Introduction: Fillet Crochet Glasses Case From Cleaning Cloth

By
About: I like working with my hands and making stuff, and I like being efficient because I'm basically very lazy.

Clean and carry glasses case made from a cleaning cloth and fillet crotchet

Materials:
Cleaning cloth for glasses
Matching thread
Needle safety pin and scissors
yarn, medium to large ball of fingering, sport or baby weight (Picture shows half the amount of yarn needed-it took two balls that size of leftover Paton silk/bamboo blend.) or two medium balls in different colors but similar weight
Crochet hook in size to match the yarn I'm using a #2 hook.

Step 1: Lining

Thread the needle, make a knot using both ends of the thread.
Fold the cleaning cloth in half along the wider side ( check to be sure your glasses will fit inside - see picture)

Hand sew the long edge and one of the short edges. I prefer to overcast across the pinked edge, but a straight stitch below the pinking is fine, too. (Pinking is the triangular cut edge).

I recommend a few extra stitches in the corner to reinforce it.

Be sure to keep the edges of the cloth together, it tends to creep down on the back side.

If you overcast stitch, use a finger to help guide the tread as you pull it through, or it may fall to the back over the last stitch (see picture).

When done, stitch 3 or 4 times in the same place to lock down the thread.

Double check your glasses will fit inside, the set aside.

Step 2: Side Bar: Filet Crochet

This type of space and square crochet is called Fillet crochet, and is the easiest kind of crochet for making your own patterns. All you need is some graph paper, or a straight edge and pencil and paper.

Create a simple grid, then scribble in the squares you want to be solid. Follow your drawing to make the pattern.

You always start with a chain, counting three chain stitches for each square or space in the grid add one extra stitch for the final square. The first stitch in each row is the turning chain three.

It is traditional (but not necessary) to make the border or edge rows solid as I did on the first side.

Fillet crochet is great for initials, or pictorial work. I've seen it used for hangings, curtains, pillows and table clothes. It can be used as trim on nearly anything, pillow cases, towels, etc.
It can be used for summer or beach weight cover-ups.

This is a beginner project, to get you used the style of work.The thread is cushier than usual for such a small project to be done in Fillet. IF you do your own more complicated design, plan on a thinner thread and a smaller hook so you get more squares overall to work with.

Set up a grid as shown here; either making your own graph for a simple small design, or on graph paper. Number the grid with rows and squares.

Fill in the squares to make your design. It's a very binary process, like working with individual pixels, or a Seraut painting.

Double check your work- I miscounted rows and included an extra on both sides and had to correct it.

Please note: a) you can work from the top down or the bottom up. b) alternate rows will be worked backwards, i.e., row 1 left to right then row 2 right to left. C) the turning chain 3 always counts as the first dc.

Step 3: Decorative Shell Side One

Crochet a chain about 3 chains longer than the lining is wide, that is also a multiple of three, plus one.

For me, with the yarn and hook I'm using, I did 25 chain stitches.

Row 1:
Double crochet in 4th ch from hook, and crochet across. Ch 3 and turn.

Row 2:
Double crochet in next 3 stitches from previous row, chain 2,skip two stitches from previous row and double crochet in third stitch. Repeat the chain two double crochet until there are only three stitches lager on previous row, double crochet in each of them, chain three and turn.

Row 3:
Repeat row 2

Row 4: start like row 2, but in the third space, instead of chain two, fill with two double crochets. Finish like row 2.

******Change in nomenclature *********from now on, I'm going to talk about spaces and squares. A space is a double crochet, two chains and another double crochet. A square is four double crochet-BUT the first and last double crochet is ALWAYS shared with the space or square next to it, so all that really changes is whether you make two chains (space) or two double crochets (square) in the center.

Row 5:
Alternate squares and spaces, starting and ending with a square.

Row 6: repeat row 4 (square, 2 spaces, square, 2 spaces, square).

Rows 7 & 8: square, 5 spaces, square.

Row 9: repeat row 6 (square, 2 spaces, square, 2 spaces, square).

Row 10: alternate squares and spaces, starting and ending with a square.

Row 11: repeat row 9

Rows 12 & 13: repeat rows 7 & 8.

Row 14: squares all the way across (double crochet in each stitch from previous row.chain 3 and turn.

Row 15: double crochet in next stitch, chain two skip two stitches then double crochet in next two stitches. Repeat across. Pull last loop on hook up large, remove hook, and slip remaining yarn through loop to close off.

Step 4: Decorative Shell Side Two

Chain 24
Row 1:
Double crochet (dc) in 4th chain from hook. Counting the turning 3 chain as the first stitch, and the dc in the fourth chain as the second, dc in each chain across for a total of 21 dc. Chain 3 & turn.

Row 2:
Dc in next 3 stitches, chain 2, dc in 3rd stitch from last dc. Repeat chain 2 dc 4 times. Dc in last 3 stitches, chain 3 and turn (2 border squares and 5 spaces made)

Row 3:
Starting with a square, alternate squares and spaces across, ending with a square. Chain 3 and turn.

Rows 4-7:
Repeat row 3 four times

Row 8:
Border square, space, 2 squares, 2 spaces, border square chain 3 and turn.

Row 9:
repeat row 8 in reverse (border square, 2 spaces, 2 squares, space, border square).

Row 10-12:
Repeat rows 3-7. Note: this is only 3 rows, not 5!

Row 13:
Repeat row 2.

Row 14:
Squares straight across (21 dc counting turning chain as a stitch).
.

Row 15:

If you are using two colors, (1 per side, as I am) Close off as shown on side one and attach the same color yarn as side 1. If you are doing it all in the same color work this row as in side 1: chain 3, double crochet in next stitch, chain two skip two stitches then double crochet in next two stitches. Repeat across. Pull last loop on hook up large, remove hook, and slip remaining yarn through loop to close off.

Step 5: Putting the Pieces Together

Weave loose ends of yarn into body of each crocheted side.

Attach yarn through at 14th row of both sides with the pieces face to face and tops together.
Single crochet down the side around the bottom and up the other side to the 14th row. Fasten off, weave loose end through seam. Turn inside out.

I recommend fairly loose running stitches for these slip stitches, and to make three of them in the same place in the corners.

Slip over lining, and whip stitch lining to shell along the opening. This the 14th row of the shell and pinked open end of the lining. Again, use fairly long loose stitches for this. I recommend using a safety pin to mark the fold in the lining, as the sizes will not match exactly and you will want to switch sides of the crochet pieces when you get to the end of the lining, even if you are not at the end of the crochet.

Chain stitch a string the circumference of the opening plus enough more to tie comfortably, maybe 90-100 chain. Do not fasten off.

From the starting end of the chain (away from the hook) attach a safety pin for ease of weaving and Weave the long chain through the very top of the case (the 2dc chain 2 top border) then slip stitch the ends of the chain together, fasten off and weave the loose end through the chain.