoping it inspires some kind of tuna tin wavy gravy. google rick rack and you will find wonders.

[jeannette]

a lot of creative people out here are using rick rack to make beautiful things. i know you are a ripple fan (and i am using your 1-2-3 interlocking color ripple pattern, it's AWESOME) so i wonder if the rick rack arts, plus the wavy gravy love, together give your crafty brain an inspiration?

the beads are my favorite. i love the soft/hard opaque/translucent glittery/absorptive contrast of the bright colors.

rock on. and thanks.

[nuta_c]

Hello, Lucy! Your posts so colorful, cheerful and optimistic! Always read and watch them with interest! You have so many wonderful stuff for home decor! Where only take so many cool ideas!

[Jeanne]

What a great idea!!! I would've never thought of that! You are so creative, Lucy!

[sue]

They look fantastic and I will try them out as well... You can actually crochet ric rac, its easy peasy and you can find it on youtube or google it.

[Tracey Lawrence]

This is a great and beautiful idea!! I will have to do some of these myself!! Thanks for the great idea!!

[bloepper]

can't ..... breath ..... tinned joy .... gasp .....

[jacqueline delery]

I LOVE,LOVE, LOVE IT !!!!!
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN CROCHETING AND HOW DID YOU LEARN ?
I AM HAVING TROUBLE KEEPING MY WORK IN A STRAIGHT LINE !! DO YOU HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS ?
THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO !!!
JACQUELINE

[maypole]

To "The Curious Cat" I've often wondered if Lucy sold any of her things. She probably couldn't bear to part with them though they are all lovely.

[Nanita]

Lol! So it really was tuna - as in the fish! Oh you will be having tuna sandwiches all week, isn't it? :D Seriously, they are lovely! The idea is brilliant, I especially love the flowery one! xxxx

[The Curious Cat]

So pretty! You should sell some! xxx

[Courtney Lavista]

I think these would look amazing as the cuff on blue jeans! Oh or as the topper on boot liners....hmmm off to search thru my cotton yarns...

[Linda]

They are very clever and pretty, brilliant idea.