brittenykyle

The Amber Handbag

A few months ago I acted completely out-of-character and I ordered yarn on-line…without ever having seen it! I ordered from the popular site Hobbii, and I just had to get a few skeins of their 100% cotton ribbon yarn. I think it is similar to t-shirt yarn, and I have always wanted to try making something with it. I had no specific plans, so I grabbed one each of the colours I liked best. It has sat on a shelf in my office (aka yarn warehouse) since it’s arrival with the loose idea that it might make a nice handbag or a basket. Well I finally sat down and started working with it and I am kinda in love! It works up quickly, being a bulky #5 weight, holds its shape very well and the stitch definition….😍.

I have named this design after a good friend who I frequently turn to to discuss the Covid-19 pandemic (we are both mom’s and science nerds). She reminded me that sometimes we have to carry all of the heavy things, and sometimes we need to be able to put those heavy things down. So without further ado, here is the pattern details!

Materials

  • 3 skeins of 100% Cotton Ribbon Yarn by Hobbii (#5 Bulky weight) or equivalent (eg. T-shirt yarn)
    • Shown here in color 07 (Black), color 03 (Grey), color 11 (Light Torquoise)
  • 6.0 mm crochet hook
  • Tapestry needle

Size

Finished handbag measures approximately 4” wide X 12” long X 11” high

Gauge

12 stitches by 12 rows is 4” by 4”

Stitches

  • ch – chain
  • sc – single crochet
  • sc2tog – single crochet 2 stitches together
  • hdc – half double crochet
  • dc – double crochet
  • fpdc – front post double crochet
    • yarn over, insert hook behind the post of the next stitch, yarn over and pull up a loop, yarn over and pull through 2 loops, yarn over and pull through the last 2 loops on the hook.
  • alpine stitch – this is the stitch pattern used on the body of the bag that creates the texture.  It is alternating fpdc and dc stitches, and alternating these rows with rows of single crochet

Pattern

A note about the photographs.  It can be hard to show stitch detail with black yarn, so some of the pictures are taken working with the other colours.  I have noted the colour changes I did within the pattern, but feel free to use all one colour or any colour combinations that you like!

Base

The base is worked in continuous rounds.  It is recommended to use a stitch marker to mark the first stitch of the row.

With colour A Ch 21

Round 1:  3sc in 2nd chain from hook, sc in next 18 chains, 6sc in last chain.  Working along the other side of the chain, sc 18 across, 3sc in last chain.  (48)  Do not join. 

After completing 6sc in the last chain stitch, begin working in the other side of  the chain.
Finished Round 1.  The stiches are worked in both sides of the foundation chain (which is now running in the middle of the oval piece).

Round 2:  sc 1, 3sc in next stitch, sc 20, 3sc in next stitch, sc 2, 3sc in next stitch, sc 20, 3sc in next stitch, sc 1. (56)

Round 3:  sc 2, 3sc in next stitch, sc 22, 3sc in next stitch, sc 4, 3sc in next stitch, sc 22, 3sc in next stitch, sc 2. (64)

Round 4:  sc 3, 3sc in next stitch, sc 24, 3sc in next stitch, sc 6, 3sc in next stitch, sc 24, 3sc in next stitch, sc 3. (72)

Round 5: hdc 4, 3hdc in next stitch, hdc 26, 3hdc in next stitch, hdc 8, 3hdc in next stitch, hdc 26, 3hdc in next stitch, hdc 4. (80) 

The finished base at the end of Round 5.

Body

The body will be worked with joining at the end of each round, followed by a ch1 or ch 2.  The beginning ch will not count as a stitch.

Round 6: working in the third loop, sc around.  Join to 1st stich, chain 2. (80) 

To work in the 3rd loop of an hdc stitch, rotate the row slightly forward.  You will see the normal V (1st and 2nd loops) towards you (marked with the blue lines), and behind this will be a 3rd loop (marked by the grey lines).
Inserting hook into the 3rd loop only of an hdc stitch.

Round 7:  dc in each stitch around.  Join, ch 1. (80)

Round 8:  sc in each stitch around.  Join, ch 2. (80)

Round 9:  *fpdc around the post of the dc from Round 7, dc*.  Repeat around, join, ch 1. (80) 

To start a fpdc yarn over and insert your hook behind the POST of the next stitch (instead of in the top of the stitch).
Next in the fpdc, yarn over and pull up a loop on your hook.  The yarn will now pass behind that post.  Then yarn over and pull through 2 loops on your hook.
To complete the fpdc, yarn over and pull through the last 2 loops on your hook.
The dc will be placed in the stitch after the fpdc.  Looking from the top the black arrow is pointing the top of the stitch above the dc stitch that was used for the fpdc.  The hook is inserted into the next stitch which will be used for the dc.
The fpdc will be placed around every other dc stitch from Round 7.

Round 10:  sc in each stitch around.  Join, ch 2. (80)

Round 11:  *dc, fpdc around the post of the dc from Round 9*.  Repeat around, join, ch 1. (80). Note: the fpdc in this round will alternate with the fpdcs from Round 9. 

Round 12:  sc in each stitch around.  Join, ch 2. (80)

Round 13:  *fpdc around the post of the dc from Round 11, dc*.  Repeat around, join, ch 1.  (80)

Round 14:  sc in each stitch around.  Join, ch 2.  (80)

Round 15:  *dc, fpdc around the post of the dc from Round 13*.  Repeat around, join, ch 1.  (80)

Change to colour B.

Round 16:  sc in each stitch around.  Join, ch 2. (80)

Round 17:  *fpdc around the post of the dc from Round 15, dc*.  Repeat around, join, ch 1. (80)

Round 18:  sc in each stitch around.  Join, ch 2. (80)

Round 19:  *dc, fpdc around the post of the dc from Round 17*.  Repeat around, join, ch 1.  (80)

Round 20:  sc in each stitch around.  Join, ch 2.  (80)

Round 21:  *fpdc around the post of the dc from Round 19, dc*.  Repeat around, join, ch 1.  (80)

Round 22:  sc in each stitch around.  Join, ch 2.  (80)

Round 23: *dc, fpdc around the post of the dc from Round 21*. Repeat around, join, ch 1.  (80)

Round 24:  sc in each stitch around.  Join, ch 2. (80)

Round 25:  *fpdc around the post of the dc from Round 23, dc*.  Repeat around, join, ch 1. (80)

Change to Colour C.

Round 26:  sc in each stitch around.  Join, ch 2. (80)

Round 27:  *dc, fpdc around the post of the dc from Round 25*.  Repeat around, join, ch 1.  (80)

Round 28:  sc in each stitch around.  Join, ch2. (80)

Round 29:  *fpdc around the post of the dc from Round 27*.  Repeat around, join, ch 1. (80)

The Alpine stitch.

Round 30:  sc in each stitch around.  Join, ch 2. (80)

Round 31:  *dc, fpdc around the post of the dc from Round 29*.  Repeat around, join, ch 1.  (80)

Round 32:  sc in each stitch around.  Join, ch 2.  (80)

Round 33:  sc 17, ch 15, skip the next 15 stitches, sc 25, ch 15, skip the next 15 stitches, sc 8.  Join, ch 1. 

Round 34:  sc 17, sc 18 in the chain space, sc 25, sc 18 in the chain space, sc 8.  Join, ch 1.  (86)

Round 35:  sc 16, sc2tog, sc 16, sc2tog, sc 23, sc2tog, sc 16, sc2tog, sc 7.  Join, ch 1.  (82)

Round 36: sc 15, sc 2tog, sc 16, sc2tog, sc 21, sc2tog, sc 16, sc2tog, sc 6.  Join.  Fasten off.  (78)

Finished!

As always, feel free to make this for personal use or sale, however, remember to give me credit for the pattern by linking my FB of IG accounts (One Knotty Dog).  Please do not distribute copies of the pattern or my photographs without my permission.  I would love to see all of your creations!  Tag me or use the hashtag #oneknottydog, or #theamberhandbag.  Send me an email to oneknottydog@gmail.com with any questions!

Happy making,

Britteny

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