Single Shoulder Strap Pattern/Tutorial

Just in case you missed it, a couple of weeks ago, I posted the pattern for my Blog Collection Round Hobo Bag, possibly my favorite bag so far. Although that Windmill bag... Maybe I should just refrain from playing favorites.

Anyhow, because the straps of the bags in this collection are meant to be interchangeable, I chose not to post it all in one go. That, and I had yet to write up a coherent pattern.

Please be aware that the instructions for the strap are specific to the Round Hobo Bag, but a quick note about changing it up for other bags follows the pattern.

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Single Shoulder Strap

chain 120, do not turn, skip next 54 sts

Design Note:  For now, ignore those 54 skipped stitches, but you may want to mark the first and last skipped stitch so they're easier to find later.

Round 1:  being careful not to twist chain, connect to next st w/sc, sc in next 53 sts, sc in each ch across (174 sts)

Round 2:  sc in each of next 53 sts, skip next st, sc in each of next 119 sts, skip last st (172 sts)

Round 3:  skip 1^st st, sc in next 51 sts, skip next 2 sts, sc in each of next 117 sts, skip last st (168 sts)

Round 4:  skip 1^st st, sc in next 49 sts, skip next 2 sts, sc in next 115 sts, skip last st (164 sts)

Round 5:  skip 1^st st, sk in next 47 sts, skip next 2 sts, sc in next 114 sts, join w/sl st in 1^st st (161 sts)

finish off, weave in ends

(opposite side) Round 1:  connect w/sc at 1^st skipped st, sc in next 53 sts, sc in each unused loop of ch (174 sts)

Rounds 2-5:  repeat Rounds 2-5 above

finish off, weave in all ends

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Modifying this strap to fit any bag is fairly simple. Instead of skipping 54 stitches, use the stitch count of the last row/round of your bag. Divide your total stitch count by two. This is the number of stitches you will skip.

In the coming months, as I post other bags from this series, I will also post the how-to's for their respective straps including a slightly narrower shoulder strap and a much shorter rolled handle. In the meantime, have fun playing with this one.

Happy Crocheting!

Free Crochet Pattern and a Sneak Peek at the New Crochet Book

Hey y'all! I decided I needed a short (heh) vacation, but I'm back. More important, I'm back with post number 200 here on the blog.

In honor of this milestone, I've brought you a gift: a free pattern you're going to love. As promised, I'm continuing to drop patterns from my new, almost finished, crochet book. This one just may be my favorite of the bunch simply because I'm addicted to round hobo bags.

This week, you get just the basics, the body of the bag, but the recommended amount of yarn is for the whole thing. The shoulder strap pattern/tutorial is something I will share with you within the next couple of weeks.

As usual, I worked the sample in Lily Sugar 'n Cream yarn, but it will work with any worsted weight yarn. The colors here are Hot Pink and Hot Orange. Grab your hook and get to work!

The Blog Collection Hobo Bag

Finished Size:

body – 9" diameter x 11" high

strap – 32" long x 2 ½" wide

Supplies Needed:

3 balls of yarn for body

2 balls of yarn for contrast

size H-8 (5mm) crochet hook

stitch markers or pieces of scrap yarn

yarn needle or smaller crochet hook for weaving in ends

Instructions:

Round 1: using magic ring method, 12 sc in ring, pull ring tight to close gap (12 sc)

Round 2: 2sc in each st around (24 sc)

Round 3: sc in each st around (24 sc)

Round 4: [2sc in next st, sc in next st] around (36 sc)

Round 5: sc in each st around (36 sc)

Round 6: [2sc in next st, sc in next 2 sts] around (48 sc)

Round 7: sc in each st around (48 sc)

Round 8: [2sc in next st, sc in next 3 sts] around (60 sc)

Round 9: sc in each st around (60 sc)

Round 10: [2sc in next st, sc in next 4 sts] around (72 sc)

Round 11: sc in each sc around (72 sc)

Round 12: [2sc in next st, sc in next 5 sts] around (84 sc)

Round 13: sc in each st around (84 sc)

Round 14: [2sc in next st, sc in next 5 sts] around (96 sc)

Round 15: sc in each st around (96 sc)

Round 16: [2sc in next st, sc in next 5 sts] around (108 sc)

Round 17: sc in each st around (108 sc)

Round 18: in BLO sc around (108 sc)

Round 19: sc in each st around (108 sc)

Rounds 20-27: repeat Round 19

change colors*

Round 28: sc in each st around (108 sc)

Round 29: repeat Round 28

Round 30: in BLO sc around (108 sc)

Round 31: repeat Round 30

Round 32: in BLO [sc in next st, dc in next st] around (108 sts)

Round 33: in BLO [dc in next st, sc in next st] around (108 sts)

Round 34: repeat Round 32

Round 35: repeat Round 33

Round 36: repeat Round 32

Round 37: in BLO sc around (108 sc)

Round 38-39: repeat Round 37

Round 40: sc in each st around (108 sc)

change colors*

Rounds 41-55: sc in each st around (108 sc)

do not finish off*

Before you move on to the shoulder strap, make sure this length works for you. If you do follow my instructions for the strap, you'll be adding another five rows (about 1 1/4") to the top of the bag, so keep that in mind as well.

Happy Crocheting!

Free Pattern Blog Collection Tablet Sleeve Tutorial

Hey ya'll! I promised you a new free pattern this week and it's here. Unfortunately, I have yet to take really good pictures, so bear with me. The one I have on file will do for now. Anyhow, you're all more interested in the pattern than looking at pretty pictures, right? So let's get to it!

The Blog Collection

Sleeve for 10" Tablet

Note: The sleeve in the picture is for my Nexus 10 and began with a chain count of 25. Yarn used was Lily Sugar and Cream, 100% cotton 1 ball Hot Green and 2 balls Hot Orange.

This project is crocheted in continuous rounds. I don't join and ch1 at the end of each round, but you may if you choose. This method, like Amigurumi, can cause your first stitch to travel or twist. Notes are added throughout the pattern to tell you where to adjust for that twist.

Supplies:

worsted weight yarn of your choice (approx. 150 yds of main color and 70 yds of accent color)

size H-8 (5mm) crochet hook

stitch marker

yarn needle or smaller hook for weaving in ends

1" button

Work a beginning chain long enough to fit the width of your tablet. If you plan to line your finished project, add 4 or 5 more depending on how tightly you crochet. If you do not plan to line it, add 2 or 3 more to ensure you have enough wiggle room for inserting and removing your tablet.

Round 1: 3sc in 2nd ch from hook, sc in each chain across except for the last, 5sc in last ch turning toward back, sc in remaining loops of each ch across except for the last (the one with 3sc already), 2sc in last ch

Round 2: sc in each st around

Round 3-19: repeat Round 2

Round 20: repeat Round 2, change colors

Note: Before you change colors, check that your last stitch is on the end of your project. If not, work a few more sc so your color change will be on the edge, so it's less obvious. This is also a good spot to fit your sleeve to your tablet and ensure you have enough play to slide the tablet in and out of the sleeve.

Round 21: sc in each st around

Round 22: repeat Round 21

Round 23: sc in back loop only of each st around

Round 24: repeat Round 23

Round 25: [sc in back loop only of next stitch, dc in back loop only of next stitch] around

Round 26: [dc in back loop only of next stitch, sc in back loop only of next stitch] around

Note: Yes, because you have an even number of stitches, you will have two of the same stitch next to each other as you transition between rounds here. I've found that this section works pretty straight, so you really shouldn't see this in your finished project.

Round 27: repeat Round 25

Round 28: repeat Round 26

Round 29: repeat Round 25

Round 30: sc in back loop only of each st around

Rounds 31-32: repeat Round 30

Round 33: sc in each st around, change colors

Note: Before you change colors, check that your last stitch is on the end of your project. If not, work a few more sc so your color change will be on the edge, so it's less obvious.

Round 34: sc in each st around

Rounds 35-end: repeat Round 34 until your sleeve is long enough to cover your tablet and have two extra rows for complete coverage

Final Round/Finishing: Find the middle front of your project and mark it for attaching your button. Find the corresponding stitch on the back of the project and mark it for the button loop.

sc in each st stopping at marked st on back of project, ch12, attach in same st w/sl st, sl st in each ch around loop, sc in next st and each st around

Note: Before you finish off, check for the twist in your project. If necessary, continue to work sc around until you reach the edge. Join with a sl st in next st and finish off.

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This pattern/tutorial is offered at no cost, but will be available to purchase as a part of my next crochet book. It has yet to be fully tested, so I welcome all comments and questions. Please do not email them to me; instead leave them in the comments section below so that others may benefit from the answers.

As always, you are welcome to make as many as you wish to sell in your Etsy shops or at craft sales, etc. I ask only that you give me credit for the design and do not re-post or print and sell the original pattern. Instead, link to the pattern when referring to it.

Happy Crocheting!

Get a Grip (Free Pattern/Tutorial for Windmill Bag Shoulder Straps)

click to see the ravelry project
which will take you to the pattern

I get very excited about crocheting handbags because when I make one for myself I use it . . . a lot. That said, this method of putting straps on a bag came from some trial and error while making the two other bags pictured in this post. I'm really proud of them, though, so I MUST show them off to you. I'm so emotionally attached to these bags that when I first made one or the other, I slept with it under my pillow. I still have, and use, both of them.

All three bags were made from yarn seconds which might otherwise have been discarded. Further, the Hakelbeutel used squares that I made to test a pattern for another designer, which I doubt I would have used for anything else had I not come across that pattern. Add to that the shapes of those two bags actually inspired this series, and you now get a glimpse into my own creative process.

Enough with the background information; let's get to work.

If you've followed my Windmill Bag pattern, you've now got a sack with four points at the top. Each point should be 17 stitches high and this pattern can simply be followed as a pattern to give you a finished bag. You could also use this pattern as a tutorial for adding straps to your hakelbeutel. Simply adapt the stitch count to fit the bag you're working.

The finished straps end up being a bit over an inch wide (just a bit wider than 4 rows of sc). And the top border is just a hair wider than the straps (5 rows of sc). This method makes two very long shoulder straps as shown in the picture of the finished bag. Feel free to adjust to your preference.

Finishing the Windmill Bag

Supply Note: For a full list of supplies, consult the original pattern for the Blog Collection Windmill Bag.

Design Note: Rounds are worked continuously so as not to show joins.

Place stitch markers at each of the four peaks of the bag. You may wish to mark the four valleys (lowest points) of the bag and your very first stitch as well (whatever you need to do to make it easier to identify these key spots). Make sure bag is turned right side out.

Straps

Round 1: beginning at any peak, join w/sc in 11th st, sc in each of next 6 sts, [sc in end st of each row (for a count of 17), *2sc in next st, sc in each of next 16 sts] 3 times, sc in end of each row (for a count of 17), *2sc in next st, sc in each of next 9 sts (140 sc)

*Move stitch markers to the first sc in the 2sc. This becomes your new peak.

Round 2: sc in 1st st and in next 5, [sk next 2 sts, sc in next 16 sts, *3sc in next st, sc in next 16 sts] 3 times, sk next 2 sts, sc in next 16 sts, 3 sc in next st, sc in next 10 sts (140 sc)

*Move stitch markers to the center sc in the 3sc. This becomes your new peak.

Round 3 (first round of straps): sc in 1st st and in next 4, [sk next 2 stst, sc in next 17 sts (last st should be in a marked st--do not move marker), ch 90, being careful not to twist ch sk next 34 sts, sc in next sc (this should be your next marked st--do not move marker)], sc in next 16 sts, rep from [ to ], sc in next 11 sts

Round 4: sc in next 4 sts, sk next 2 sts, sc in next 16 sts, sc in each loop of ch (just as you would if beginning a pattern), sc in next 16 sts, sk next 2 sts, sc in next 16 sts, sc in each loop of ch, sc in next 12 sts

Round 5: sc in next 3 sts, sk next 2 sts, sc in next 14, sk next st, sc across single row (next 90 sts), sk next st, sc in next 14 sts, sk next 2 sts, sc in next 14 sts, sk next st, sc across single row, sk next st, sc in next 14 sts, sc in next 11 sts

join w/sl st in 1st st of Round 5, fo, weave in ends

the blog collection
windmill bag

Front and back openings

lay bag with unfinished portion facing you, attach yarn with sc at marked st to the right

Round 1: sc in next 16 sts, sk next 2 sts, sc in next 17 sts, sc in rem loops of ch across (next 90 sts)

Round 2: sc in next 15 sts, sk next 2 sts, sc in next 15 sts, sk next st, sc in each sc of strap

sk next st, sc in next 14 sts, sk next 2 sts, sc in next 14 sts, join, finish off, weave in ends

Repeat for opposite side of bag.

Design note: Although the pattern and tutorial for the panels and assembly have been tested, the pattern for the straps has not. I plan to remake the bag very soon, so I will be testing it myself. If you find mistakes, feel free to let me know in the comments below and I will make corrections as soon as possible.

Believe it or not, I used a very similar method to make the straps for the shell bag because the original called for a store bought handle. I prefer a long shoulder strap so the bag itself is not in my way and so it can be easily hung on the back of a chair.

All bags pictured were crocheted using Pisgah Peaches and Creme yarn seconds, 100% cotton, which is no longer available. However, the company was purchased by Lily, the makers of Sugar and Cream, and another yarn I highly recommend.

Happy Crocheting!

click to see the ravelry project which will also lead to the original pattern