String bags

I've been crocheting string bags. It's one of those situations that you might be familiar with, when you discover a pattern that's relatively simple and quick and all of a sudden you've made multiples? This rarely happens to me, because I tend to do one thing, learn lots about how I could do it better and move on to the next thing. It's possibly because I have a short attention span, but I like to think it's because I like to try new things...?

But these string bags? They're really very simple and they also look great, so I decided they'd be great presents. They're hooked using linen yarn, which has a beautiful sheen and is really strong, so they wear really well. And if you wash them, the yarn just gets softer and softer! AND, they screw up into a nice small bundle, so you can carry them around in your handbag so you never have to use a plastic bag again! Like I said, they're great.

My mother's Christmas present was finished on Christmas night, so in typical fashion for our family, she received it with the crochet hook still attached. Oops. At least it was finished before she went home! This one is in the Sea grass colourway.

This one was started and finished while we were away after Christmas, and is officially my first finished project for 2010! This used the French Blue colourway that my sister brought back from New York for me to make her a string bag. Done.

So that's 3* string bags so far. I have one more skein of linen still to be wound, but once that's morphed into a string bag of it's own, that might be the last for a little while at least. Or until I next 'need' to order from Purl....

*My first string bag here.

Edited to add: The super-easy pattern can be found here.

One whole string bag

Finished!! I seem to be saying that more often these days!

Here are the details:

Pattern: free from The Purl Bee, here

Yarn: Louet Euroflax linen in Burgundy

Hook: 3.25mm (D) Clover Soft Touch Crochet Hook

The yarn was surprisingly nice to work with. I still managed to put the hook through the strand occasionally, but I suspect it's as much me as my tools! I also have a decent amount left over. The pattern is made up of chains and sc (or dc if you want to translate it to Australian), so is really simple, especially if you can count. I also LOVED using this hook. It has a flat, thick handle which makes it really comfortable to use - I don't have any 3.25mm grooves in my fingers which is nice!

I really enjoyed making it, and I like the finished product, too (always a good thing). It's also HUGE - it looks small, but when I put a lemon in it, you should have seen it stretch! So it should fit a decent amount of shopping in it.

It could be a really good Christmas present option, but I need to work out if the people I might give it to will actually appreciate it....

Progress!

When my sister-in-law and her husband were staying with us last week, I let them earn their keep by being yarn holders for me while I wound my skein of linen (yes, I'm a cruel host). So I've started my string bag!

I've had a few driveway sessions over the last few days (while madame sleeps in the car), so I'm probably about half way! The pattern is exceedingly simple and because it has big holes, it feels really quick to make progress. I'm also using a Soft Touch hook for the first time - it's marvelous!!

If we manage to fit in many more driveway sessions over the next few days, I might be finished it by the end of the week, which would make it a miraculously speedy project for me. I can always dream!