Crocheted baskets and bags for the home

There's a handmade revolution under way, and I'm not talking about the popular online marketplace Etsy.  It's happening right here in my own home.

I love making things with my hands, and I love a good challenge.  So basically I spend countless hours each week figuring out new patterns, techniques, and materials.  My husband contends that it's a disease I have, and I'm finally accepting the fact that he may be right.

When I was at the library looking through crochet books, I came across a pattern for a basket that I wanted to make.  The next day I was off to the yarn store buying hemp fibers. Although making handmade items is not cost-effective nor time-effective, there's something so satisfying with the completion of a project (the basket I finished is shown above).

Here are a couple more ideas on my potential project list:

Isn't this bag great?  The pattern is from Carol Ventura, a professor of art in Tennessee, and it can be found on a site that I just recently discovered called Knit on the Net. This handcrafter's site has been around for a few years and has free patterns available for diy enthusiasts.

While browsing The Purl Bee, I also came across this pattern for a crocheted grocery tote.  They have great pictures at every step, which is so helpful for the visual learner like myself.  I can't wait to see how this one turns out!