Who doesn’t have a drawstring bag around the house? They’re ok, but if you don’t find them useful, as I don’t, then why not give them a new purpose?
Yarn-I used Lily Sugar N Cream cotton in Overcast, one skein 2.5oz
Hooks H for the bag and G for the straps.
Also need one drawstring bag, ruler, scissors, pencil or chalk, and a sharp darning needle.
Abbreviations: ch-chain, sc-single crochet, dc-double crochet(US), sk-skip, slst-slip stitch.
Take bag and cut top off as high up as you want, removing casing and strings.
Fold the cut edge to the inside about 3/4″, twice if it seems it will fray a lot, or just once if the fabric doesn’t seem to fray. Iron lightly, using a cotton press cloth, (any cotton fabric). Without the press cloth the bag fabric is very likely to melt onto your iron.
Use a sharp darning needle with an eye big enough for the yarn but small enough to pull through the fabric. I sometimes use a thimble and a pair of pliers to pull the needle through the fabric. Thread it with the yarn and blanket stitch around the top of the bag, placing stitches about 1/2″ apart.
Put a slipknot on the H hook and slst on, near a side seam.
Row 1. ch4(this equals a dc and a ch1), dc in next blanket stitch, ch1, dc, ch1 in each blanket stitch around. When you get back to the beginning join with a slst to the 3rd ch.
Row 2-4. ch4(=dc and ch1), sk1 stitch, dc in next dc of row below, ch1, sk1 stitch, dc, ch1, sk1 stitch, *dc, ch1, sk1 stitch,(your dc will be directly above dc from the row below) repeat from* around, join with a slst to 3rd ch. Fasten off.
Make 2 straps separately, then attach.
With G hook ch5, sc in 2nd ch from the hook and across, ch1, turn. (4)
Row 2-64. sc across, ch1, turn. (4) Fasten off.
Sew to the inside top edge of the bag, approx 3″ from the side seams, first securing to the fabric of the bag, then anchoring to the dc stitches.
