Crocheted bag - I didn't mean to make!

23 February



Small cluster bag stitch

Do you surf the web?  I do but also increasingly more so. Sites like Pintrest, Ravelry. Facebook and Instagram are my more recent downfalls but to and a few. There are not enough hours in the day. I might just have to reduce my sleeping hours!?! Do you feel the same?

What with working, raising a family, looking after the home, being the best support for my husband and now having started this blog, life has not enough hours in it for all the wonderful things I would like to try and experience!

It was on one of these surfing trips that I came across Bob. Bob is a teacher of crochet and gives free, clear and easy to follow video tutorials. Pardon the pun but I became hooked. And it was here that I found my next crochet project that I wasn't evening looking for. The cluster stitch bag.

I was drawn to it as Bob used a large hook and chunky yarn. I wanted to follow her immediately and so grabbled around my yarn stash to see what I could use, knowing I didn't have any chunky yarn. It was 9.30 pm and I really shouldn't have begun a new project. But the lime green yarn was begging me and teamed up with a black I thought I had a winning combination. As the yarn was not chunky I had to double it up and hooked it with two strands. It worked well.  I won't give you the details of the pattern here but there will be a link below to Bob's pattern and you can follow her tutorial. Much of the tutorial is in real time, I found that fun too!

The bag itself is a cute size, big enough for the essentials and no more. The gaps between the stitches would mean you could loose a lip liner or two so either don't put those in the bag loose or else the bag would perhaps need to be lined. I am going to make another and line that one and see which I prefer. Hope you may be tempted to try this. It is another super super quick make. Less than an evenings worth of crocheting!!

 The base of the bag is a basic circle pattern, very quick to make.  Being double yarn makes it thick and sturdy too!



The cluster stitch is a quick stitch and the sides of the bag grow quickly.

You can see here in the close up that the bag will have some gaps!  so either it needs lining, or you do not put small items in loose!

Marking in a different colour yarn for the handles positions.





Below, you can see the start of the handles, chain stitch.





Handles now increased in width.



The finished bag.  I am really pleased with it and will make another one.  That one I will line and see which I prefer, will keep you posted!

Link to Bob Wilson's tutorial for this cluster stitch bag is:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BO5kYGJ7tDg

Should you just want the written pattern, it can be found here:  http://www.bobwilson123.org/uploads/1/6/3/0/16302954/cluster_stitch_bag_or_hat_bobwilson123.pdf

Her website where you will find many other great tutorials is:  http://www.bobwilson123.org/

Enjoy and let me know if you make one!