DI(y) Shopping Bag

Materials: 1 ball (50 gm) Bernat Handicrafter Cotton, natural, 2 balls (50 gm) Rodel Cotton Spezial, black, 4.5 mm crochet hook, 3 mm crochet hook, small amount of black felt (optional), stitch markers

Gauge: not important

Note: except where noted, bag and pocket are worked in "spiral rounds" - use a stitch marker to mark end.

Bag Instructions

With black yarn and 3 mm crochet hook, starting at the bottom of the bag, make an adjustable ring . 8 sc in ring, draw up tight, pm in eighth sc to mark end of rnd and replace end of each rnd. Next rnd: 2 sc in each (16 sc). Next rnd: *1 sc, 2 sc in next sc, repeat from * around (24 sc). Next rnd: *2 sc, 2sc in next sc, repeat from * around (32 sc). Repeat in this manner, increasing 1 sc 8 times evenly, until there are 120 sc around (or until bottom of bag is desired size). On last rnd, join to beg sc with sl st.

Next rnd: Ch 2, dc in each back loop around. Sl st in first dc of rnd.

Mesh rnd: Ch 5, sk 2 dc, *1 dc in next dc, ch 2, sk 2 dc, repeat from * to end of rnd, sl st in 3rd ch of beg ch 5.

Repeat this rnd 30 times, or until bag is desired depth.

Solid rnd: Ch 2, dc in each dc, 2 dc in each ch 2 sp around (120 dc). Repeat this round once more.

Next rnd: Repeat "mesh" rnd once.

Next rnd: Repeat "solid" rnd twice.

Finish with one rnd crab stitch.

Ties

Do two lengths of foundation sc - 240 sc's long.

Pocket

With natural coloured yarn and 4.5 mm hook, repeat bag bottom instructions until you have 48 sts in rnd. Next rnd: *1 sc, ch 3, sk 3, 1 sc, 2 sc in next, repeat from * around. Next rnd: *6 sc (3 of these in ch 3 sp as appropriate), 2 sc in next sc, repeat from * around. Next rnd: *1 sc, ch 5, sk 5, 1 sc, 2 sc in next, repeat from * around. Next rnd: *8 sc (5 of these in ch 5 sp as appropriate), 2 sc in next sc, repeat from * around. Next rnd: *1 sc, ch 7, sk 7, 1 sc, 2 sc in next, repeat from * around. Last rnd: *10 sc (7 of these in ch 7 sp as appropriate), 2 sc in next sc, repeat from * around. Break yarn.

Sew pocket to bag leaving top 1/4 of diameter open. Weave ties through mesh round at top of bag. Sew in ends. If desired, cut small swan or other shape from black felt and sew or glue to pocket as pictured.