Crochet Pattern: asthma inhaler cosy

Today I was woken at 8 am by Lucy the younger dog and when I looked outside it was snowing!

It didn't stay on the ground so I was still able to go to the library and return some crochet books as planned, the girls stayed asleep and JJ was away working all day again.
My fur coat would come in really handy I thought, I MUST finish that hemming, but as soon as I ''MUST'' do something my brain chooses something else so off I go playing with my hook and some DK cotton yarn to make an inhaler cosy while waiting for the headache remedy to work.( I woke with a bad headache)
I had been HUGELY IMPRESSED by the inhaler and other cosies on THIS site:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/WilliamsGiftshop: really superb inhaler cosies!!! By a Dutch lady who lives in Belgium, I am pretty sure they are done in a 4 ply or finer and are very nicely made indeed.
I do hope she will forgive me but they provided me with the inspiration to make an asthma inhaler cosy myself and to share the pattern with you. Mine isn't nearly as polished as hers, so please DO buy hers if at all tempted?!! I'd have bought the pattern but not the cosy as I like making my own.

Here I was feeling poorly, wheezy and shivery today with a runny nose and aching head and sinuses which made me think that I'll need to have my inhaler handy at work next week, there's a very busy week coming up. Let's have a go while I wake up and have a cup of tea..... 4 cups of tea later....

Here's how I did it, now I was just playing and had no time to redo or refine which I may do later one day, so it isn't quite as perfect as I would like but it does fit snugly and is totally functional.
Besides I don;t want to have it too good or you won't go buy those from BEAG! Feeling a bit guilty I guess.
Start with a DK  or Aran cotton yarn and a 3.5 mm hook. I'm making a cosy for the standard blue Ventolin inhaler, OK? The one you use with a spacer at home but on it's own when you're out and about?

 Chain 15.

 Close with a slip st.

This fitted mine snugly, ch 1 and work dc all around.
row 2 : ch1 and work across only 9 dc, turn and repeat for row 3.
repeat row 2( = row4)  then  for row 5:ch1 work 2 dc, work  2dc together twice and work 2dc ignoring the turning chain.
Now a little tricky  row6: you reach back down to the 5 dc left unworked before and you work a treble in each of two dc at the edge you are at, then work across the dc from  row 5 and repeat the reaching down and working the two trebles at the other side. This kind of ''turns the heel'' if you like.

 This one shows me working that first treble in row 6?

 How it looks with inhaler inside?

This is the treble on the other side?
Now you are going to spiral upwards across all the stitches to the height you require. That was about  11 to 12 rows for me, I think I lost count but I continued to cover the inserted refill unit and then worked a row of crabstitch.

 Going up and up and up

 Almost there?

CRAB STITCH ROW FINISHED

For the next bit you insert the hook HERE.
Re attach and work 11 dc working down below the mouth piece. Work 4 such rows and as it's a little ''flappy'' and loose I chained 4 and re-attached the 4th chain to the other side across the top of the mouthpiece: thus.

Fasten off.
Now you are going to work another little flap, this one goes across the top and down below the mouthpiece and fastens there with a button.

This is where you re-attach yarn and start again. attach working 5dc, in next row increase 1dc in each edge stitch to make 7 sts. Work 4 rows of dc across the 7 sts.
On the 5th row work 2 dc tog at each edge leaving 5sts.
Next row work 2dctog at each edge leaving 3sts
next row work 2dctog at each edge leaving 1 st and chain the number you need to fit snugly round the button you have chosen to use. Do not make it too long! I used 4ch. Work in ends and sew the button on with the shank method if it doesn't have one already.

 This is how the upper flap will look.

 Folded down and under:

 This is an OLD catalogue so don;t look at the prices, they are ONLINE TOO! and usually much cheaper than JL or craft shops.

Now I am using a clip from an old dog-lead which the beloveds chewed.... But YOU can use a jeweelery finding such as a keyring fitting or a lobster clasp? I've used THIS- see photo above- supplier: PJ BEADS for the past 30 years or so and they are terrific or you can pick up what you need on e-bay or in any craft shop or John Lewis's craft and jewellery making section.

 You oversew the hanging mechanism of your choice to the top rim. As securely as possible.

 I used a pretty silk covered button I found in my button box. I hope the dress it's for doesn't ever lose it's buttons!

VOILA. I do hope someone out there finds this useful and helpful and makes a few for their asthma suffering friends/ children/relatives/charity fundraising?!!!

You're welcome to use this pattern for your own personal use or for CHARITABLE ( registered charity only) FUNDRAISING PURPOSES but not for personal gain or profit. And if you DO use it please mention BEAG and her site especially and possibly as an afterthought this wee bloglet of mine....
Please abide by this restriction for the good of all of us and society as a whole. THANK YOU.

So much to do - half finished or remedial items and BASKETRY Delights

 Distaster project, needs to be unpicked to use the cotton for a RIBBED or BASKETWEAVE textured jacket

 FAB faux fur needs hemming and it's all finished, pockets and all, only the hood- detachable- still to sew too. Can't wait to wear it and urgent finish before weather gets too warm!  It oh sooo sensuous to stroke!

 A denim Boden cardi with sleeved MILES TOO LONG. From 2004 or so.

 A broken Pa[erchase umbrella, never used, bit of a treat so need to re-utilise these fun butterflies

 White stuff re= structure project: it had elastic under bust: yeuuch not a good look. Here I've taken out the elastic. Redid it on Saturday: HUGE SUCCESS NOW photos later.

 Salice in white: shall I put a navy border on?

 5 balls of Azteca: what to do? This is one ball.  I was thinking top down jumper/ waistcoat with ribbing on yoke then texture below.. But I want to play with the yarn and get the stripes to line up across the front....

Pink cashmere: still need to decide and do the collar: waterfall or rolled verticals?

Monday morning: got stuck into doing the new cuff on the Boden cardi..... Denim cotton DK from attic  stash and a 3mm crochet hook.

 I had just the BEST time as clearing up my workroom I had found a video of basketry artists in the USA - acquired in 2008-and decided to re-watch it.

 So Inspirational! Weird accents but lovely snippets of classical music in between too. This lady does laborious coiled knotting but the metal elements she adds are truly sculptural.

 There's a strong African influence here

 And there I am hooking away on my pink Boofle hugs notebook/journal

 More metal: layered this time, I could see that in silk or organza on a dress?!

 On the left the unpicked thread which was knitted double I think and on the right my DK.

 This lady works with old yellow tapemeasures... In QUANTITY though: hundreds of them!

 She coils pots with them and varies the patterns made by the lines on the tape.....

 Here is a set of pots inspired by the familiar Russian dolls principle.

 Every pot has a different design....

 This is one of my favourites: sculpture ''vessels'' made with cotton tape and wooden clothing pegs!!!

 And here's me with my first attempt at a revised cuff.

 Tried it on BUT it was still too long! It's my left sleeve. The right sleeve is yet uncut.

 This is how long the original was: well beyond the tips of my fingers and oh so very annoying when worn, even rolled up lots it kept unrolling or being ''bulky''. Shame though so I stopped wearing the garment.

 This chap makes baskets from copper sheeting.

 And the WRITES on them, messages , fact, fiction or poetry...

 This is the right again

 And now a re- worked new cuff with much more unravelled and then re- crocheted..Like it!

 Double crochet in the back loop only, worked in the round.

 The right sleeve still to be cut, unravelled and re-worked... The left looks neat, uh?
Though I'm not that keen on the ''blousing'' effect I can't bear the flapping about of a wide sleeve either.
OMG the hand, that's eczema...!!! Thickened prematurely aged skin...Very dry.

 Spiky baskets to finish: they start looking '' angry'', sharp and aggressive but after a while take on their own calm beauty?

 The tape lady at work: AMAZING!

 Can you see a face in this copper vessel? It's saying bye for now.