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Double-Stranded Seed Stitch Crochet Purse Free Pattern

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I’ve been looking through some of my old patterns, finding those goodies that some of you might have forgotten (or never even seen before!) One of the best ones that I came across was the Crochet Marly Bag Purse. This is a free Annie’s pattern originally created for Knit and Crochet Now! It’s a double-stranded, striped, seed stitch crochet purse with a button detail. Dress up your wardrobe with this fun new accessory.

Note: This post contains affiliate links. I receive a percentage of sales from those links. Your price doesn’t go up. Thank you for this support.

Marly Bird crochet purse free pattern

Knit and Crochet Now! is an Emmy-nominated television craft show. There are eleven seasons of terrific craft projects featured in the video archives. You can also access many of the show’s patterns for free through the Annie’s website. The Crochet Marly Bag was one of the early projects for Knit and Crochet Now! It was in Season One, Episode 10. Yet, looking at it now, I think it really stands the test of time. The style and colors continue to feel chic and contemporary.

Double-Stranded Crochet Purse

There are many different ways to make a crochet purse more durable. And, of course, you do want that durability. You want a functional accessory that you can load up with yarn, books, your cell phone and other daily necessities. You can use chunky yarn, tight stitches, and bag linings to make sure your purse functions right. In this case, you’ll use the double-stranded crochet technique. In other words, you’ll hold two strands of yarn together throughout the project to create the strength and durability that you want in the purse.

Crochet Seed Stitch for Texture and Strength

The stitches that you choose for a crochet purse also make a big difference in the durability of the design. After all, if a crochet purse has an openwork design with no lining, then your items will just fall right out of it. On the other hand, a highly textured closed crochet stitch is perfect. That’s why I’ve made this a seed stitch crochet purse pattern. This tight stitch has beautiful texture and keeps all of your items carefully contained.

Extra Details on This Purse

Here are a few of the other things you might want to know about this seed stitch crochet purse free pattern:

  • You’ll use a leather belt to create a unique and durable handle for this purse.
  • The striped design is rich in color but doesn’t overwhelm your wardrobe.
  • You’ll select a large button detail that really accents the bag and gives it that finished look.
  • You’ll work mostly with simple stitches but will use some advanced beginner techniques such as working in one loop only.

Get The Crochet Marly Bag Purse Free Pattern

You can get the Crochet Marly Bird Bag purse free pattern over at the Annie’s website. Note that you’ll need to sign up for an account in order to download the PDF. However, it’s free to sign up.

crocheted Marly Bird bag

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Textured Granny Square Crochet Purse Free Pattern

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One of the best things about crochet is that you can take a classic design and reinvent it into something new. That’s what I did with this textured granny square crochet purse free pattern. You’ll combine four granny squares to make one panel. Then you’ll repeat that on the other side. Using visible seams and long double crochet stitches, you’ll create rich texture. The result is a good-sized handbag with that you can use in a variety of different settings.

Marly Bird granny square purse crochet pattern

Granny Squares Are Great for Beginners

This granny square crochet purse pattern is an easy pattern for beginners to tackle. The granny square is one of the first motifs that beginners often learn. Of course, you might have started off crocheting in rows. But as soon as you feel ready to crochet in the round granny squares are a go-to choice. And I’ve written this pattern with extra detailed instructions to make every step easy along the way.

This variation on the classic granny square uses the long double crochet for extra texture and visual appeal. If you can double crochet then you can long double crochet. Don’t stress about it. All of the information that you need is right there in the pattern. And all of the other (few) stitches are simple: slip stitch, single crochet, double crochet. You’ve got this. It’s easy to make a really pretty design with just some basic crochet knowledge. This purse demonstrates that so well.

Simple Panels Make The Granny Square Crochet Purse Roomier

You’ll make two panels of four granny squares each to create the body of the crochet purse. However, if you just seamed those two panels together, then you’d have a slim purse. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with that. But if you’re looking for a tote that can carry a wide range of items, then you’ll want to make it roomier. That’s why you’ll add side panels and a bottom strip to the body of this granny square crochet purse.

These are made as simple single crochet rectangles. Therefore, they’re easy to craft. Moreover, they’re dense which keeps all of your purse’s items well-contained. Although you will add lining to this purse, the single crochet panels definitely add to the durability of the design.

Finishing Touches

There are a few key finishing touches that turn this crochet purse into a complete accessory:

  • Seaming on the outside to create extra texture. Yes, you want visible seams on this one. It’s part of the design.
  • Handles. There are so many great purse handles to choose from. Shop around and find something you love.
  • Lining. Learn how to line this crochet purse so that you have a durable accessory to take anywhere you wish to go.

Get the Granny Square Crochet Purse Free Pattern

Are you ready to work on this crochet purse pattern? If so, then click the image below to get it for free:

Granny Square Puckered Purse free crochet pattern

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Carry All Crochet Tote Bag Pattern

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Making your own tote is a great way to always have a bag with you and to eliminate the use of plastic. Work with your favorite stitch and colors to make something personal to you. Check out my Carry All Crochet Tote Bag Pattern for your next project. It’s your go-to bag for all types of things: market bag, project bag, day bag, and more.

*This post contains affiliate links. By clicking one of these links and making a purchase a small portion comes back to the blog. The price that you pay will not change. Thank you for your support of the blog.*

Marly Bird crochet tote

Crochet Tote Bag Construction

Crochet and bag designs don’t always mix. If you ever find that you’re having trouble designing crochet bag, then most likely the construction isn’t right. If you are making a crochet (or knit) tote, then you really need to think about what you are going to be putting inside of it. If it’s going to be a market bag, library bag, or project bag then you want to make sure that it’s strong enough to carry your groceries, books, or craft supplies.

The more weight you put inside the bag the more reinforcement you will need to make sure that the item is durable. Therefore, you might want to consider lining your tote and / or the strap to make it stronger. Another great way to make your strap more durable is to add a ribbon to the back side. Using the ribbon is a great way to keep the strap from stretching. That way they don’t get longer and longer and longer over time, dragging your tote bag down to the floor. (This is a tip that can also be used for button hole and shoulder seams as well.)

Crochet Tote Bag Stitch Patterns

Before starting a tote project also consider the stitch pattern that is being used. The tighter the stitch, the stronger the tote will be. In this crochet tote bag pattern, you get the opportunity to use a really creative stitch pattern of repeating circles across a row. Moreover, you’ll alternate two colors. Therefore, you’ll really showcase the beautiful shapes of those stitches.

It’s not a common, basic stitch pattern. Therefore, you’ll end up with a crochet tote that looks special. It’s also fun to crochet. You might find that you want to make a few of them in different color combinations. It’s truly a great every-day bag so it wouldn’t hurt to have more than one.

Close It With a Button

You don’t ever want the items in your tote to fall out. Therefore, it’s important to have a closure on your pattern. In this case, you’ll use a very simple button closure. It doesn’t require a lot of skill but it does the trick. Additionally, if you choose a really cool button then it can serve as a design detail.

Get the Carry All Crochet Tote Pattern:

Are you ready to get this crochet tote bag pattern? If so then click the image below to make the purchase on Ravelry:

Carry All Tote crochet purse pattern-2

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How to Knit Double Moss Stitch in the Round (Knitting Lessons for Crocheters, Lesson 8)

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Can you believe that we’re eight weeks in to BiCrafty Bootcamp: Knitting Lessons for Crocheters?! You’ve learned so much so far. This month you’ve been knitting in the round, working on a cowl as you continue to build your skills. We’re going to learn a new stitch pattern this week to add to this stitch sampler cowl pattern. So, it’s to time to learn how to knit double moss stitch.

BiCrafty Boot Camp double moss stitch

BiCrafty Bootcamp Recap: Knitting Lessons for Crocheters To Date

This month we’ve already started learning how to knit a cowl in the round. You began by learning how to knit K1, P1 ribbing in the round. Then you learned how to knit seed stitch in the round. You’re going to continue the body today with a new stitch pattern; you’ll learn how to knit double moss stitch in the round.

Before we delved into this cowl, you learned how to knit in rows, of course. You might want to go back to some of those early lessons. At the bottom of each post you’ll find free patterns that you can use to continue practicing these foundational skills. To recap, those early lessons were:

Pat yourself on the back knitter, you’ve come a long way!!! And if you’re a little bit further back than the rest of the group, that’s totally okay, too. It’s okay to take this at your own pace. You CAN do this. Wherever you are in the journey is perfectly fine.

How to Knit Double Moss Stitch in the Round

There are many different ways to combine your knits and purls to create different texture. Last week, we worked on seed stitch, in which you knit your purls and purl your knits. As we discussed, seed stitch may be called by many other names in knit and crochet including granite stitch and moss stitch. However, these aren’t standard names. In other ones, moss stitch may or may not be the same as seed stitch. That’s important to note because today we’re learning a variation of moss stitch called the knit double moss stitch. Of course, we’re continuing to work on our cowl, so we’re knitting it in the round.

What You Already Know That Helps With Double Moss Stitch

Learning how to knit double moss stitch is a natural extension of the things that you learned so far. Remember that you learned K2, P2. Then you learned K1, P1 in the round. Then you learned seed stitch, which is similar to K1, P1 except that you place your knits in purls and purls in knits instead of placing knits in knits and purls and purls. Well, when you learn how to knit double moss stitch, you’ll discover that you’re going back to that K2, P2 repeat but with a placement concept that’s similar to the seed stitch!

Moss Stitch vs Double Moss Stitch in Knitting

Regular knit moss stitch, which is also sometimes called Irish Moss Stitch, is a four row repeat. So is double moss stitch. The only difference is that regular knit moss stitch uses K1, P1 whereas double moss stitch uses K2, P2. You’ll do the same thing for two rows then the opposite thing for two rows, completing the four row repeat.

Regular Moss Stitch in the Round

  • Alternate K1, P1 across entire round.
  • Repeat K1, P1 across entire round
  • Alternate P1, K1 across entire round.
  • Repeat P1, K1 across entire round

How to Knit Double Moss Stitch in the Round

Working double moss stitch in the round is very similar:

  • Alternate K2, P2 across entire round.
  • Repeat K2, P2 across entire round.
  • Alternate P2, K2 across entire round.
  • Repeat P2, K2 across entire round.

Knit double moss stitch is sometimes also called checkerboard stitch, knit double seed stitch, or two stitch check. Always read the instructions for any pattern to make sure that what the designer is asking you to do is the stitch that you’re familiar with.

That said, it’s really pretty simple know that you’ve got your knitting legs under you a bit. You’ll K2, P2 for an entire round and repeat it for a second round. Then you’ll switch and P2, K2 for the next two rounds. And so on and so forth.

Crocheter’s Edge

Crocheters Tips to Learn Knitting

Truth be told, you’re a knitter now, not only a crocheter. Therefore, you might not even need crocheter-specific tips to help you continue to build your knitting skills! But, of course, this is BiCrafty Bootcamp: Knitting Lessons for Crocheters. Therefore, we want to continue to emphasize how your experience as a crocheter makes learning to knit easier. This week what helps most is:

  • You understand working with different textured stitches to create different fabric types. You’ve been learning this in knitting with ribbing and seed stitch, so now you’ll learn it with moss stitch.
  • If you’ve worked moss stitch, granite stitch, checkerboard stitches in crochet then you’ll have a sense of what the fabric should feel like.
  • You understand working in the round, changing the order of your stitches from one round to the next.
  • Many of the BiCrafty Bootcampers have noticed that they know enough now to begin reading knitting patterns. Since you know how to read crochet patterns and you know a few knit stitches now, this might be something that you’re ready to try.

Knitters Tips for Crocheters

knitters tip for crocheters

Just remember that although seed stitch and moss stitch are crochet stitches as well as knit stitches, they’re created differently. What you know in crochet helps you in knitting but don’t let it define your knitting. Don’t doubt yourself as a knitter. You’ve got this!

BiCrafty Bootcamp Knit Cowl Pattern, Part 3, Double Moss Stitch

Pick up where you left off after you completed the seed stitch on last week’s cowl.

  • Round 1: *K2, P2; repeat from * to end of round.
  • Round 2: *K2, P2; repeat from * to end of round.
  • Round 3: *P2, K2; repeat from * to end of round.
  • Round 4: *P2, K2; repeat from * to end of round.

Repeat in rounds of four as above until you have 1″ – 1.5″ of double knit moss stitch added to your cowl. This is a flexible cowl design so feel free to make this section more or less wide depending on your preferences.

Extra Credit

As we were working on this cowl, Marly realized that a crochet stitch pattern she was using in a Michaels class on a market bag pattern was perfect to add to this cowl. It also uses knits and purls just like the ribbing, seed stitch and double moss stitch. But it also uses a slip stitch. So we get to learn a new stitch, building our skills. This part of the cowl is optional but if want the extra credit, then go for it!

The video live about shows you how to knit slip stitch. And you’ll learn the difference between knit slip stitch and crochet slip stitch.

The pattern for this part of the cowl is:

  • Round one: knit
  • Round two: knit
  • Round three: *purl 4, slip one purlwise with yarn in back; repeat from *that around the row NOTE: If you want to start learning knit stitch abbreviations, that’s covered in the video as well. One way that this might read is Sl1Pyb.
  • Round four: repeat round three

TIP: Purlwise and Knitwise simply mean the angle at which you insert the hook into the stitch. So now you know something new that will help you when reading patterns!

Repeat those four rounds four as many times as you want to get the length you want for this section of the cowl. Then add two more rounds of just knit stitch.

Additional Videos and Patterns You’re Ready For

At this stage of BiCrafty Bootcamp, you might want to check out these patterns:

  • Fiesole Throw uses double moss stitch for the border and a K7, P7 repeat for the body.
  • Milano Throw uses garter stitch, stockinette stitch, and double moss stitch. You know all of these now!
  • Carry Along Cuddle Blanket is a moss stitch knit pattern with a crochet border. Fun!

Wooden Handled Crochet Purse Free Pattern

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If you’re looking for a good purse that will make a statement then you definitely want to check out my wooden handled crochet purse free pattern. I chose the handles first, because they are really bold and beautiful. Then I designed the rest of the crochet purse to work with those handles. Therefore, the handles stay the star of the show, even though the crochet is important as well. This makes a great year-round accessory but is particularly perfect for a summer look.

Note: This post contains affiliate links. I receive a percentage of sales made from this links. Your price doesn’t change. Thank you for all of your support.

free crochet purse pattern

Unique Wooden Handles For Crochet Purses

The Wooden Handled Crochet Purse Free Pattern were originally designed for very special handles. These handles featured a cutout design of yarn with a crochet hook tucked inside. Unfortunately, they no longer seem to be available from the original eBay seller. That said, though, you can easily find a variety of different wooden purse handles for sale through sites like Etsy. Here are just a few examples:

Have fun choosing your wooden handles for this purse pattern. The style can help set the tone for your summer wardrobe. Generally speaking, this wooden handled crochet purse free pattern gives a boho flair to your warm weather style.

wooden handled purse crochet pattern

How to Crochet Griddle Stitch

The Wooden Handled Crochet Purse Free Pattern uses griddle stitch. It’s a very simple stitch pattern. However, it creates terrific texture. Essentially, you’ll alternate single crochet and double crochet stitches across an entire round. Then on the next round, you’ll alternate double crochet and single crochet stitches. In other words, you’ll work single crochets into your double crochets from the round below. And of course you’ll work double crochets into your single crochets. You’ll repeat this round upon round. The result is an easy-to-make crochet purse with great texture.

Note that you might also see this same pattern called crochet seed stitch, moss stitch, or granite stitch. There are established names for these stitch patterns so just make sure that you always follow the directions in the pattern given to get the correct texture that the designer intends.

Striped Crochet Purse Pattern, With or Without Lining

When working the Wooden Handled Crochet Purse Free Pattern, you’ll use four colors of yarn to create stripes of different widths. This is a great scrapbusting project. You don’t need large amounts of any of the yarn colors. Of course, you could use a solid color, a self-striping yarn, or more/fewer colors for this purse pattern instead. However, if you want it to look as close to the original pattern as possible then stick with four colors. Follow the instructions in the pattern for color placement.

Get the Pattern Here

Are you ready to make this crochet purse pattern? Get it here or click the image below.

wooden handled purse free crochet pattern

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Knit Summer Tops! Get Ready For Summer With These 20 FREE Lightweight Patterns for Knit Tanks, Tees, and Tunics.

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Summer time doesn’t mean that you have to put down your knitting! In fact, you can enjoy knitting while making things that you can wear during the warmer months of the year. The trick is to choose summer yarns as well as patterns that complement them. Enjoy this collection of patterns for 20 FREE Summer Knit Tops. It provides the perfect inspiration to start you off. Work on these knit tops and tees all season long. They make the perfect handmade wardrobe during these warmer months of the year. Plus, check out our summer craft tips for warm weather knitting.

Free Knit Patterns for Summer Tanks and Tees - Crochet Digital Pattern - Marly Bird

*This post contains affiliate links. By clicking on one of these links and making a purchase a portion will go to the blog. The price you pay will not change and the small commission I receive helps me to keep brining you free content and giveaways on the blog. Thank you for your continued support.*

Summer Yarns

If you are thinking about yarns to make summer knit tops, then you will want to think about what they are made of more than the weight of the yarn. In other words, although weight does make a difference, material matters more. So, yes, while you might want to look for summer knit patterns that lean towards DK weight yarn instead of super bulky yarn, yarn weight isn’t the number one factor.

Look for yarns in cotton, linen, silk and bamboo. These are ideal summer yarns. In the collection of knit summer tops patterns below, you will find that they use a selection of yarns like these. Therefore, they are great for wearing as well as knitting with throughout the summer.

Summer Knit Tops Free Patterns- Crochet Digital Pattern - Marly Bird

What to Knit in the Summer

Obviously, you can knit anything that you want at any time of year. However, if you’re a fast knitter, then you might want to knit summer tops during the summer. You can take them right off of the needles and put them on. Knit tees, knit tanks, and even knit summer ponchos all make great garments to make for yourself at this time of year.

Believe it or not, beginners can enjoy making knit summer tops. Yoiu can craft many knit tops usinng simple shapes and simple stitches. With a summer tank, you don’t even have to worry about sleeve shaping. You can easily enhance your summer wardrobe with items that will make people ask, “did you really make that yourself?”

20 FREE Summer Knit Tops Patterns

Enjoy these top twenty free summer knit top patterns for knitting all season long.

Free Summer Tank Top Patterns

  1. Shifting Rib Tank. This is definitely one of the best summer knit tops in the bunch. After all, it’s versatile enough to dress up or down all summer long.
  2. Get in Line Knit Tank. You can customize this silk bamboo knit tank to three different lengths for the perfect fit.
  3. Sunny Days Tank. The bright yellow color on this tank screams summer. The openwork design makes it nice and breezy.
  4. Patons Tank Top. Made with matching front and back panels, this is one of the easiest knit summer tops on the list.
  5. Knit Tank Tunic. This is a long knit tank tunic that you can wear over leggings, jeans, or a skirt.
  6. Lacy Tank. This is one of the best openwork knit summer tops, which makes it perfect for layering.
  7. Color Block Knit Tank. Have fun with color blocking in different shades of blue!
Other Summer Knit Tank Tops Free Patterns

Other Free Summer Knit Tops Patterns

  1. Top Down Knit Pullover. This is a top-down knit sweater made with self-striping yarn.
  2. Women’s Boatneck Top. Red and white stripes give this summer knit top a nautical feel.
  3. Breezy Dolman Top. Patons Grace makes this a light short-sleeved top. A beautiful cable stripe runs down the middle adding visual length.
  4. Drop Stitch Knit Top. You can’t go wrong with summer knit tops made with cotton yarn and interesting stitches.
  5. Fade to Summer Gradient Knit T-Shirt. You’ll use two shades of yarn with colorwork in the middle to create an ombre effect.
  6. Lacy Top. This scoop neck top can be worn over a tank top on hot days or a long-sleeved shirt on cooler days.
  7. Sleeveless Knit Shell. This is a cute top with a detailed neckline that stands on its own. However, you can add fringe sleeves for special flair.
  8. Serenity Knit Singlet. A lattice design gives the illusion of a flattering empire waist. Moreover, it looks difficult but is actually really easy to knit.
  9. Knit Boatneck Shell. This is a sleeveless striped boatneck shell top.
  10. Hotness Top. Knit yourself a sexy little black t-shirt for summer date nights.
  11. Breezy Cabled Knit Top. Super lightweight horizontal cables make this one of the most visually interesting knit summer tops.
  12. Easy Breezy Knit Top. Use drop stitch to create a simple box shape that turns into a flattering top thanks to easy seaming.
  13. 4 Row Feather and Fan Top. The beautiful green color on this shirt will complement any summer setting.

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