Free Pattern: Plarn Soap Dish

  Do you have a pile of old grocery bags laying around? Turn them into a useful object like this soap dish! Combine with a few decorative soaps, towels, or similar items for a thoughtful gift with handmade flair.
  This pattern works up as slick as the soap it will hold. Made with plarn cut extra thick and a larger hook, it takes less than a day to throw one of these together. The stiffness of plarn mixed with cluster stitches makes big bobbles that keep your soap from getting soggy. The textured, yet airy design is also great for drying sponges.

Skill Level:
Easy

Materials:
Plarn - 10 bags cut into 3 inch (2.5cm) wide strips, per dish.
  *I use the spiral method. If you use the loop method, cut half as thick.
Crochet hook size J/10-6.00MM or size needed to obtain gauge
Smaller hook to weave in ends

Gauge:
First 2 rounds measure about 1 1/2" (4cm) across
Finished size: about 5" x 4" x 1" (12.5cm x 10cm x 2.5cm)
                       version 4 measures 1 1/4" (3cm) in depth

Notes:
-  If your material is not cut as straight as possible for this project, your piece may not look exactly square. Thinner spots will pull in and thicker spots will stick out on the sides. If you have some material already prepared and it isn't straight, try to use this in the beginning rounds. It will not be as noticeable on the flat bottom.
  Do not use material which varies more than 1/4" (0.6cm). If you look closely at the picture for Version 2, you can see a great example where the edge is not square. I thought I could squeeze an extra-thick joined piece in there.

-There are a few different ways to work this pattern. The variations are listed at the end of each round, if available.

Version 1: Uses the original pattern.

Version 2: Only one variation in the last round. Creates a turned-out edge.

Version 3: Begins with the first round stitches placed in one stitch for a tighter center.

Version 4: Uses one-stitch center, skips turning a round, and has an extra round for a deeper dish.

Stitches:

Chain (ch)
Slip stitch (sl st)
Single crochet (sc)
Single crochet cluster (sc-cl) - {Insert hook into designated stitch, pull up 1 loop, yarn over, pull through 1 loop} 4 times, yarn over, pull through all loops.

Directions:
To begin, ch 4, join with a sl st to beg loop.
-Variation: Begin with ch 2 (counts as foundation loop, 1 sc), 7 sc in beg ch. (8 sc) Join with a sl st to beg ch-2. This becomes Round 1. Versions 3 and 4 were made this way.

Round 1:
Sl st into ch-4 loop. Ch 1 (counts as 1 sc), 7 sc in same loop. Join with a sl st to beg ch-1. (8 sc)

Round 2:
Ch 1 (counts as 1 sc), turn. 1 sc in same st. 2 sc in each of next 7 sts. Join with a sl st to beg ch-1. (16 sc)
-Variation: Work as written, do not turn. Version 4 was made this way.

Round 3:
Ch 1 (counts as 1 sc), turn. 1 sc-cl in next st, 1 sc in following. *Ch 2, {1 sc in first available st, sc-cl in next st} twice. 1 sc in following st, ch 2.* 1 sc, 1 sc-cl in next st, 1 sc in following. Repeat from * to *. Join with a sl st to beg ch-1.

Round 4:
Ch 1 (counts as 1 sc), turn. *(1 sc, ch 2, 1 sc) in corner ch-2 sp. 1 sc in each of next 5, (1 sc, ch 2, 1 sc) in next corner ch-2 sp. * 1 sc in each of next 3 sts. Repeat from * to *. 1 sc in each of next 2 sts, join with a sl st to beg ch-1.

Round 5:
Ch 1 (counts as 1 sc), turn. {1 sc-cl in next st, 1 sc in following st} twice, (1 sc, ch 2, 1 sc) in corner ch-2 sp. {1 sc in next sp, 1 sc-cl in following} 3 times, 1 sc in next st. (1 sc, ch 2, 1 sc) in corner ch-2 sp,* 1 sc in in first st available. Repeat from * to *. Join with a sl st to beg ch-1.

Round 6:
Ch 1 (counts as 1 sc), turn. 1 sc in each of next 2 sts, *2 sc in corner. 1 sc in each of next 9 sts, 2 sc in corner ch-2 sp.* 1 sc in each of next 7 sts, repeat from * to *. 1 sc in next 4 sts, join with a sl st to beg ch-1.

Round 7:
Ch 1 (counts as 1 sc), turn. 1 sc in each st around. Join with a sl st to beg ch-1. (40 sc)

Round 8:
Turn. Skipping previous round, sl st into Round 6 sp below beg st. Ch 1, 1 sc in each st of Round 6. Join with a sl st to beg ch-1. (40 sc)

Round 9:
Repeat Round 7.

Round 10:
Turn. Skipping previous round, sl st into Round 8 sp below beg st. Ch 1, 1 sc in each st of Round 8. Join with a sl st to beg ch-1. (40 sc)

Round 11:
Repeat Round 7.

Round 12:
Turn. Skipping previous round, sl st into Round 10 sp below beg st. Ch 1, 1 sc in each st of Round 10. Join with a sl st to beg ch-1. (40 sc)
-Variation: Work as written, do not turn. Version 2 was made this way.
-Variation 2: Work as written, do not bind off. Repeat Round 7. Bind off, weave in ends. Version 4 was made this way.
Bind off, weave in ends.

That's forty grocery bags saved from a landfill!