The Bermuda Triangle Purse

Hook: I

Material: size 4 worsted weight

Gauge: 9” wide by 6” tall & 2 trs = 1” 8 rows = 3”

Hints & Tips:

-          When working the flap, be very careful when reading the instructions. You only decrease on the starting side. If your stitch count comes out wrong, check that you didn’t do a decrease on both ends.

Special stitches:

-          Beginning Triangle Stitch – YO, pick up a loop in first st, YO, pick up a loop in next st, YO, pick up a loop in next st, YO and pull through all 7 loops on hook, ch 2

-          Triangle Stitch – YO, pick up a loop in previous worked st, YO, pick up a loop in next st, YO, pick up a loop in next st, YO and pull through all 7 loops on hook, ch 2

o   Difference between BegTrs and Trs: the beg trs uses 3 unworked loops where the trs uses the previous st as its first st

-          Triple Crochet Triangle Stitch – *YO twice, insert hook in st, pull up a loop* three times, YO and pull through all loops on hook, ch 2

o   This stitch works the same as the regular triangle st but is a little longer

Abbreviations:

-          Ch – chain

-          Sc – single crochet

-          Sl st – slip stitch

-          Fphdc – front post half double crochet

-          Beg trs – beginning triangle stitch

-          Trs – triangle stitch

-          Trc-trs – triple crochet triangle stitch

Round 1) Ch 25, 3 sc in 2^nd ch from hook, sc to last ch, 5 sc in last ch, sc back down other side of ch, 2 sc in last ch, join to first sc with sl st –  54 sc

Round 2) Ch 1, sc in same st as joining, 3 sc in next st, 24 st, 3 sc in next st, sc in next st, 3 sc in next st, sc in next 24 st, 3 sc in last st, join to first sc with sl st – 62 sc

Round 3) Ch 1, sc in same st as joining, sc in next st, 3 sc in next st, sc in next 26 st, 3 sc in next st, sc in next 3 st, 3 sc in next st, sc in next 26 st, 3 sc in next st, sc in last st, join to first sc with sl st – 70 sc

Round 4) Ch 1, fphdc in every st around, join to first hdc with sl st – 70 hdc

Round 5) Ch 1, beg trs, trs 34 times, join to first trs with sl st – 35 trs

Round 6) Ch 1, 2 sc in every ch 2 sp around, join to first sc with sl st – 70 sc

Round 7 - 20) Repeat rounds 5 and 6 and tie off

Flap:

Row 1) Join in edge of purse, ch 1, sc in next 31 st – 31 sc

Row 2) Ch 1, turn, sc in every st across – 31 sc

Row 3) Repeat row 2

Row 4) Ch 1, turn, scdec in first 2 st, sc to last 2 st, scdec last 2 st – 29 sc

Row 5) Ch 1, hdc in first st, ch 1, beg trs, trs 12 times ending with a ch 1, hdc in last st – 13 trs

Row 6) Ch 1, sc dec in 1^st st and 1^st ch sp, 2 sc in every ch 2 sp to the end, sc in last ch sp and last st – 27 sc 

Row 7) Repeat row 5 – 12 trs

Row 8) Repeat row 6 – 25 sc

Row 9) Repeat row 5 – 11 trs

Row 10) Repeat row 6 – 23 sc

Row 11) Repeat row 5 – 10 trs

Row 12) Repeat row 6 – 21 sc

Row 13) Repeat row 5 – 9 trs

Row 14) Repeat row 6 and tie off – 19 sc 

Strap:

Row 1) Ch 6, sc in 2^nd ch from hook and across – 5 sc

Row 2) Ch 1, hdc in first st, ch 1, trc-trs in next 3 st, hdc in last st – 1 trc-trs

Row 3) Ch 1, 2 sc in ch sp, sc in trs st, 2 sc in ch 2p – 5 sc

Row 4 – 5) Ch 1, sc in every sc across – 5 sc

Row 6 – ½ the desired length) Repeat rows 2 – 5 until you have ½ the desired length and then repeat these instructions on the opposite side of the ch

Edging: Crab stitch around the flap and opening of the purse – ch 1 and sl st in every st around strap.

Also released this week: 

Click HERE for Etsy link 

&

Click HERE for Ravelry link

Pattern Giveaway - 5/5 - 5/7

These four patterns are an absolutely perfect prize! 

The beaded slouchy beanie comes in three different styles/sizes (short, medium & long). It's perfect for Winter or Spring! You can find an awesome tutorial on how to add seed beads to your crochet HERE. 

The autism beanies are special to my heart and were a collaberation of graph designs in honor of Autism Awareness Month (April). All four styles come in three sizes each for a total of TWELVE patterns. 

Wyatt the Lion has a special little story and was made for a beautiful little micro preemie currently fighting for his life in the NICU. You can read about his story HERE. 

Finally, you have the little mermaid photography prop. It fits sizes 0-3 months (though I will give you sizing instructions if you'd like a larger size). It has a couple of unique things about it that push it apart from others! First, is the delicate little heart made from the stitches used. Then there are the ruffles that give it such a fancy look! Finallly, the top looks perfect with or without the flower in the middle as it makes almost a perfect "shell"! 

So there you have it! Enter the giveaway and you could win four patterns with some coming in varying sizes/styles for a total of 17 patterns! You can't beat that. All four of these patterns can be found at my etsy shop: Click HERE. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Not interested in the giveaway? Check out these free patterns by clicking on the picture!

 This "Getting Knotty" Head Wrap is perfect for keeping the hair out of your face (as well as the sweat) while you work on your garden this Spring and Summer! It's thin and could easily be made in cotton by adjusting the gauge for a more breathable fabric!

 This purse set is perfect for any little girl who wants to be just like her momma! A large one and a small one, you are sure to have a pattern that will fit the exact sizes you need!

 To me, cherry blossoms just SCREAM spring and that is what this backpack is all about. Shouting to the world that Spring is finally here.

 This Summer Couture Sun Hat is perfect for an elegant look this summer. It is incredibly stretchy and there is a size available for everyone!

Want to add some color to your summer? This hat is perfect for you! While these bright rainbow colors are a perfect combo for this hat, some beach colors would be perfect too! I made a second hat with sand as the main color, 2 rows of coral, a row of turquoise, some cream, turquoise again and then wrapped it up with 2 more rounds of coral only to finish the brim in the sand color again. It was beautiful!

Granny Stripe Boutique Bag - Random Pattern Find

I must have found this pattern forever ago because it was in my "to-do" list on Ravelry. When I stumbled upon it again I knew it would be the perfect pattern to start off a new weekly post I had been wanting to do. Once a week (maybe more because I hate following a strict schedule) I plan on posting a Random Pattern Find. In this post I will share a completed project by me and share my thoughts on the pattern as well as the link. Pretty simple and a fantastic way of sharing awesome (and good) patterns to share!

So, for my first I headed on over to Tangled Happy, a pattern blog by Sara. A quicky glance at her categories/tags section tells me she has been crocheting for a while and a quick glance at her project tells me she is very talented!

This purse, called the Granny Stripe Boutique Bag, worked up in about an hour, maybe two. I worked on it towards the end of my son's nap and had to get up and get him and my daughter situated with a snack while working on it. Things like that take time! hehe

I was very happy with how the purse turned out. It's a cute purse and I know my daughter is going to love it once I give it to her. I'm thinking about teaming up with my mother-in-law and having her line the insides for me (since I'm not the best at sewing). I love lined crochet purses!

I know I'll be making more of these purses and a few things I might do just to have some variety is mess around with the straps. These are perfect for my daughter's small hands but if I wanted to make the purse a bit larger, a larger strap would be a must! I think I might use a slip stitch for the seam of the purse as well. I've never been a fan of the whip stitch :p

Now that I've told you all about the pattern for the bag let's get on to the pattern for the flower.

I actually did the flower myself so enjoy another FREE pattern below (or check out Sara's site and follow her link to the flower she used!).

Slip Stitch Flower

Hook: I

Material: Red Heart Super Saver
Gauge: Non-essential

Color A: White

Color B: Purple
Color C: Pink

With Color A:

Round 1) Using magic circle, ch 1, 10 hdc in circle, pull tight, join to first hdc with sl st, tie off – 10 hdc

With Color B: Working in back loops only

Round 2/petal 1) Join in any st with a ch 1, ch 7 more times, sl st in 2^nd st from hook and down ch, sl st in same st as joining

Round 2/petal 2 – 10) Sl st into next st, ch 8, sl st in 2^nd st from hook and down ch, sl st in same st already worked in – 7 sl st per petal

With Color C: Working in front loops only

Round 3/petal 1) Join in any st with a ch 1, ch 5 more times, sl st in 2^nd st from hook and down ch, sl st in same st as joining

Round 3/petal 2 – 10) Sl st into next st, ch 6, sl st in 2^nd st from hook and down ch, sl st in same st already worked in – 5 sl st per petal 

Cherry Blossom Backpack

Hook: E, H & I

Materials: Red Heart Super Saver (light blue, light pink and off white), 6/0 seed beads (dark pink), hot glue, yarn sewing needle

Gauge: Non-essential – a larger hook creates a larger backpack and vice versa  

Hints & Tips:

-          Beginning ch 1 does not count as a stitch anywhere in the pattern

-     Instructions for a larger size at the bottom

Abbreviations:

-          Ch – chain

-          Hdc – half double crochet

-          Sl st – slip stitch

-          St – stitch

-          Dc – double crochet

-          Sc – single crochet

-          Trc – triple (or treble) crochet

Bag (with I hook):

Round 1) Ch 7, 4 hdc in 3^rd ch from hook (ch 2 counts as first hdc), hdc in next 3 ch, 5 hdc in last ch, 3 hdc on other side, join to ch 2 with sl st – 16 hdc

Round 2) Ch 1, 2 hdc in next 5 st, hdc in next 3 st, 2 hdc in next 5 st, hdc in last 3 st, join to first hdc with sl st – 26 hdc

Round 3) Ch 1, *hdc in next st, 2 hdc in next st* 5 times, hdc in next 3 st, repeat *-* five times again, hdc in last 3 st – 36 hdc

Round 4) Ch 1, *hdc in next 2 st, 2 hdc in next st* 5 times, hdc in next 3 st, repeat *-* five times again, hdc in last 3 st – 46 hdc

Round 5) Ch 1, *hdc in next 3 st, 2 hdc in next st* 5 times, hdc in next 3 st, repeat *-* five times again, hdc in last 3 st – 56 hdc

Round 6) Ch 1, *hdc in next 4 st, 2 hdc in next st* 5 times, hdc in next 3 st, repeat *-* five times again, hdc in last 3 st – 66 hdc

Round 7 - 29) Ch 1, hdc in every st around, join to first hdc with sl st (in last round join to first st with sl st) – 66 hdc

Round 30) Ch 1, hdc in same st as joining, *ch 1, sk next st, hdc in next st* around, join to first hdc with sl st – 33 hdc, 33 ch 1 sp

Row 1 - Drawstring) Ch 1, sl st into first ch 1 sp, ch 78, sl st in 2^nd ch from hook and all the way down ch, sl st into same sp that you started in, tie off – 77 sl st

Weave chain in and out of ch 1 spaces ending in the same space you started the chain in. (You can make this step shorter so you don't have long of a chain when you pull it tight, that is up to you. 

Straps (with H hook & make 2):

Row 1) Ch 4, sc in 2^nd ch from hook, sc to end – 3 sc

Row 2 - 55) Ch 1, sc in every st across – 3 sc

Flowers (With E hook & make 13):

Round 1) Using magic circle, ch 1, 5 sc in circle, pull tight, join to first sc with sl st – 5 sc

Round 2) *Ch 1, dc, trc, dc in same st as joining, sl st into next st*around, sl st into first st, tie off – 5 petals

Trunk/Branches (With I hook):
With two strands, ch 35, drop one loop from your hook and ch 11, drop that loop off your hook, go back to first dropped loop and ch 14 with it as well. Tie off both strands. Make two more of these.

Twist the 3 trunks together to form a thicker truck. The branches will be secured under flowers after you have the trunk positioned onto the back pack.

Putting it all together:

You can sew everything on or use hot glue (I went the hot glue route do to it being easier).

Flowers: You are going to put the flowers upside down so the WRONG side will be visible. Using hot glue, glue a group of darker pink beads into the center of each one. I went with three different types of beads for appearance.

Bag positioning: Using the bottom of your bag, flatten it to where it is long ways.

Trunk: Take the three pieces of your trunk. You’re going to wrap them around one another and place them on the bag. I glued them as I wrapped them because it made it easier to visualize how the trunk was turning out. I would only glue every couple of inches though so I could manipulate the trunk pieces to perfect after it was in place. I wanted my trunk to come up from the bottom and up along the side, but not directly on the fold so that a few branches could curl around but most of the tree/flowers would be visible on one side.

Branches: Scatter your branches where you want them/think they look right.

Flowers (again): Put glue on the flower (unless you’re sewing them) and place it on a branch locking the branch in place via the flower. Once all flowers are placed (I used 12 of them) check to make sure all branches are secure. If not use a little more thread/glue.

Adjustable chain: Glue a flower at the end of the chain that opens and closes the backpack. This will keep it from every sliding out. If you want to still be able to slide it out, I suggest modifying the flower and sewing a button to the chain so the button can allow the flower to be put on and off.

Straps: Flip backpack over, line up where you want the straps and sew them into place securely. 

I'm sharing this extra photo just because of how much I love it. Lol my daughter is the perfect little model :p

***Instructions to make a larger bag - Increase the ch by 2 so that you'll have 5 hdc between each half circle end instead of 3, add an extra increase round and then add a few more hdc rounds to make it longer. Make the straps as long as needed.***

Mommy & Me Woven Purse Set

(More photos at bottom) 

Hook: H
Material: Red Heart Super Saver & Velcro
Gauge: 3 rows = 1”

Hints & Tips

-          With an exception to the ch 3 in round one, the ch at the start of each round will not count as a stitch

-          You will never put a fpdc in a fpdc or a bpdc in a bpdc with an exception to round 5 – otherwise, they should always alternate.

-          For the strap, to make the stitches even I placed 1 sc in every row that started with a ch 1, and 2 sc with every row that ended with a dc (they alternate and it provides an even look).

Abbreviations

-          Ch – chain

-          Sc – single crochet

-          Dc – double crochet

-          St – stitch

-          Fpdc – front post double crochet

-          Bpdc – back post double crochet

Kid size:

With color A

Round 1) Ch 22, 5 dc in 4^th ch from hook, dc in next 17 ch, 6 dc in last ch, dc in last 17 ch, join to first dc (it will be a ch 3) with sl st – 46 dc

Round 2) Ch 1, 2 fpdc  around next 6 st, fpdc in next 17 st, 2 fpdc in next 6 st, fpdc in last 17 st, join to first dc with sl st – 58 fpdc

Round 3) Ch 1, bpdc around every st, join to first bpdc with sl st – 58 bpdc

Round 4) Ch 1, fpdc around every st, join to first fpdc with sl t – 58 fpdc

Round 5) Ch 1, *fpdc around next st, bpdc around next st* in every st around, join to first dc with sl st – 58 dc

Round 6) Ch 1, *bpdc around next st, fpdc around next st* in every st around, join to first dc with sl st – 58 dc

Round 7 – 8) Repeat rounds 5 – 6 , change to color B at end of round 8

Round 9) Ch 1, *2 fpdc around next bpdc, skip fpdc* repeat around, join to first fpdc with sl st, change back to color A – 58 dc

Round 10) Ch 1, dc in every st around, join to first dc with sl st – 58 dc

Round 11 - 12) Repeat round 5 – 6, change to color B at end of round 6 – 58 dc

Round 13) Repeat round 9

Round 14 – 16) Repeat rounds 10 – 12  

Round 17 – 18) Repeat rounds 5 – 6, tie off at end of round 6

Strap:

Face the back of the purse (where the seam is) towards you, go to the right side of the purse where it creases. You will see that the fold takes up three stitches. You will use these three stitches plus one stitch on either side of them for a total of 5 stitches. With color A, join in the farthest stitch from the back (the first stitch will curve towards the front of the purse).

Row 1) Ch 1, dc in same st as joining, dc in next 4 st

Row 2) Ch 1, dc in first st, fpdc in next st, bpdc in next st, fpdc in next st, dc in last st

Row 3) Ch 1, turn, dc in first st, bpdc in next st, fpdc in next st, bpdc in next st, dc in last st

Row 4 – desired length) Repeat rows 2 – 3  

Flap:

Join on right side of purse with the seam facing you (so on the same side you started the strap) with a sl st in the last st of the strap.

Row 1) Ch 1, dc in every st across to first st of the other side of the strap – 25 dc

Row 2) Ch 1, turn, dc dec in first 2 st, *fpdc around next st, bpdc around next st* to last 2 st, dc dec in last 2 st – 23 dc

Row 3) Ch 1, turn, dc dec in first 2 st, * bpdc in around st, fpdc around next st* to last 2 st, dc dec in last 2 st – 21 dc

Row 4-11) Repeat row 2 & 3 – 19 dc, 17 dc, 15 dc, 13 dc, 11 dc, 9 dc, 7 dc, 5 dc ,

Row 12) Ch 1, turn, dc dec in first 2 st, fpdc in next st, dc dec in last 2 st – 3 dc

Row 13) Ch 1, turn, dc dec in all 3 st, tie off – 1 dc

Edging: Join in back of purse with ch 1, sc in every st around opening of purse and flap – ch 3 behind strap to cut across and get the edging around the opening

Join at bottom of strap, ch 1, sc in every st along strap and then repeat on other side.

Velcro: Cut a small piece of Velcro and glue it between the two lines on purse and to the tip of the flap so it will stay in place.

Mommy size:

With color A

Round 1) Ch 32, 5 dc in 4^th ch from hook, dc in next 27 ch, 6 dc in last ch, dc in last 27 ch, join to first dc (it will be a ch 3) with sl st – 66 dc

Round 2) Ch 1, 2 fpdc  around next 6 st, fpdc in next 27 st, 2 fpdc in next 6 st, fpdc in last 27 st, join to first dc with sl st – 78 fpdc

Round 3) Ch 1, bpdc around every st, join to first bpdc with sl st – 78 bpdc

Round 4) Ch 1, fpdc around every st, join to first fpdc with sl t – 78 fpdc

Round 5) Ch 1, *fpdc around next st, bpdc around next st* in every st around, join to first dc with sl st – 78 dc

Round 6) Ch 1, *bpdc around next st, fpdc around next st* in every st around, join to first dc with sl st – 78 dc

Round 7 – 10) Repeat rounds 5 – 6 , change to color B at end of round 10

Round 11) Ch 1, *2 fpdc around next bpdc, skip fpdc* repeat around, join to first fpdc with sl st – 78 dc

Round 12) Ch 1, *2 fpdc around first dc, skip next dc* around, change to color A, join to first dc with sl st – 78 dc

Round 13) Ch 1, dc in every st around, join to first dc with sl st – 78 dc

Round 14 - 18) Repeat round 5 – 6, change to color B at end of round 18 – 78 dc

Round 19-20) Repeat round 11 - 12

Round 19 – 24) Repeat rounds 13 – 18   

Strap:

Face the back of the purse (where the seam is) towards you, go to the right side of the purse where it creases. You will see that the fold takes up three stitches. You will use these three stitches plus one stitch on either side of them for a total of 5 stitches. With color A, join in the farthest stitch from the back (the first stitch will curve towards the front of the purse).

Row 1) Ch 1, dc in same st as joining, dc in next 4 st

Row 2) Ch 1, dc in first st, fpdc in next st, bpdc in next st, fpdc in next st, dc in last st

Row 3) Ch 1, turn, dc in first st, bpdc in next st, fpdc in next st, bpdc in next st, dc in last st

Row 4 – desired length) Repeat rows 2 – 3 

Flap:

Join on right side of purse with the seam facing you (so on the same side you started the strap) with a sl st in the last st of the strap.

Row 1) Ch 1, dc in every st across to first st of the other side of the strap – 35 dc

Row 2) Ch 1, turn, dc dec in first 2 st, *fpdc around next st, bpdc around next st* to last 2 st, dc dec in last 2 st – 33 dc

Row 3) Ch 1, turn, dc dec in first 2 st, * bpdc in around st, fpdc around next st* to last 2 st, dc dec in last 2 st – 31 dc

Row 4-18) Repeat row 2 & 3 –  until you have just 1 dc left

Row 19) Ch 1, turn, dc dec in first 2 st, fpdc in next st, dc dec in last 2 st – 3 dc

Row 20) Ch 1, turn, dc dec in all 3 st, tie off – 1 dc

Edging: Join in back of purse with ch 1, sc in every st around opening of purse and flap – ch 3 behind strap to cut across and get the edging around the opening

Join at bottom of strap, ch 1, sc in every st along strap and then repeat on other side.

Velcro: Cut a small piece of Velcro and glue it between the two lines on purse and to the tip of the flap so it will stay in place.