#418 Crochet Market Bag

Just in time for spring farmers markets! This is a pattern I worked up for the Hemp for Knitting yarn company. It's a crochet mesh string bag with a base that doubles as a pouch, so you can tuck the sides and straps in and toss the bag into a backpack, glove box, etc. until you need it. The yarn is Hemp for Knitting allhemp3, a fingering-weight mercerized 100% hemp yarn that is lightweight, strong, and machine washable.

Hemp for Knitting is offering the pattern on their site as the #418 Crochet Market Bag, $5.50 USD; their photos show the sample they did in Foggy and Raspberry allhemp3. You can find HFK allhemp3 in 21 different colors at Kpixie.com.

I did my pattern sample in Sprout Green and Sapphire Blue:

I'm sharing the distribution rights with Hemp for Knitting and retaining the copyright, so I plan to work up another sample for photos and format my version of the pattern for sale as a PDF later this year.

Ravelry:

#418 Crochet Market Bag

Allhemp3 yarn

Hemp for Knitting

Handspun Hat: done!

Top-Down Ribbed Beanie Recipe
US 11 and 10 needles
Jenny Neutron Star handspun, "Candy", about 80 yards

This time it's really finished - I ripped back a few rounds, then switched to US 10 needles and did 2 rounds of stockinette and bound it off. I like it better now, although I do feel like the hat is asking for more. Some buttons, maybe? A few crochet circles? I may have to just set it aside and walk away. It's already quite exuberant.

About the yarn - the jennyneutronstar.com site won't load for me, and the Jenny Neutron Star Etsy shop hasn't had any activity for over a year. Back when I first got this yarn, quirky handspun yarn wasn't as readily available. When I was asked to put together a few kits for the Alt Fiber show, I didn't have much time and I really wanted to feature indie crafters. Jenny Neutron Star really came through for me and custom-spun 3 skeins to order (although I botched the wpi - this is really more like 5-6 wpi yarn, and it's my misstatement, not hers). 2 years later, nifty handspun/handdyed yarns are thriving on Etsy, and so while I can't find a way to direct you to Jenny Neutron Star right now, I do have a couple of Etsy favorite sellers for bulky thick/thin yarns: Terra Bella Spun does handspun/handdyed, which I've used to knit up similar hats. Miss Hawklet has some "scraptacular" yarns up right now that I find especially delightful, and I used some Midnight & Lulu yarn in the Springtime Scarflette I did last year. Typing "handspun yarn" into the Etsy search feature will get you pages and pages of delightful stuff! I know I have to be careful when I do that. For the next few days, my Etsy favorites (up on the top right corner of this blog) will be featuring lovely handspun yarns. I may have to go sit in my stash for a little while to keep me from buying more.

Anne and the New Orleans Alt Media Expo

Pattern: Anne Crochet Lace Scarf
Yarn: Elann Seta Lana, 2 skeins
Hook: US L/8.0 mm

When the New Orleans Craft Mafia put out a request for swag bag contributions for the New Orleans Alt Media Expo, I did a little reformatting of the Anne pattern and sent them 30 printed patterns. The new print shop I switched to did a great job! Unfortunately, when I reformatted the pattern, a line of text disappeared. Aren't I awesome? Without that line, the first row doesn't make much sense. Super awesome! *sigh*

Under foundation: 
Chain 6.  Join with sl st to form ring. Ch 3 (counts as 1 dc), work 13 dc into ring.

Anne: Pattern Update

If you purchased the Anne Crochet Lace Scarf pattern between February 08, 2008, and February 18, 2008, you received a version with an error in it. The pattern had been reformatted for a print run, and in the process, a line of text was accidentally deleted. My apologies for any difficulties this may have created in your crocheting! An email with a corrected PDF was sent out; if you did not receive the email, please contact me and I will send you the corrected PDF.

Again, this is only for those who purchased the pattern between February 08, 2008, and February 18, 2008. If you purchased the pattern before February 08, 2008, or after February 18, 2008, you do not need the corrected version.