Pocket Planters to Knit or Crochet

I enjoy crocheting, and love flowers and gardening in general, so making pocket planters is a neat way to combine it all. I borrowed the idea from Heather's Plant Pockets and decided to try my hand at turning out a few of my own with a crochet hook.

Yarn bombing (also known as urban knitting) is becoming quite popular in some areas as a much softer form of artful expression that uses fiber instead of paint. I'm not advocating that you enter private property or deface public areas, but small plants or flowers tucked into cute little yarn bags are a novel way to add a splash of color to your own place. Using up scraps of yarn from your stash keeps this craft project totally green.

Creative ways to display plant pockets

Any stationary object in your yard or garden can become a backdrop to hang your fiber planters. A bucket of annuals could sport a colorful belt bearing a contrasting flower or greenery, or give your garden gnome a purse of daisies around his neck. A boring chain link or picket fence would get an interesting facelift with a few plant pockets tied at various intervals and heights around your yard, and a mailbox adorned with petite posies is sure to bring a smile to your mail carrier's face.

Pockets full of houseplants

There's no need to relegate all of your creations to the outdoors when they can brighten the interior of your home or office in the same way. Hung singly or as a grouping of wall art, they can be a colorful focal to point to most any room in the house. Plants requiring little watering might fare well if attached to the shower curtain rod in the bathroom where they'll get a daily misting.

Attach a fiber cube to your cubicle, or deliver a few to brighten the day of the elderly in a nursing home or a veteran in the hospital. A plant or flowers displayed in such a whimsical fashion is bound to be a hit.

Making the pocket planters

Heather's original pockets are knitted, but I chose to crochet mine using the stitch from this simple pattern. I made a foundation chain of 17 with a size H crochet hook to get a piece that was approximately 4" wide and alternated colors for 22 rows, which gave me the 9" specified in the original pattern. The basic pocket can be completed using most any knit or crochet stitch with a tight enough weave, so use your favorite stitch and let your imagination (and amount of stash) be your only limit.

More from Marie Anne:

The Granny Square - Look What Granny Can Do!
Crochet Hooks: Wood, Metal or Plastic?
What Can I Crochet With One Skein of Yarn?