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You will need:
- A size 3.50 mm hook, Size E for US and size 9 for UK
- The yarn needed for this project is two to three different colours, your choice.
- One colour for the center of the flower, one color for the petals of the flower and one color for the connector piece and the handles. I usually make the connector pieces and the handle the same colour, because in my experience it looks better.
- Medium size worst weight yarn for the flower petals, connector pieces and handle (number 4)
- You can use worst weight (4) for the middle of the flower as well, but if you find a size (3) light worsted weight colour you like it is preferred, because it makes the flower petals stick out more. Keep in mind if you use the (3) light worst weight yarn that your purse will be slightly smaller.
To make a small purse: You will need 35 flowers total, 7 rows going horizontally and 5 going vertical. Like the graph shows below:
To make a medium purse: You will need 48 flowers total, 8 rows going horizontally and 6 going vertical.
To make a large purse: You will need 63 flowers total, 9 rows going horizontally and 7 going vertical.
Just add one extra row to the side and bottom.
Abbreviations are:
ch = Chain
sl st = Slip Stitch
st = stitch
sp = space
dc = Double Crochet
*( )* = repeat what is in the brackets til end of row.
Making the center of the flower
Ch 4 and sl st into beginning ch to form a ring. Ch 1 and DC 17 inside the ring, sl st into the first DC of the round, ch 1 and fasten off your yarn.
Making the petals of the flower
To make your first flower take your circle and sl st the color you chose for your flower petals into any DC st. Ch 10 and sl st into the next st to the left, ch 10 and repeat all the way til you get to the end, you should have 16 petals in total. Ch 1 and fasten off your yarn. Picture of first flower below
Picture of first flower
ROW ONE
To make the second flower and the remaining flowers for the first rowyou will need to make it like you did the first flower, only stop after the 14th petal chain, do not attach the 14th petal to the center of the flower YET you need to stop and give yourself a tail of about 150 cms (meter and a half) or about 59 inches of yarn and then cut it, because you are going to need to do some weaving.
Take your 14th petal ch and weave it into one of the first flowers petals, then sl st. Ch 10 and weave it into the next petal on first flower. Sl st and ch 1 fasten off.
Continue doing this for the remaining 5 flowers on this row.
ROW TWO and REST
For row two, you connect your first flower of the row, like you did the second flower of the first row, only leave two petals in between. You will need the two loops later.
To connect the inside flowers, make the flower like before, only this time stop after the 11th flower and do not connect # 11 chain yet, first weave it into the second flower from the top, using the two bottom petals, leaving two open petals to the left on the top flower, sl st to join and ch 10, sl st to make petal numbers 13 and 14, ch 10 for petal 15 but weave it into first flower of the row, leaving two petals in between as seen in picture below.
It’s important to leave two petals in between each connection for the connector pieces later.
Continue working the rest of the flowers in this row and the three remaining rows (for small size purse) Until you have a flat 7 by 5 row rectangle.
Making the Handles for the Purse
Ch 3 and sl st into beginning ch to form a ring, ch 6 and leave about 150 cms (meter and a half) or about 59 inches of yarn and then cut it. Weave the ch 6 piece into one of the loose center loops and sl st into center ring, ch 6 and weave it into the next petal and sl st into ring, then repeat to the next flower.
Continue around till you have all 8 petals connected.
Continue to do this to all the open loops in between, making sure you grab all 8 petals, leave no loose ones.
To start to make the handles, lay your work horizontally, with the longer side at the top, 7 flower side, and start at the top left corner. The corner flowers have 10 petals loose. You want to use 5 petals for each side, so separate 5 of the petals and sl st your desired color for the handles into the first of the 5 petals, then sc into next petal to the left.
Now next your doing a normal decrease st, by gathering up the next three petals one at a time and pulling up a loop like shown in the first picture, and pull through all 4 loops on your hook. Continue doing this to the next flower, gather up 3 more petals on the next flower and pull through all 4 loops.
Continue this till you get to the last flower.
When you get to the last flower, you will be working with 5 of the 10 loops again. You gather the first 3 petals of the flower like you usually do and pull through all 4 loops, but the next st you gather only 2 flower petals and pull through 2.
Then you need to ch 1 and TURN your work, sc down the sts you just made by decreasing the flowers, on a small bag you will have 14 sts. When you’re done TURN your work and sc down those 14 sts again. You need to do this until you have 6 sc rows, ending with the front side of the purse facing you. Make sure to count every row of sc’s that you do only 14 sts, keep consistence. If you your doing a medium size bag I believe its 16 sts, and 18 sts for large. Whatever the size, stay consistent.
After 6 rows and the bag is facing you, ch 1 and now you need to work down the side of the sc rows you just made, sc into the last sc you just made before the ch 1 and work along the side, getting back to the flowers again.
Now your continuing your corner, and the other 5 petals of this flower. Gather 2 petals and sc them together, then continue as normally, gathering 3 petals at a time and decreasing, pulling through all 4 loops. Continue until you get to the corner flower again. Again separate the 10 loops into 5, Decrease through 3, then decrease through 2. This is the end of this side of the bag so put a marker into this last st to mark the end of the row.
Continue making the corner like before, gathering first 2 petals, then 3 and continue to the next corner where you gather 3 of the corner flower then the last 2 petals. Like in the picture example above Finishing a corner. Ch 1 and TURN and sc 14 sts like you did before to make a total of 6 sc rows, making sure to count the 14 sts to stay consistent with this side of the bag. Your don’t want your bag to be off centered. Working between your marker and the end of the row. Once you have your 6 sc’s rows on this side, just like before, work down the side of the sc rows to get back to the flowers to be able to start gathering them again. This will be your last row of gathering, remember to start with 2 petals, then 3 until end of row, then gather 2 loops at the end of the row and start to sc up the other side of the original 6 rows of sc that you did, where back at the beginning.
Now you will want to put a marker somewhere in the sc rows to mark that this is the beginning of the row.
Once you sc to the top of the sc rows you want to sl st into the top of the first st of the horizontal sts and ch 2. Now we do 60 foundation sc’s , unless you want small handles to hold in your hand that won’t fit on your shoulder do 40. If you want a medium strap that you hang off your arm but you can’t get anything out of the bag while on your arm, do 60. If you want to be able to hold the bag on your shoulder but still beable to open it and get stuff out of it while still hanging off your shoulder do 70. For small bags I do 60 because the bag itself isn’t as deep as the medium or large, so if your making a small bag like in this tutorial, I would sudjest not doing any longer than 60 foundation sc’s. Once you have your 60 sl st your handle to the other side of the sc rows.
Continue your sc’s down the side of the bag until you get to the other side where your other set of 6 sc rows and repeat for that side the 60 foundation sc’s. And connect them to the bag like before. Continue your sc’s back around the bag till you reach your marker.
That is your first row! Now to match your 6 sc rows, you must do 5 more rows of sc’s all around the sts at the top of your bag. Going up the handles and side of the bag. Then you’re done with the crochet part of the bag! Now all you need to do is sew in a lining because this purse will absolutely need one!
Continue around the whole round 5 more times.