Pattern - Stripy Shoulder Shopping Bag

So this is one of my designs to use up my left over Lily Sugar 'n Cream yarn after making my son's new blanket (see blog post Numberblock Blanket )

Really quick, easy, perfect for beginners

UK Terminology

Hook - 5.50mm

Yarn - I used Lily Sugar 'n Cream in various shades, this is a lovely aran weigh cotton yarn so nice and sturdy, however you can use any aran weight yarn in any fibre. I do think cotton works really well for this project though!

Choose a main colour which you will use for the underside of the bag, the top row and handles. I used red and for this pattern I will refer to red yarn in this instance.


Underside
With red, make 38 ch
Round 1 - 1 tr in 4th ch from hook (first 3 chs count as a tr), 1 tr in each ch to the end, working 5 tr into the last ch, then working into the bottom side of the chs, work 1 tr in each ch to end, working 4 tr into the last ch (which will be the bottom of the first 3 ch st), join with a sl st into top of first 3 ch st (78 sts)
Round 2 - 3 ch (counts as st), 1 tr in each of next 35 sts, 2tr in next st, 3 tr in next st, 2 tr in next st, 1 tr in next 36 sts, 2 tr in next st, 3 tr in next st, 2 tr in next st, join with a sl st into top of first 3 ch st (86 sts)
Fasten Off and weave in ends

Body of Bag
Working in BLO
Round 1 - join any other colour yarn to any st of previous round, ch (does not count as st throughout pattern), dc in each st around joining with a sl st in first dc (86 sts)
Round 2 to 49 - work as Round 1, changing colour randomly with each new round

Round 50 - lay the bag flat and count 6 sts in from the left hand side, join red yarn and crochet around as Round 1 (86 sts)
Do not fasten off yarn

Handles
Working in rows using red Yarn
Row 1 - 1 ch, 1 dc in each of next 12 sts, turn
Row 2 - 1 ch, 1 dc in each st until last 2 sts, 1 dctg in last 2 sts, turn (11 sts)
Row 3 to 7 - Repeat Row 2, on last row you should be left with 6 sts
Row 8 - 1 ch, 1 dc in eact st to end, turn
Row 9 to 88 - Repeat Row 8 (or until desired length)
Row 89 - 1 ch, 1 dc in each st until last 1 st, 2 dc in last st (7 sts)
Row 90 to 95 - Repeat Row 89, on last row you should be left with 12 sts
Fasten off leaving a tail of yarn, lay the bag flat again with the handle on the left hand side, count 6 sts from the right hand side and pin and sew the other end of the handle in place
Weave in ends.

© All images belong to Kelly of lovedotty unless otherwise stated. Please link to pictures, content or DIY's if used on your own website. Crochet patterns are written by Kelly of lovedotty unless otherwise stated, please link to original post if used on your own website. Feel free to sell the finished product that has been created from the pattern, if sold via a website, please link to lovedotty blogspot. However please do not publish patterns in full or as your own, unless agreed by Kelly of lovedotty

The Numberblock Blanket & Number 1!

So this is something I have been working on for the last couple of months and now it is finally complete and ready to share...

In case you are wondering what the heck it is, it is a 'Numberblock' blanket for my son's room. Numberblocks being from a show on cbeebies on the BBC.

It has been a massive project I have had on the go since about April and I finally finished it last month. I am very proud of the outcome and I know it looks a bit rubbish in places, because I am not great at the fiddly detailed stuff, but that just makes it even more unique, I guess!

To give you a background, my son is obsessed with numbers, it all started when he watched Numberblocks on cbeebies for the first time. He was hooked and everything had to be about numbers or 'Numberblocks'. So for those that don't know 'Numberblocks' is a cartoon about the lives of 10 sets of blocks who are all friends. These blocks are all made up of individual blocks making 1 to 10, all different colours, cute faces etc.. My son desperately wanted some Numberblock 'things' that he can play / interact with. Unfortunately the BBC hasn't cashed in on this yet, so he has had a variety of homemade plastic actual Numberblocks before he finally got a set of 'real' ones on the front of a magazine. He was over the moon, but I knew I could do better than that and as a crocheter, I thought I would make him something rather special, just like him!

First up a blanket! Luckily the Numberblocks are all squares that fit together so it was a no brainer, I could make a patch blanket. I used Lily Sugar 'n Cream which is a lovely aran weight yarn....

I wanted a nice sturdy blanket that would stand the abuse only a four year old can inflict! I needed nine different colours plus a background colour. I wanted the squares to be a flat colour, no gaps or lacy bits, so just crocheted round in tr stitch.

So I crocheted...

blocked...

 and sewed together...

Boom, that's the easy bit!

The tricky bit came with making the faces! I'm not great with fiddly crochet and I did struggle I must admit. It was very much a make it up as I went along, kinda of an unintentional first foray into free-form crochet! I used Scheepjes Catona (which is very much my go-to yarn of the moment!), this is 4 ply weight and worked great. Plus with my box of mini Catona's (see blog post Seeing Flowers) I had quite a pallet of colour choices!
Some faces I am chuffed with, others not so much, they look a bit startled (or bloodthirsty as my husband pointed out), but the boy is happy and so they are staying...

 

 

 

 

 

Good job really as I really don't fancy doing them again!

Next, I needed to jazz up the plain area of the blanket, so plumped for his name, numbers 1 to 10 and some stars. I completely winged it for the name and numbers but I think they look ok (ish).

For the stars, I used the mini star pattern which is available for free on my blog (Mini Stars)

Finally edged in leftover random colours using a dc stitch, which I think looks really effective...

So all done...

The aran cotton has made it a bit heavy and with this current ridiculously hot weather, my boy hasn't had a chance to really try it out with a good snuggle.

So the intention of the blanket was for his bed...

but has now been relegated to the end of his bed waiting for its moment!!

Next up, after my son mentioned that he didn't have a Numberblock toy he could cuddle in bed (oh he really knows how to melt my heart that one!) I made him a little 'Number 1' toy.

I still had some foam cubes left over from when I made my baby blocks (blog post Nursery Fun) so I covered one, again in Lily Sugar 'n Cream yarn in a DC stitch and then sewed them all together around the cube. Then I had to make another attempt at a realistic looking face with Scheepjes Catona, which I was actually quite pleased with this time, must be all the practice! And then little arms and legs, again in Catona in DC with a little bit of toy stuffing....

He is sooo cute...

However I should have known that my son is now asking when Number 2 to 10 will be arriving, 'will I get them for Christmas mum?' Hmmm, better get started....

So my son is very happy with his makes and I am relieved they are finally done. I actually had quite  a bit of yarn left over for which I will share 2 free patterns on my blog, one for a stripy shopping bag and the other for some quick and easy colour pop coasters. Both of these are great stash busters! Keep a look out!

Happy hooking!
Kelly@lovedotty

© All images belong to Kelly of lovedotty unless otherwise stated. Please link to pictures, content or DIY's if used on your own website. Crochet patterns are written by Kelly of lovedotty unless otherwise stated, please link to original post if used on your own website. Feel free to sell the finished product that has been created from the pattern, if sold via a website, please link to lovedotty blogspot. However please do not publish patterns in full or as your own, unless agreed by Kelly of lovedotty