Poseta crosetata pentru fetite (Girls crochet purse)

Gauge / Tension: not very important as long as you are using similar yarn weight and hook stated below. You will need to measure the completed purse to sew the purse lining.

Material & Tool:
1. Yarn, medium weight, approx. 100 gram.
2. Crochet hook, G, 4mm
3. Beads (wooden): 84
3. Fabric for lining, approx. 9″ x 7 1/2″ (allowed more to suit your actual purse size)
4. Cord Lock (double cord-hole) for drawstring stopper. Buy the plastic version here
5. Shoe lace cord, or cotton cord of similar diameter, or crochet yours (scroll down to look for a pink purse picture); 20″
6. Cord ends, 2 pcs (optional), you can substitute them with beads
7. Strap clips, it is optional, you may sew the strap directly on the purse without using the clips
8. Tapestry needle

Abbreviations:
sl knot = slip knot
st = stitch
slst = slip stitch (to fasten)
ch = chain
dc = double crochet
fo = fasten off
Rnd = round

Purse Body

Base chain – sl knot, ch 38,

Rnd 1 – dc on the 4th chain from the hook, dc in each ch for the next 34 sts (a ch before the last), 3dc on the last ch. Turn sideways and continue along other side of the foundation ch, dc the remaining ch loop for the next 34 sts. slst to the 3rd ch of the beginning round. [Check: Treat the first 3 ch as a dc st, you will have a total of 72 dc sts.]

Rnd 2 – ch3, dc on first st, *ch1, skip 2 sts, dc on next st, ch1, skip 2 sts, 2dc on next st. Repeat * 11 times, ch1, skip 2 st, dc on next st, ch1, skip 2st, slst to the 3rd ch of the beginning round. [Check: you should have 12 sets of repeated pattern.]

Rnd 3 – ch2, slst backward to the last dc of the previous round, *5dc on the post of next dc worked from top to base, ch1 with a bead, 5 dc on the post of next dc worked from base to top, slst on the next dc stitch. Repeat * 12 times. [Check: you should have 12 crocodile stitch in a round.]

Rnd 4 – ch3, dc on first st, *ch1, dc on the center of the crocodile stitch, ch1, 2dc on the st between 2 crocodile stitches. Repeat * 11 times, ch1, dc on the center of the crocodile stitch, ch1, slst to the 3rd ch of the beginning round.

Rnd 5 to 15 – Repeat rnd 3 and rnd 4 alternatively and end with rnd 3. [Check: you should have 7 layers of crocodile stitch.]

Rnd 16 – *ch3, 2dc on the first dc post of the crocodile st, dc on the center, 2dc on the last dc post of the crocodile st. Repeat * to all 12 crocodile sts (replace ch3 to dc for the 2nd to 12th crocodile st), slst to the 3rd ch of the beginning round. [Check: Treat the first 3 ch as a dc st, you will have a total of 72 dc sts.]

Rnd 17 – ch3, dc in next st around, slst to the 3rd ch of the beginning round.

Rnd 18 – ch3, dc in next st, ch, skip 1 st, *dc in next 2 sts, ch, skip 1 st. Repeat * 23 times, slst to the 3rd ch of the beginning round. [Check: you should have 24 holes for the drawstring to loop through in and out.]

Fo and hide yarn end.

To make the strap:

Make slip knot. Chain 12

Row 1: Hdc in 3^rd ch from hook, hdc in each st to the end of the row.

Row 2: ch 2, turn. Hdc in same st then hdc in each st across. Repeat row 2 to desired length. The bag in the picture has 148 rows.

** If you have enough yarn, you can make a round of sc all around of the strap to give it a nicer finished look.

** You can make the strap really long so you can sew it all around the bag to give it more depth.

To asemble:

Sew together front and back with wrong sides facing each other with sc. Sew the strap to the inside of the bag with a darning needle.

Shanti