Thinking Outside the Fence

Crochet doesn't have to be limited to accessories, blankets, and amigurumi. I have made a habit of looking for patterns that take crochet in different directions. My father-in-law has a sweet Australian Shepherd named Daisy that he adores, so I had the idea to make a leash for her. I used a nylon-wrapped cotton 1 ply cord to make the leash so that it would be durable but also slightly flexible. She is a well trained dog. A crochet leash is probably best for a small to medium sized dog that is well behaved rather than a large dog.

The cord was a bit difficult to work with as it kept twisting itself up (darn 1 ply), but I really like the way the leash came out. Single crochet was the obvious choice for a tight finished product. When the handle was the size I wanted it to be I simply worked one row of single crochet through my original turning chain before continuing on with the length of the leash. I did my last row around the "D" of the clasp before reinforcing both the clasp and leash connections with a yarn needle. The swiveling clasp was purchased on Amazon. There really is a lot of interesting hardware available to help us crocheters in our creative pursuits. What non-traditional items have you worked up?