A spontaneous project – The Friday Beach Basket

Friday-Beach-Basket-emma-varnam

Beach-Basket-emma-varnam

If you are a passionate crafter, you will recognise the urge. Two Fridays ago I got home from a very busy week and knew that I just ‘had’ to create something new. I needed that total crochet escapism – to make without ceasing. Waiting in my stash was a full range of Stylecraft Linen Drape colours. I picked out some of my favourite colours from the range – cranberry, coral, natural, lime, peacock and wheat.

Friday-Beach-Basket-emma-varnam

What to make?

I knew exactly what I wanted to create – a fun beach bag for our summer holidays. You might think that having written two books on Granny Squares in the past twelve months, I might have had my fill of the old crochet vintage classic. In fact, once you have started thinking about creating patterns like this, more and more possibilities open up.

Friday-Beach-Basket-emma-varnam  Construction

Anyway I quickly worked up two basic granny squares. The final row of the square was a double crochet row. I then swapped my colourful yarn for the muted raffia tones of ‘wheat’. I worked three sides of each square in a linen stitch. Working backwards and forwards. I then worked a single stripe in each colour using double crochet. This ended for both sides with a row of cranberry.

Friday-Beach-Basket-emma-varnam

I joined both sides of the bag together using a slip stitch in the cranberry yarn.

Handles

Next I began working the handles. I am going to be honest I toyed with some bamboo or plastic handles, but thought better of it. It seemed better to go for the simplest solution. So I worked about 5 rows of double crochet. Then I made a hole by working 25 chain stitches and missing 25 stitches. I worked a further 5 rows in the wheat and then changed to the cranberry. The first row of the cranberry lining was through the back loop of the previous row. When all this was finished I wove in all the ends.

Beach-Basket-emma-varnam

Finishing Touches

Through personal experience I really do like to line my crochet bags. Recently I have found it so handy to use felt to do this. There is no fraying or worry about seams. Once I had sewn the lining I attached a lanyard inside, underneath the handle – a handy addition to attach keys or scissors. With all this in place I used the sewing machine to sew in the lining and then attach the handle placket over the top.

Friday-Beach-Basket-emma-varnam

Ta dah! What do you think? My advice is when the urge takes you – have a go at creating a little project for yourself on the fly. I started the bag on a Friday evening and was frantically finishing it off on the following Friday morning so that it was ready for the weekend. That kind of joy and energy really reminds me of my childhood enthusiasm for craft – it is good for the soul. Have a happy, joyful making weekend.

 

7 thoughts on “A spontaneous project – The Friday Beach Basket”

  1. Saw your video on Stylecraft’s Facebook page. I’ve made one of Attic24’s weekend bags which I’d like to line but not quite sure how to attach it. Did you hand sew or machine sew? Does the stitching show? Might make one of these bags too. Does the felt line the handles too? Off to explore the rest of your website now.

  2. Oooooh just might have to make one of these.I have your book,Cute Crocheted Animals but have yet to make one.Being a full time dog walker doesnt leave that much time for me.Having said that,I have been making Doggy,Moggy and Baby blankets.Have been asked to make one of your animals though so must make a start.do we have to use the yarn that you use or can we use a cheaper one,just wondered.x

  3. Pingback: Quick - get your crochet stocking on • Emma Varnam's blog

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