Latch Hook Tote Bag 🌚

Here at EITM, fiber arts reign supreme! Not just macrame or crochet, but truly all of the fiber…arts. Embroidery, punch needle, knitting and today, latch hook.

The “whatever fits my whimsy” motto of my brand means who knows what medium is next. And today, it’s latch hook (probably tomorrow, too 😉).

Today’s how-to is simple, but time-intensive. For your project, you need the following:

Scissors
Yarn of all colors or just a couple
A latch hook or H or G Crochet Hook
Latch Hook Fabric
Plain Tote
Sewing 🪡 needle & thread or fabric glue

Pick out your rug canvas material and draw your shape onto it with a sharpie or freehand it. Then, pick out your yarn colors and cut down to piles of 6 inch strands.

Insert your chosen hook into the material and attach 3-4 strands, and pull through. You will do this over and over again. Sometimes, for a quicker hack and bulkier area, you will bundle 10-12 yarns and tie a single piece around the middle, knot it and then insert each side of the single piece into the rug making material and tie a knot in the back to hold. Little bundles throughout. I like an abstract vibe so mine is kinda random.

The Back of the Work. Messy piles and neat latch hooked pieces

So, once you are done making your latch hook pocket (mine took like 2-3 hours), cut it into a rectangular shape. Get out your tote bag. Get out your sewing supplies or fabric glue and attach the square (sewing is more durable). If you are sewing, you have to do an overhand stitch. You have to make sure to feed the needle into the square grid of the rug canvas and then outside of it.

Before attaching or after attaching you can trim your piece to different lengths. Some closer to the grid material and some pieces longer. Below is an example of various pile lengths and some bundled yarn and some latch hooked.

Various lengths of ‘pile’ in this bunting

This tote makes a fun handmade gift. Want a bag not so brazen? Mute your color. Or want to show off your skill, create a picture. Recently, I sold a cute latch hook cat rug. See below.

Fab huh? The possibilities are endless! And I love to think about various ways to re-envision fiber craft. I am compiling a “5 Fantastic Uses for Latch Hook” just like my popular macrame post, so stay tuned. 📺

I’d love to see what you make. Share on IG and I’ll repost.

Happy Making 🌚

~eitm

5 More Fantastic Uses For Macrame Scraps

👋🏾Hi makers! Boy, I’ve been MIA for a couple months now and for that I am sorry. Life has just been sooo busy. And I just needed to recharge my Maker’s brain. Surely you can relate. It’s back in full force!

My post “5 Fantastic Uses for Macrame Scraps” is my most popular post and so why not give readers more of what they want? So, I deep dove into my creations from IG and from my archives to bring you 5 more uses for scraps. Sustainable and useful, I hope one or more ideas below ignite your creative fire 🔥 as we will be at home in the US a lot for the next month or so.

Lighting is everything in the winter, imo. It can set a nice cozy mood or bring us out of the doldrums of impenetrable winter. So…Macrame Candle Jars.

Mini Macrame Scrap Jar of reused baby food jar

Just add mini tea light candles or for more safety, use the led ones.

Next up, ‘tis the season for Macrame Ornaments.

This one is fillable, I added a little acorn

How about those ornaments? Such a quick project with lovely results. You can even make mini tassels or a macrame garland for a boho tree. I’m working on my tree now so I’ll show ya the vibe. 👍🏾

Next up, how about some Macrame Wall Baskets of macrame scraps or just non scraps. Depends on how long you want the decor to be. Here are a couple that I have fashioned out of thrifted wicker baskets.

🌸Just add flowers 🌸

How about an accessory for the Holiday Season?! A Tassel Choker. This tassel takes like 10 minutes to make. You have to add the silver findings. Or it can be a keychain.

And last, but not least, Boho Macrame Plant Pot. This is basically half hitch knotted over and over again in a spiral form. This took me like an hour. There is a wooden ring at the base on which I mounted the scraps of rope.

The scraps have to be on the longer side. You do need one long piece of rope to add the individual scraps on in order to have it keep it’s round form. I am working on writing up the pattern and how to video to show you soon so stay tuned.

So, there ya have it. 5 more uses for macrame scraps. What will you make?

Happy Making 🌚🌙

🌙Half Moon Centerpiece 🌚

With the change in weather, and the whisper of fall, a change is coming! Change in the leaves, change in the sunlight and a change in my vibe. I love this time of year. I feel so alive and creative. I feel so Zen in my crafting during October and November.

Along with the change of the season, the holidays are upon us. I am not big on holidays and don’t really ascribe to a religion per se, however, I do like to decorate and spend time with the family. And family, there is food. But I am not a fan of cooking, but maybe you do?! For you, I bring a simple DIY Centerpiece.

Giving credit where credit us due, I found this photo on Pinterest by fianceebodas (on Twitter) and it captivated my mind.

The Inspiration for my DIY from @fianceebodas on Twitter. Their photo credit

It has gotten soooo many repins! I decided I wanted to make something similar for my table or wall or mantle. So I did, and now you can, too.

Shouldnt cost very much. Around $20. You will need a drill for sure. Or ask to borrow one.

Supplies:

Table top circular disc (got mine at Lowe’s for like $8), drill, table saw (optional) dried wheat stalks ($4.99 at Kroger grocery store right now), sandpaper (optional)

I cut the half moon disk myself but you can get your local hardware store to do it for you. It’s really just a few steps.

1. Take your full moon table top board and cut it in half

2. Next, sand the rough edges a little bit if they are ragged. Use a softer piece of sandpaper. Not the grittier kind. You can also skip this step if you want.

3. Mark off 1 inch tics along the top rounded smooth part of the half moon. From left to right.

4. Get a drill and drill into your tic marks a 1/4 of an inch down. You will want to match you drill bit to the size of your dried wheat grass like the photo shows.

5. Dust off the saw dust and then insert your dried stalks making sure they set and balance. You may need to add more than one per hole. Also, I had to cut some stalks down for balancing purposes.

6. Lastly, if you want, put glue into the holes. Or, you can stuff the holes with a couple of hidden cotton balls.

Place it on your holiday table or 3M hang it to your wall. Watch as it becomes the conversation centerpiece! 😉

This creation is so versatile. You can even macrame it up with macrame feather plumes on sticks. My next creation! Maybe. Or, if you want your Centerpiece to look more like the one I hacked by FianceeBodas, drill smaller holes and make the spacing holes 1/4 of an inch. Add more wheat stalks or fuzzy stalks.

Please share with me on IG. I’m waiting….

Happy Making 🌚🌙

eitm

Pumpkin Spice Placemat

It’s the most wonderful time of the year…to me! September, October and Novembee give me life! I love all the fall brings. 🍁🍂 The reprieve from the heat, mosquitoes and humidity. The leaves turning. The light changing. And PUMPKINS!

Something about how round and plump they are. They just seem so fun and poetic. Or maybe I’m reading too much into them. 🤷🏾‍♀️ The warm orange hues, the foliage, fall is everything!

And there’s more, pumpkin spice lattes and placemats!

So, I needed something for our new glass dining table (which I’m not big on, not my decision) because the kiddos get their fingers all over it and my partner had said we need some kind of placemats. And Etsy shop All Yarn Drive having this wonderful super chunky yarn, welp, inspired!

You have to start out by chaining 12. It’s best to do this on a table or while in bed like me. Haha. See below.

Ch 12, then work left to right for 1 row, then right to left next row. Continue to alternate.

This project takes about 1 hour. It’s all finger knitting. Make ‘em in any color you’d like. I have the video tutorial posted on my EITM Youtube so just head on over and subscribe while you’re at it. Or don’t, but I have a ton of projects coming soon. Anyhow, the actual written pattern is in the notes.

Message me via IG or ellainthemoon@icloud if you have questions. 🌚 🌙

Happy Making! 🎃

Make: Dried Floral Letter 🌸 🌸 🌸 🌸

What am I doing on a Saturday Night during a Pandemic? Well, coming up with another DIY for my fellow crafters! 🌙😊

With the dog days of summer are waning, and fall quickly approaching, this DIY can be on your fall bucket list if you aren’t too busy. Heck, in writing this, it could easily be done with fallen leaves.

This DIY is very inexpensive and quick. You may find that working with the sticky glue can be tricky, but it is nothing a 2nd grader couldn’t handle with aplomb! You’ll just need 4 items, and most likely, you will have 2 out of the 4 around the house already.

Time it takes: approximately 15-20 minutes

Supplies:

Dried Flowers 💐

E6000 glue

A Particle Board Letter

Q-tip

So, it’s important that the flowers are dried out already. They will easily crumble so be very gentle with them. I had some crumble as I was making my letters, but it was kinda an easy fix. Just place more glue over the crumbly bits and add another petal.

Basically, you use a Q-tip and slather the glue on in 1 inch spots where you’d like to add dried flowers, then carefully arrange your flowers accordingly. I like to work from the corners and outside in, much like working a large puzzle. You’re just adding the petal pieces.

Feel free to add in some other greenery to your heart’s content. Truly, you are only limited by your imagination. The E6000 takes a while to dry, but when it does, you have a beautiful dried floral letter!

I made one large one as a housewarming gift and the other little L is going to spell out Lily for my step daughter.

Be sure and share what you make via Pinterest (follow Ella in the Moon) or Instagram (@ellainthemoon).

Happy Making!

eit🌙

How to do the Wave…Knot

Hello, and welcome back to Ella in the Moon. I have many projects in the works for this blog! Fall is going to be quite full! So be sure to check back often if you like to make and create.

Today, I have a Macrame tutorial that I believe you will love. You will be able to make the most lovely, durable rugs and coasters for your home. I call this knot pattern “the wave”. It is my own naming, yet it could be called something else in the Internets or old Macrame books, yet honestly, I haven’t seen it used in this way elsewhere.

I have used the Wave for festival tops and for home goods. You can see below how it was used in a festival top for a unique and fitted effect.

The Wave:

To make the first part of your wave, or the knot that you are going to be using over and over again is called the Half Knot. As a Right-Handed person, I always tie leftmost rope cord, over the 2 middle working cords, and then right most cord (in a batch of 4 cords) goes under and then over leftmost. You can also start by tying the right most cord first. You will have to do both no matter what IF you make a project longer than 6 rows. See video below:

So, doing the half knot over and over again for a few rows creates a lovely wave effect (🖐🏾) and it has the awesome look of weaving (yep, I weave a little, too, but that’s for another post). One thing that is super important to realize and pay close attention to in doing this knot is that after approximately 6 rows of this knot, it will begin to twist. You will notice this on the leftmost end of the work. So, to prevent this, you have to reverse from doing a right side half knot to doing a left side hand knot for the same amount of rows. However, if you are just making some cute coasters with thick rope (1/4 inch thickness), then you don’t have to reverse to left side half knots at all 👍🏾!

I plan on making a lovely fall rug with tassels with this new method. I’m gonna add tassels on the sides! Just waiting on fall colors to come in at my favorite Etsy shop!

Half Hitch on the ends, wave knots in the middle

Also, be sure to tag me on IG or follow on Pinterest to show me what you decided to make with the Wave!

IG: Ellainthemoon

Pinterest: Ellainthemoon

Happy Making! 🌚🌙

DIY Crochet Hoop Earrings

Happy Friday! I have a simple, little DIY to start off your weekend, or whenever you have time to craft. I’d say it should take an intermediate crocheter less than 10 minutes and a beginner about 20 minutes tops! Just a cute pair of summer-ready earrings made of 100% cotton yarn, and some earring bases that you can get just about anywhere!

As usual, I have pictorials and written instructions as I know everyone learns differently. Also, by day’s end, the video tutorial will be up on my Youtube, just be sure to put in Ellainthe Moon (someone stole Ella in the Moon before I could get it <😭>). There you can also find like 3 macrame tutorials 😉.

Let’s get started! You will need the following:

any kind of 4 weight cotton yarn (i used some cheap stuff called sugar and cream)

earring hoop and fish hook finding

crochet hook size G

scissors

How to first 3 steps, and middle 3 steps 👍🏾

Pattern:

Tie a piece of the yarn onto upper left side of hook at top.

Row 1: Ch 1, then 18 single crochets around entire hoop. Ch2, turn

Row 2: Ch1 more, then skip a stitch, slip stitch in 3rd stitch from turn, ch 3, skip next stitch, slip stitch in next stitch, repeat [ ch3, skip stitch, slip stitch in next stitch ]7 times. You should end with a slip stitch, then pull all the way through. Snip with scissors

Lastly, turn work and pull in the two loose ends in back of work. Snip excess. And add fish hook finding.

Happy Making!

eitm🌙

Make: Pom Pom Earrings 🌙

So if you follow my IG, which ya probably dont (psst…what are you doing with your life?), but anyhooter, I have posted about my love of the Youtube Podcast by Potter and Bloom. Emma Potter has a wonderful blog, IG and Podcast where I am continually inspired. She had the earrings below on in an episode and I was like “must make” 🙋🏾‍♀️. And so I did and now I share the tutorial with you.

What you will need (all below except noted):

1. Two wooden rings

2. Fish hook Earring Findings

3. Glue gun or E9000

4. Yarn of different colors

5. Eye Pins

6. Drill or hook to burrow a small whole (not pictured)

7. Scissors

8. Needle nose Pliers (not pictured).

All of the items, including the wooden rings, are available at Michael’s. They are not a sponsor (yet! 😊), but that’s my go-to place for craft items. I also purchase wooden rings from Etsy if I am prepared for orders.

The most time consuming part of the DIY is making the small poms. Of course, you can purchase them pre-made, but heck, if you are like me, you have yarn EVERYWHERE.🧚 Pre-made packs of mini poms though are very inexpensive.

It took me about 20-25 minutes to make the mini poms in various colors and the rest of this took a total of 10 minutes. If you’d like to level up the earrings and make them a little different, you can wrap the wooden rings in a colored Embroidery thread or paint them. I may do this in the future.

Steps:

Make the mini poms. There are a bajillion YouTube videos on how to make a pom pom. I basically wrapped yarn around my index finger and middle finger 20 times, tied them all together then cut
Trim poms.
bore a tiny hole with a drill or a hook into each wooden ring
Insert eye pin and trim it down some so that it doesnt stick out (like mine in first photo). add tiny bit of glue in hole or bend it
Apply pom poms with an half inch in-between with E9000 or hot glue. Careful not to get it everywhere. Qtips are a dainty way to not get the E9000 all over.
Add fish hook finding with pliers in eye pins
Done!

Make: Simple Crochet Festival Skirt

***Teal Simple Crochet Festival Skirt***

What you will need:

Summer is around the corner and maybe, just maybe, we can get out of our homes! So, before you head out pool side or beach side, make yourself this fancy-free crochet cover up skirt. It takes very little time. Less than 2 hours! 👌🏾

5.75mm

Bernat Dec Home Maker Yarn (5 bulky chunky weight)

Scissors

Stitch Markers (Optional)

Smaller Crochet Hook (Optional)

Terms and Abbreviations:

DC: Double Crochet

SS: Slip Stitch

R: Row

Ch: Chain

*Also, I like to use this particular brand of yarn by Bernat because it dries quickly and has some stretch to it. It is also soft, and isn’t “woolly”. It won’t itch and has cotton in it! Perfect for summer and over a swim suit.

The Pattern

Ch in increments of 2.

Make a Slip Knot

Ch 80, you will be working in a round(S/M, CH 86 for Large, 90 for XL)

Slip Stitch both ends to join, making sure it is not twisted

R1. DC in next chain and Each Across, all the way across (80), SS to join, Ch 2

R2. DC in 2nd chain from the hook all the way across again, SS to join Ch2

Repeat 2 more times. Total of 4 Rows.

pull final chain all the way thru and cut.

Use a smaller crochet hook or embroidery needle to weave in loose end.

Next, Cut 80 strands from the skein to 32 inches each.

Now, fold them in half. You will be using your crochet hook to pull the yarn through the bottom stitch, and then, lark’s head knot mount onto your crocheted waist band. You will do this 80 times.

And yer done!

Happy Making!

eitm

Make: Half Moon Granny Square Mask

Hi Y’all! My best laid plans of mice and Me to blog more regularly and to bring you all of the great DIYs that you will soon look back on and happily anticipate weekly, well, that has failed. 👈🏾And let’s not talk about the run-on sentence 😉.

Under the Pandemic, I have lot quite a bit of focus, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t been furiously creating new items and creations. It comes and goes in waves. Maybe you can relate. There are moments when all I can do is crochet stitch after stitch, or make a bajillion knots to create a fantastic yoga bag. Then, there are moments where I am so exhausted from working from home, and taking care of my kiddo that there is no time to bring to life the creations and ideas sitting at the tip of my mind. Finally, this week, I worked through the teeter-totter, and wrote out the pattern for the mask that gets me at least one, “I love your mask” per day.

With no further ado…The Half Moon Granny Square Mask

I used Crochet Needle Size G/6 US, and in the UK 8

I used some cheap yarn from my stash, but obviously, it would be better to upgrade. I used Sugar n’ Cream brand, which is a weight of 4,, below are the specifications, yet keep in mind, I crocheted with a G hook instead of the H because I needed it to be tighter knit.

Weight: Medium (4)

Crochet Gauge:

13 sc – 14 rows = 4″ (10 cm)

Suggested Crochet Hook:

5.00 mm, US – H/8

Terms/Abbreviations:

sl st = sl st

st = stitches

ch = chain

sc = single crochet

dc = double crochet

hdc = half double crochet

tpc = triple crochet

Yo: yarn over

Puff stitch definition: with 1 stitch on your hook from ch2, yarn over, place in stitch, pull through, yarn over, place in stitch and pull through, do this 4 total times. (You will count 9 stitches on your hook before pulling through your last yo thru all 9)

Pattern is half rounds (if there be such a thing).

Make a slip knot and ch 4, sl st to join in a round
Ch 3, DC in same st and then each st across (total 12) sl st to join to top of ch 3
Color Change (connect new yarn by tying it to top of ch3, make a knot)
Ch 3, Puff St in same stitch + ch1, then puff st + ch1 each st around the circle (total 12 puffs) sl st to join
Color Change (connect new yarn by tying it to top of ch3 beside puff stitch, make a knot)
Ch 3, dc two times in first st with ch 3, and then 9 sets of 3 dc’s around in between puff stitches making a half moon shape. total dcs (28 total), cut yarn
Color Change, add 3rd color.
ch2, sc all the way around (total 28), then turn, ch3
Color change, use 2nd color again, add to the right side as we always work L to R
ch 3, dc 3x’s in next stitch + ch1, all the way around 42 dcs total or 14 clusters of 3
cut yarn, now, add first color yarn back on to left hand corner, where you just finished up the last round.
ch 32, then fold your half moon mask in half and count up 14 stitches from outer edge (or put mask to your face and figure out where best to place strap connect), then sl st to connect, cut yarn.
Add same color onto right most corner of bottom of half moon, ch 32, with mask still folded in half, pin point the same spot for connection as the other side, sl st to join.
finish over loose yarn by either using a smaller crochet hook to weave in ends, or an embroidery needle. I used a crochet hook.
Now, wash your finished items and tumble dry it. This will close up a lot of the holes. The cotton will expand.
Last, and very important, add liner. I just place a pre cut piece of cotton fabric, sometime fleece, on top of my mask and the fleece one just stays affixed. I also used a folded in half coffee filter at times. It does come off though when I take it off, so I have started to just affix two pieces of double sided tape. Want to do it right, and not the lazy way like me? Velcro! Or hand sew on a piece of fabric. You could just add 4 x’s at top, bottom, left, and right, and it will work perfectly!

Get ready for everyone under the sun to ask you where you got the mask or that they love it. For realz! In one day, 4 different shop owners of boutiques asked me about my mask (and two want to sell it). Also, it is less hot than other sewn masks I have made imho. I’ll show ya one of those below.

Tag me on instagram (@ellainthemoon) if you make one and let me know about all the compliments!

Happy Making,

eitm