#i was trying to follow a pattern that called for alternating sc and dc and i frogged all of it because it looked dumb on my yarn | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

shutthedord · 7 years

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Experiments with a crochet shopping bag

I have found a very nice crochet shopping bag pattern, and have made numerous bags based on it. The original version is here, but it is in UK crochet terms. Therefore, I used Ursula's version. However, I then realized that I could simplify the joins without making too much of a difference, and that simplifying the joins this way made the sides of the bag almost completely mindless to work. (You still need to pay some attention at the bottom and the top, but what's in between can be worked during a movie.)

I also discuss how I experimented with the bag, and some of the modifications I made. These discussions are why this version of the pattern is way too long. I'd suggest using the original instructions as the "pithy version", which you can use for reference once you work through the full pattern at least once.

This is in US crochet terms. It is not a good first crocheting project, but it may make a good third or fourth project.

You will need a crochet thread or yarn and suitable hook. I have used 1.2mm hook/size 10 crochet cotton, size C hook/two strands of size 10 crochet cotton held together, and size C hook/fingering weight yarn (equivalent of size 3 crochet cotton).

I prefer not using yarn any larger than fingering, because if the bag gets any larger, the holes in the sides start to become too large for the bag to be useful. If you are looking for a crochet bag pattern for DK or worsted yarn, I like this pattern. I have no suggestions for sport weight yarn because I have somehow never actually used sport weight yarn for anything.

You will also need a small handful of stitch markers. (I like coilless safety pins, but you can use whatever you like as long as it can be latched on and then detached.)

Base

Ring: Ch 10, sl st in 1st ch to form loop.

The original called for a loop of ch 12. Making this loop slightly smaller doesn't seem to affect the function of the bag, and makes working the first round slightly easier, because you don't have to work quite so loosely.

Round 1 and 2 (worked as one round, but given two numbers so that it lines up with the original patterns): 3ch (counts as first hdc post and ch), *hdc into the ring, ch* 11 more times (you will have 12 posts), sl st into 2nd ch of that first 3ch, sl st into the space inside the 3ch

Note that this will cause the bottom to look clumpier than the original pattern; the original pattern called for a round of sc and then a round of sc-alternating-with-ch. However, I find this significantly easier to work.

I usually work over the tail here so I don't have to weave it in later - just lay it right onto the original chain-loop and stitch over it as if the tail was part of the chain.

I like working round 3 into the spaces, not into the previous row's stitches. It's like how you'd work a granny square. To match the original pattern, though, just dc into the top of each ch and hdc (or sc) from the previous row.

Round 3: ch 3, dc into same space; *2 dc into each ch-space* all the way around (you will have 24 posts). Join, i.e. put a sl st into the ch 3 from the beginning of the round.

Your work will cup a little bit when you are finished with round 3. That is normal; later rows will increase more.

Round 4: ch 4 (counts as 1st dc and ch 1), *dc ch1 dc ch1 into next st, dc ch1 into next st* all the way around ending on a dc ch1 dc ch1, sl st into 3rd ch of first ch 4 (you will have 36 ch1-spaces). sl st into the space inside the first ch4.

As suggested by Ursula, make sure you've got 36 spaces, because a mistake here can be very easy to miss.

Round 5: ch 5 (counts as 1st tc and 1st ch 2), *tc ch2 into each loop* around, end with sl st into the 3rd chain of this row's beginning ch5. sl st into the space inside the first ch5.

Count the number of spaces you have again. You have my permission to skip a space or stitch twice into a space if you need to fudge. Just don't try to stitch three times into a space or skip more than one space.

Round 6: ch 6 (counts as 1st tc and 1st ch 3), *tc ch3 into each loop* around, end with sl st into the 3rd chain of the row's beginning ch6. sl st into the space.

Your work will look a bit like a moth-eaten lettuce leaf here - there are seemingly too many stitches in this round and it'll wrinkle when you try to tug it out straight. Keep going, I promise it evens out soon enough.

Round 7: ch 7 (counts as 1st tc and 1st ch 4), *tc ch4 into each loop* around, end with sl st into the 3rd chain of this row's beginning ch5. sl st into the space. (Optionally follow this with a ch 1, and then sl st out of the space, to line up the rows better.)

Round 8: Repeat round 7.

Round 9: Repeat round 7, but do not sl st into the space.

I have. Uh. Forgotten to work round 9 before. It still works OK if you forget, but you should probably still put it in; having it makes drawing the bag into itself easier at the end.

"Beading"

I have no idea why this is called the beading, but it's the part you can put the drawstrings through at the end.

Round 10: ch 1, *4 sc into each loop* around, join with sl st into the first sc.

Yes, you are going to skip the ch1 when joining. Yes, you still need to work it to get the first sc to come out correctly.

Round 11: ch 6 (counts as 1st sc and 1st ch 5), *skip 3 stitches of the previous round and sc in the 4th sc (don't bother counting, just stitch into the sc directly above each post from round 9), ch 5* around, end with sl st into 1st ch of this row's beginning ch6.

Round 12: Repeat round 10.

And a setup row

Round 13 was considered part of the bag's sides in Ursula's version of the pattern, but I consider it a setup row, so I'm putting it here.

Round 13: *ch 8, skip 3 stitches of the previous round and sc in the 4th sc (as with round 11, don't bother counting, just line up your stitches with the posts from round 9 and 11)* around. Do not join. Put a stitch marker onto this last ch 8. You will have worked 36 chains.

Pick one of the two "sides" instruction-sets to follow.

Seriously, pick only one of the two. Do not work both sets of instructions one after another. It would be funny, but it would also make your bag weirdly hourglass-shaped and much too long.

Sides (as written)

For the purpose of all the next rounds, a "round" is 36 spaces, and each round will start offset upwards and to the right of the last one.

Rounds 14-16: *ch8, sc into next loop* around and around and around. End when the stitch marker is three rounds below where you are right now. Don't join, just keep going. Put a stitch marker into the last ch8 you worked.

Rounds 17-20: *ch12, sc into next loop* around and around and around in the same manner. Put a stitch marker into the last ch12 you worked.

Rounds 21-24: *ch16, sc into next loop* around and around and around in the same manner. Put a stitch marker into the last ch16 you worked.

If you would like, the pattern suggests that you can continue this with another four rounds of *ch20, sc into next loop*. Put a stitch marker into the last ch20 you worked.

Proceed to "Building the top edge".

Sides (simplified version)

For the purposes of this particular segment of the pattern, you don't need to check if you're at the beginning of a round when you stop and go to the next one. It doesn't matter. Just keep going from wherever you are.

Work *ch 8, sc into next loop* around a couple more times.

Work *ch 12, sc into next loop* around until you get bored.

If you end up forgetting to ever start the ch16 section, the bag will still work fine; it'll just be less roomy. It's pretty hard to mess up a bag.

Work *ch 16, sc into next loop* around until the bag is as long as you want it. To check how long the bag is, hook two adjacent outer loops on two adjacent fingers, hold down the center of the bag with your other hand, and pull gently.

Put a stitch marker into the last loop you worked. Again, don't worry about if you're at the beginning of a round or not.

Proceed to "Building the top edge".

Building the top edge

I'm calling the next round 25 to line this up with the original. Don't worry if you aren't actually 25 rounds in. Just play along.

Round 25: Do not join. *ch 8, sc into next loop* for one round.

Round 26: *ch 6, sc into next loop* for one round.

Round 27: *ch 4, sc into next loop* for one round. End by making a ch 4, and slip-stitching into the top of the sc for the next loop in the row below. Place a stitch marker in this last loop.

Check to see if you actually have 36 spaces. If you don't, unravel part of round 27 and fudge a little.

Again, this is a version of this pattern with greatly simplified row joins, so things will look a little bit messy here.

Top edge and handle

Round 28: sl st into the space, ch 1, *5 sc into each loop* all the way around. Join with sl st into the first sc.

At this point, you can work one more row of sc, putting each sc into an sc from the previous row, to make the top edge a little wider. You don't really need to, though; the top edge will get another row shortly anyway.

Everything after this is called "round 29" in the pattern, but I will break it down because otherwise it's a Wall Of Text.

Preparation: Put one stitch marker each into the junctions before the first ch4 space of the top edge (to be referred to as the "0th marker"), between the 6th and 7th space ("6th marker"), between the 18th and 19th space ("18th marker"), and between the 24th and 25th space ("24th marker"). You can remove the stitch markers from previous rows to use here, since you won't need them anymore.

The original pattern suggests working the top edge and handles in crab crochet, but calls it "dc [US sc] into previous dc". Ursula's version of the pattern reproduced this without explaining what it meant. I prefer the top edge and handles in single crochet, because it lets you make the handles wider, so here are the instructions for doing it my way - but you can use crab crochet if you'd prefer; just make sure you change where you put the markers for the handles accordingly.

First part of top edge and first handle: ch, then sc in every sc across the top edge, to the stitch above the 6th marker. Pull a loop of yarn through the next stitch (without making any more stitches), and from there work 36 foundation single crochet.

Both versions of the pattern suggest chaining 36 here, but I dislike using chains because I chain significantly more tightly than I single-crochet, making future rows difficult. Also, I suspect the original newspaper version was from before foundation single crochet existed.

I also tried using foundation double crochet here, to see if I could make the handles wider, but it ended up far too loose.

Anchor and return across first handle: sl st this to the very first sc you worked in the top row (above the 0th marker). sl st two more times into the previous two sc in the 0th space, then turn and work 36 sc back across the bottom loops of the foundation single crochet. Make sure that the handle is not twisted.

Next part of top edge: Single crochet, continuing down the round. Stop at the stitch above the 24th marker.

Second handle: Pull a loop through the next sc (without making any more stitches). Work 36 foundation single crochet.

Anchor and return across second handle: sl st this to the stitch above the 18th marker. sl st two more times into the previous two sc in the 18th space. Turn and work 36 sc back across the bottom loops of the foundation single crochet.

Last part of top edge: Single crochet to end of round. Join to beginning with slip stitch.

Ursula has suggested adding an extra "row 30" for a wider handle. This was not in the original pattern.

Row 30 (for wider handles): Don't work that last slip stitch. Just keep going working sc down the first handle, across the second part of the top edge, down the second handle, and back to the beginning of the round. Join with slip stitch.

You can actually work row 30 twice, or even three times, if you want even wider handles. Any more than that, and things start getting weird; you'll have to start decreasing the sc in the inner corners or something. I've never needed to do this round more than twice.

Finishing

At this point, if you haven't already, cut the yarn and weave in the end(s).

Both the original pattern and Ursula's version suggest using a crochet chain for the drawstring. I prefer using a braid, because that means it's three strands instead of one. The crochet chain is faster to make, though.

Whatever you use for your drawstring, when you think you have the drawstring the right length, thread it through the "beading" and see if you actually did make it the right length. Remember to stretch the bag a couple times to make sure the drawstring won't be too short if the bag stretches. Also, don't make the drawstring super-long, because then it'll get caught on things.

Original: Make two drawstrings of appropriate length. Cover a keyring with single crochet, and attach all four drawstring-ends to the keyring. You can stuff the top part of the bag into the base, and then pull this ring to hold the bag shut.

Well, the original specified a "brass ring", but brass rings aren't common anymore. Keyrings, however, are a reasonably close modern replacement.

Ursula's: Make one drawstring. Thread the drawstring through the beading. Tie both ends together. You can stuff the top part of the bag into the base, and then use a slipknot to hold the bag shut.

#crochet #crochet pattern #yarncraft #egregious

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