I fell in love with this free project from Crafts n’ Things Magazine. It’s not actually crochet as you make it with wool sweaters scrounged from the thrift store or your closet. But, I’d have fun embellishing it with crochet appliques.
http://www.craftsnthings.com/Projects/Newsletter/2009_09/D_felted_purse.aspx?email=
RECYCLE a pattern and turn it into something entirely different, like this coaster pattern:
http://www.kaleidesigns.com/crochet/patterns/archive/coas008.html
that was turned into this beautiful beret:
http://sandyshook.blogspot.com/2009/09/going-around-again.html
Imagine the ingenuity and artistic eye that looked at that coaster and saw a beret. I’m quite impressed. Great yarn choice too. Sandy gives the whole story of the process on her blog.
I like the idea of using doily patterns to create larger items. It’s not much of a stretch to make a larger doily with perle cotton instead of bedspread weight and end up with a runner or place mat. But, there are books out there (Amazing Lace is one of my favorites) that use doily patterns for everything from shawls to rugs to afghans. Try your hand at that with a pattern you have in your stash and see what you come up with. Maybe a pretty bedspread is hiding in a doily book!
