Crochet Purse & Pattern

I made this purse while watching my girls in their swimming lessons back in August. They had lessons every morning and while they were in the pool I sat in the observation lounge and crocheted. Half an hour every morning for two weeks and I was all but done - the only thing left to do was whip up the flower and leaves and sew them on at home.

Are you interested in making a bag like this? Do your children have soccer or hockey practice and you are wishing you had something to keep your hands busy while you watch? Well, this is a great little project for exactly such a situation.

I used a 5.0 mm hook and some cotton yarn. It might be Bernat Handicrafter Cotton, but I am not completely sure as I bought it as a mill end several years ago at a sale.

Here's what I did:

Bag Sides (make 2):
ch 35
sc in second ch from hook and then in each chain across (34 sc), turn
*ch 1, sc in each stitch across* repeat until piece measures 6 1/2 inches
To join sides of bag, put wrong sides together and whip stitch the side and bottom seams together.

Handles (make 2):
ch 70
sc in second ch from hook and then in each chain across (69 sc), turn
*ch 1, sc in each stitch across* repeat until handle is 1 inch wide
Attach handles to each side of bag directly beside the side seams.

This pattern is for a fairly small bag, perfectly suited for a little girl.

Of course, you can make your bag larger or smaller by simply changing the number of chains in your foundation row, and/or changing the height of the bag. The possibilities are endless.

And while I added a flower and leaves (click here for the pattern) to my bag you could embellish your bag with stars, pom-poms, or whatever else you can think of.

Happy crocheting, and if you have any questions please ask.