A New Spring Pattern to Help Celebrate National Crochet Month!

Today is day 24 of National Crochet Month (Can you tell I'm a Jeff Gordon fan?) and a month long blog tour of crochet designers sponsored by Crochetville!  To have day by day updates, please "LIKE" Bonnie Bay Crochet on Facebook, and I'll be sure you get daily reminders in your news feed of the new free patterns which will be available to you for the rest of the month, as well as other crochet news.  

The charity that we are sponsoring this year is "Halos of Hope", which is a wonderful organization that provides handmade hats to those suffering from cancer.  Should you wish to donate either money or your own hand crocheted hats, you can find the address to send them here.  If you are looking for hat patterns, you can find some on the Halos of Hope website, or choose your favorite pattern! 

Since the theme for this year’s tour is Spring, I am offering this easy “Spring Gig Bag” as a free pattern for a limited time.  Even a beginner could give this one a try!  I even have a video for this stitch here. You will need to scroll down to the fifth video on this page.  (A left-handed version is also available here.)  The pattern is below.  

I also recently posted a new video series for beginners on how to read a crochet pattern.  You can find them here.  By the end of the third video you will have read patterns to complete a matching hat and scarf set.

Also be sure to check out photos from our recent crochet demonstration at our local library to celebrate National Crochet Month.  

 

Spring Gig Bag

by Bonnie Barker

Description:  Bring in the spring with this colorful, easy to crochet gig bag!  Made of all natural, renewable materials, you will find it easy to clean, practical to use, and it won’t break your budget.  It is a great way for a beginner to learn the double stitch and crochet in the round.  Don’t forget to add a pair of stunning fused glass buttons by Diane  Irvine (diirvine.com) to really make your bag pop!

Skill Level:  Beginner/Easy

(Note:  Should you need help with any of these stitches, free instructional videos are available at BonnieBayCrochet.com.)

Materials:  2 balls of  Peaches & Cream in Bright Blue (#1742, 100% Cotton yarn, worsted weight, 120yds/109m, 2.5oz/70.9g)

Crochet hook size H (or 8) or size needed for gauge

 Yarn needle for sewing & hiding loose ends.

One pair of wooden handles (8” x 4”)

2 Glass Buttons 

Gauge:  7 sc = 2”, 4 rows = 1”

Let’s Begin...

Ch 25

Row 1:  Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across.  Turn.  (24 sc)

Row 2:  Ch 1, sc in each sc across.

Rows 3 - 6:  Repeat Row 2.  (Bottom of bag completed.)

[Note:  Row 7 will be worked around all sides of the bottom of the bag.  At the end of each row below, join with a sl st to first st of the row.]

Row 7:  Ch 1, * sc in each sc across, ch 1, turn 90 degrees, sc in same space as last sc (corner made), sc across end of rows to next corner (1 sc per row), ch 1, turn 90 degrees, sc in same space as last sc.  Repeat from * around.  (60 sc)

Row 8:  Ch 1, * [sc, dc] across row to corner.  Work [sc, dc] in next ch-1 corner, in each of next 6 sc, and in next ch-1 corner.  Repeat from * around.  Turn  (80 sts)

Row 9:  Ch 1, [sc, dc] being careful to work each sc in dc (of previous row) and each dc in sc (of previous row), thereby establishing the double stitch pattern.

Rows 10 - 34:  Repeat Row 9.  Do not finish off, but continue to handles.

Handles

Row 1:  Work [sc, dc] over first 24 sts.  Leave remaining sts unworked.  Turn.  (24 sts)

Row 2:  Work [sc, dc] being careful to work each sc in dc (of previous row) and each dc in sc (of previous row).

Rows 3 - 7:  Repeat Row 2.  At the end of Row 7, finish off, leaving at least 14” of yarn to sew around wooden handle.

 Opposite Handle

Skip 16 sts (on Row 34), join with a sl st in next st.  Repeat Rows 1 - 7.

 

Button Flap

Ch 9.

Row 1:  [sc, dc] across.  Turn.  (8 sts)

Row 2:  [sc, dc] across row, being careful to work each sc in dc (of previous row) and each dc in sc (of previous row).

Rows 3 - 14:  Repeat Row 2.

Row 15:  Ch 1, sc, dc, sc, ch 2, sk 2 sts, dc, sc, dc.  (Button hole made.)  Turn.

Row 16:  Ch 1, sc, dc, sc, [dc, sc] in ch-2 space, dc, sc, dc.  Turn.  (Button hole completed.)  Turn.

Rows 17 - 18:  Repeat Row 2.

Rows 19 - 20:  Repeat Rows 15 & 16.

Row 21:  Repeat Row 2.  Finish off leaving at least 10” strand of yarn to sew flap in place.

Finishing

Using a yarn needle, fold each handle flap over the wooden handle and sew to Row 34 of bag.  Sew button flap to one side of bag, and buttons on the opposite side to correspond to button holes of flap.  Hide loose strands.