A Crocheted Bag for my Favorite Little Bag Lady

Ever since I crocheted that pink bag with beads for Jane, my very favorite little bag lady (4 yr old daughter Gracie) has been after me to make her a bag too. And since I am between Serious Projects at the moment and just looking for quick summer-like things to work on, now was a great time to fulfill my promise to make Gracie her own bag.

So I let her look through my pattern book to pick her pattern and then off we went to Michael's where she picked out a very bright, very cheerful, but not nearly as PINK as I expected, Sugar 'n Cream cotton called Playtime.


And two days later, here it is hanging off one of the dining room chairs to give you a little idea of how big it is. I even made the strap shorter than the pattern called for! I really didn't want the bag dragging on the ground when it was draped over her shoulder!


This bag, unlike the pink one I made for Jane, is flat. You can see here at the bottom of this picture where the beginning chain was slip stitched together after all the crocheting was complete. The bag is actually crocheted in the round with the bottom open, and then the bottom seam is closed at the end.


The pattern stitch is a very simple one...just two double crochet, skip a stitch, and continue around. After every 5 rows of this double crochet pattern, there was a row of single crochet which is what gives the bag the appearance of having horizontal sections. The pictures in my pattern booklet show this same bag crocheted in a red, white and blue color scheme having the large sections in either blue or white, and each single crochet row in red. It is really quite striking. It is also nice worked in one solid color.


I ran out of the Playtime yarn right at the end when all I had left to do was close the bottom of the bag and crochet the trim around the top of the bag and the handles. For projects like this, and others as well, you really cannot go by the ounces of yarn called for. Yardage should be used to determine how many balls of yarn will be needed. I learned that lesson on this project. So back to Michael's we went and picked out this Hot Pink for the trim and I think it actually works better than if I had used the Playtime variegated.


I like the look of the double crochet pairs and the one row of single crochet thrown in there. This pattern would make a nice blanket, wrap or scarf as well.


This is the booklet of bag patterns in which I found both this bag and Jane's pink bag. On the cover, notice the yellow bag. That is the one I made for Gracie. The big black one with the gold beads around it is the same pattern as the one I made for Jane. The booklet is from American School of Needlework and it is number 1251. I don't believe it is in print anymore but I did find it available used through Amazon.

Trendsetting Totes: 8 Crochet Designs in Cotton Yarn (1251) (American School of Needlework #1251)

There are 8 designs altogether in this booklet, but the inside pages and back cover show each one in many different color schemes. I have made almost all of the patterns in this booklet at one time or another and they are all well written patterns and fun little projects to make.

Happy Stitching!

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Felt Book Received -- Goodies in the Mailbox!

Oh Boy Oh Boy! I got a package in the mail today from my favorite Embroidery website owner, Mary Corbet of Needle 'N Thread. I had won her recent giveaway for a book about wool felting so she sent that, along with another book on knitting for kids and the cutest little baby beret pattern which she claims is not written in English ;)

Here they are:


Today I'll share the felting book with you, and the others I'll talk about another time, but don't they look like fun too?

Wool Felting Workshop by Vivian Peritts is not what I expected from what little I saw of it when I entered the giveaway. I was pleasantly surprised to find all sorts of interesting ideas and patterns and instructions on using old wool sweaters in new ways. Here are some of the projects that really caught my eye:



This is a hot water bottle cover cut from pieces of a felted wool sweater with ribbing. You can see the top of the cover still shows the ribbing that was knitted into the sweater. There are full size templates for all the patterns in the book as well.


This baby blanket is so cute and colorful made from squares of felted wool sweaters. There are patterns for appliqués and instructions on how to stitch them onto some of the squares. The ruffle around the blanket is made from felted ribbing.


The stripes on this loopy striped pillow are made by cutting across the stripes of a felted wool sweater and then stitching some of the stripes into loops before stitching them onto the pillow background.

There are so many other clever ideas and patterns in this book and full size templates for all of them. Also included are lots of tips for handling wool and recycling old wool clothing into new and useful items. There are quite a few projects in this book that I will put on my List of Things To Do and I'll be sure to share them with you when I get to them. Check the book out for yourself if you are interested.



Happy Stitching!

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Hold It! -- A Bag Lover's Dream

Ever since I received the name of my Secret Stitcher for the Stitcher's Angel Swap, I've been trying to come up with some ideas for what I would like to make for her. I checked out the first two free projects that the designers have posted for the swap, and I really like both of them, but I really want to make my gifts unique.

I had a thought today for one of the gifts. A book I have had for many years has provided me with inspiration many times when I needed or wanted to make any type of bag, and that is one of the things I want to make for my Secret Stitcher -- a generously sized tote bag. She is a quilter after all, and we all know how big quilts can get even while in progress!

The book is called "Hold It! How to Sew Bags, Totes, Duffels, Pouches, & More" and one of the tote patterns in it has become My Absolute Favorite Bag of All Time.


This is a picture of the tote bag holding six 7-ounce skeins of yarn and my Basketweave Afghan which is about two-thirds finished now. It isn't really a Huge tote bag, 20" x 14" x 6", but it sure holds a lot! It is Project 10 in Hold It! and is called Expandable Zippered Tote. The top part of the bag, striped in the picture above, has a zipper down the middle and is shown in its expanded state. If the bag were not so full, that top part could be tucked down inside the bag, hiding the zipper.

I made this bag using discontinued upholstery samples from my local furniture store where a friend of mine worked. The bag is completely lined and has a large pocket sewn into the inside on one side. The handles are made of 1" webbing.

For my Secret Stitcher, I think I would choose two or three nice fabrics in her preferred color scheme and some denim. I love working with denim. I am planning to embroider a decorative panel for the outside on one side, and perhaps make it into an outside pocket. I hope this is something she will like and be able to use.

Now back to the book...ooooh, The Book! I love little books like this. 132 pages, paperback, 22 different projects of all shapes and sizes and for all skill levels from beginner to expert with many variations on each, clear directions and diagrams. There are chapters for Flat Bags, Totes, Duffels, Cases, and Rolls & Pouches. Lots of colored pictures of finished projects in various forms. Very inspirational if you're into bags! Check it out if you'd like and see for yourself.



Once I get my Secret Stitcher's tote bag underway, I will certainly share the details so come back and check it out.

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Great Book of Celtic Patterns

Since seeing my recent articles about Irish Step Dancing Embroidery, and working on her own Celtic cross stitch piece, my daughter has become quite excited about doing some more Celtic embroidery of her own. She is at that age where she is thinking about a day in the not too distant future when she leaves home and makes a home for herself somewhere else. Naturally she wants nice things to bring along so she is busy designing and stitching and thinking about all sorts of wonderful domestic type things.

She was looking for some interesting Celtic knot patterns to use for pillow case embroidery or wallhanging embroidery, and she came upon a book by Lora S. Irish (interesting last name!) called Great Book of Celtic Patterns. In it are dozens of original designs of Celtic knots, lines, finials, corners, Viking animals, religious symbols, fantasy, circles, squares and motifs. She also includes a fascinating history of Celtic knots and lines, a section on layout ideas and line enhancements.

Each section includes clear pictures and many variations of each design. The author takes a simple twist or braid design and shows how it can be made to look like branches with leaves, a rope, a stencil or several lines from thick to thin and so many other variations. She renders some of the patterns in color with lots of interesting details such as birds nests or tendrils.

She shows how the designs can be used on notecards, frames, a chessboard and other creative uses. She even has a whole section on plotting and graphing knots so you can take a knot you like and really make it your own using graph paper, colored pencils and an eraser.

The book itself is paperback, but substantial with each page thick and glossy. I would recommend it to anyone looking for some new and interesting Celtic designs for embroidery or any other kind of artwork. Elizabeth has already traced many designs from the book and has wonderful ideas of how she wants to use them. I'll share them with you once they become a reality!

You can click on the button below to take a look inside the book on Amazon and see some of the beautiful Celtic designs.

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Filet Crochet -- Pretty in Pink

Filet Crochet has always been one of my favorite decorative crochet methods. The origins of this method are unclear, but historians say they date back to the Pima Indians, early sailors, and Middle Eastern, Scottish and Scandinavian shepherds among others. I don't know much about any of that, but I am certain that Filet Crochet has provided me with many satisfactory hours of creative enjoyment.

Filet Crochet is easy to do because it only uses a few very basic crochet stitches. It is relatively inexpensive to do because it uses crochet cotton which can be purchased in balls of several hundred yards for a reasonable price at your favorite craft store or website. Or if the project is large like a bedspread or large curtain or tablecloth, it can be purchased more economically on cones of several thousand yards.

The project I am working on now is a simple dresser scarf for my younger daughter's dresser. I purchased an old handmade dresser at a yard sale, fixed it up a little with a coat of oil based primer and then several coats of shiny white paint. Some new knobs for the drawers and it was good as new and pretty as a picture. It was just begging for a girly pink crocheted dresser scarf!

I went through my patterns and rediscovered one that I had made many years ago as a matched set of two single designs for our night stands and one long dresser scarf for my husband's chest of drawers. I had planned to do an extra long dresser scarf for my triple dresser but never got around to it. Anyway, it's a pretty design with hearts in it which I found in the Number 29 issue of Annie's Crochet Newsletter from all the way back in 1987!

This is how you get started with this Filet Crochet pattern:

First you crochet a chain the length required for the project and then do a foundation row of double crochet stitches. For the second row, start off with a beginning block consisting of the chain three turning chain and then a double crochet in each of the next three stitches. This is how each row begins and you will see that this makes a nice border around the piece.

Filet Crochet is characterized by its open mesh blocks and filled blocks which make the picture. The second row in the picture above shows the beginning block which is filled, then a whole row of open mesh blocks which are made by simply working two chain stitches, skipping the next two stitches and working a double crochet into the next stitch. The row ends with a filled block of four double crochets.



The next row starts with the beginning block, then four open mesh blocks are worked, then a filled block which is the first part of the design that will be created with subsequent filled blocks in the next few rows.


This is the middle of the same row showing the first filled block for the little design that will be in the middle on each end of the piece.



This shows the piece with three complete rows. Notice how the beginning and end of each row is filled in with double crochet stitches and the main part of the piece so far is made up of open mesh blocks.



This is one of the night stand pieces I did so many years ago which is still used on the night stand today. The piece I am working on for my daughter's dresser will look just like this, only it will be pink and not so old and worn looking!

Isn't it pretty how the filled blocks make up a design that shows up so nicely against the wood furniture? Working in Filet Crochet is sort of like creating a picture with thread. I just love it.


This is the dresser scarf that my husband still uses. It has four repeats of the design. This pattern was worked from the short end so it could be made with any number of repeats depending on the size desired.

If you are interested in learning more about Filet Crochet and trying some beautiful designs for doilies, edgings, curtains, tablecloths, pillows, panels, nursery accessories and more, I can recommend The Filet Crochet Book by Chris Rankin. I refer to it often when working on projects and love just browsing through the book for inspiration. The informational and instructional sections of the book are very thorough and there are beautiful color pictures of every pattern and charts to go along with them.



I'll post pictures of my finished project once it has taken its proper place atop the shiny white dresser. I'm thinking it won't take me too long since I have a very excited girl waiting for the newest pink addition to her room!

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