iPhone Case/Cozy/Sock Thingy

Craftiness has its perks. It's so nice to be able to spot something in a store and think, "I'm going to go home and make that." It's even nicer when you spot said item around a friend's neck and they're complaining about how worn out it's getting, so you decide to surprise them with a new handmade replica the next time you see them. And the nicest thing is when it only takes you one evening to make it. ^___^

The item in question would be an iPhone cozy, which my friend happens to wear around her neck for convenience. She actually purchases them from a waitress at their favorite Mexican restaurant, but the strap always breaks eventually because it's made with a single strand of yarn. Ravelry to the rescue! I've been working on the Link costume pretty steadily, so I was looking for a chance to break out my crochet hooks. Check out the resulting Ribbed iPhone Pouch:

(I cheated and modeled with K's Android phone; they're nearly identical in size!)

To help with the strap problem, I decided to go even thicker than the typical chain stitch and use a single crochet base chain (a method of making a foundation chain + row of single crochet at the same time). It takes a little practice (and careful watching of screenshots/videos) to get the hang of it, but it's good for creating a stretchier first row that's the about same size as regular rows. Plus, it's useful if you're trying to reach a certain length for the first row and you don't know how many chain stitches you need. Anyway, if you've never tried it before, give it a shot!