DIY Wash Mitts

Just like most crafters, I try to make everything and every new craft is an opportunity for more explorations and, above all, more money to go out loading up with all the deliciousness that the new craft offers.

The latest craze to have a seed planted in my more than fertile imagination is soap making. Chemistry orientated and quite beautifully varied, I am intrigued about making something that looks yum but will not tempt me to eat it. A strange way to enter another craft dimension but there you go.

So I have ordered a book or two and while I wait and then plan the equipment needed, I thought about my love of crocheting and what I could do with it. Like all crafters, I love a new idea.

In Germany, face washers are usual in a small bag form that you put your hand into. This is typically efficient and a great way to get clean. It is also good for not having to chase a face washer all over the place (maybe that is just me).

Everyone should try a German style wash mitt at least once!

Now I will ask you to bear with me here. I am not a crochet pattern writer  but rest assured, this is super easy and I am sure that you will know what to do. If not, please email or leave a comment and I will do my absolute best to help.

Okay, there are two very basic stitches used here, double crochet (UK) or single crochet (US) and half treble (UK) or half double (US). 

The idea that I had was to make a face washer that was a gentle sort and for that one I have used Drops Muskat cotton yarn. But then I thought about exfoliating too and decided that we could also make an exfoliating mitt with the same pattern but using a different yarn. So heading to the garden section, I have chosen a sisal for one and hemp for another which gives two versions of scratchy. I would think twice about using these two on your face but it certainly does the job elsewhere and you emerge from your ablutions tingling and ready to face the world.

So, to begin, for the cotton, use a #4 (UK) 6.00 mm J/10 (US) hook and chain between 30 and 40. It has to fit over your hand without stretching or falling off. 
Here is what it looks like on mine....

Goldilocks crochet, not to loose and not too tight.

Join the chain to a circle with a slip stitch and then crochet about 6 rows of double crochet UK (single crochet US). In the photo above, I have already done this. 

A few rows like this makes a nice edge to the mitt.

Now swap to a half treble (half double) stitch and keep crocheting in a spiral round until you have a mitt about qqqcm (qqq) long. 

It all goes a lot quicker once you swap stitches.

The end is open so turn it inside out carefully and close the bottom with slip stitches. Fasten the yarn end off and weave the end in
And there we go! A wash mitt.

I have added a leather tab with a brass Chicago screw to keep it fresh and modern

I love the addition of the leather tab. I found a job lot of leather scraps on eBay and cut strips from that.

The sisal and hemp ones are made to the same (so called!) pattern. 

I found a variegated  hemp on Amazon which looks nice when made up. The leather tab sets it off perfectly.

Hemp is just a little less abrasive than sisal but I still wouldn't use it on your face. Feet are a tinglingly different story.

I know that my Chicago screws are technically inside out (the flat surface is the 'best' one) but I like this better.

To be ultra thrifty, you can make a smaller version (and that is what I have done with the sisal version) and add a drawstring and bead toggle at the top and fill it with soap odds and ends. This one is especially good after gardening and the sisal really scrubs the dirt out of your hands.

Tough love mitt!

We need a softening lotion to finish don't we? Hmmm.....watch this space. Oh and don't forget to make some soap with me. That is coming soon too.

Soap coming soon.....

Love and hugs
Debs
xx