I was asked on a non-knitting email list if it was possible to crochet a Lucy Bag, since there are members of the list who simply don't want to learn to knit (picture is a sample of one I knitted). Also one of them has great difficulty with commercial instructions, so they wanted it "conversation style." Here is what I came up with. If you spot any obvious flaws, let me know. These are more "guidelines" than instructions, but might be useful to someone!
Lucy Bag for Crochet
Using 100% NON superwash wool, crochet a flat circle that is 1/3 larger than the ultimate diameter you want. I'd probably double the yarn and use like an I hook, double or maybe half double crochet. You want there to be spaces so that the felting happens better. It will look loose.
After you hit the diameter, stop increasing and just crochet along with the same number of needles. The sides will start forming. Make it 1/3 longer than you want in the end.
For the handles, I'd eyeball them. Pick up about 15 or so stitches at one point and make a rectangle 10 inches long. Attach the second end of it about two-three inches away from the first, making a fairly short loop. Then on the other end of the bag, sort of parallel, pick up the same number and crochet a 40-inch rectangle (these are the lengths from the knitting pattern). Attach that one a few inches from the first. Viewing a clock face as your circular bag, the attachments would be like at 11 and 1 on the clock and at 5 and 7 on the clock.
Felt the bag by washing in very hot water in a top-loading machine, highest possible agitation. You may need to run it through more than one cycle. To reduce lint, you might want to put the article in a pillowcase, securely fastened, but that makes it harder to check how felted the bag is.
To fasten, the long loop passes through the shorter one, then you can wear it on your shoulder.
The above is not based on actually crocheting one of these. Just an educated guess.
Copyright 2007 by Sue Ann Kendall. Thanks to Jodie Lucas for input.
And if you knit, buy a copy of the Lucy Bag pattern. It's by Two Old Bags and can be found many places on the Internet.
Lucy Bag for Crochet
Using 100% NON superwash wool, crochet a flat circle that is 1/3 larger than the ultimate diameter you want. I'd probably double the yarn and use like an I hook, double or maybe half double crochet. You want there to be spaces so that the felting happens better. It will look loose.
After you hit the diameter, stop increasing and just crochet along with the same number of needles. The sides will start forming. Make it 1/3 longer than you want in the end.
For the handles, I'd eyeball them. Pick up about 15 or so stitches at one point and make a rectangle 10 inches long. Attach the second end of it about two-three inches away from the first, making a fairly short loop. Then on the other end of the bag, sort of parallel, pick up the same number and crochet a 40-inch rectangle (these are the lengths from the knitting pattern). Attach that one a few inches from the first. Viewing a clock face as your circular bag, the attachments would be like at 11 and 1 on the clock and at 5 and 7 on the clock.
Felt the bag by washing in very hot water in a top-loading machine, highest possible agitation. You may need to run it through more than one cycle. To reduce lint, you might want to put the article in a pillowcase, securely fastened, but that makes it harder to check how felted the bag is.
To fasten, the long loop passes through the shorter one, then you can wear it on your shoulder.
The above is not based on actually crocheting one of these. Just an educated guess.
Copyright 2007 by Sue Ann Kendall. Thanks to Jodie Lucas for input.
And if you knit, buy a copy of the Lucy Bag pattern. It's by Two Old Bags and can be found many places on the Internet.
Any idea where to get the crochet pattern? Carol
ReplyDeleteThe knitted pattern is from Two Old Bags, and you can get it lots of places online, just search "lucy bag" and "two old bags."
ReplyDeleteThe crochet pattern is what I just wrote above. That's all there is!
How do you use the yarn like a hook?
ReplyDeleteYou don't! What I said probably was worded awkwardly. I meant to say: I would use the yarn doubled, and probably use a size I (letter "i")crochet hook. That is 5.5mm.
ReplyDelete