crafting with grandma - Crocheted Purse!

I enjoy crocheting. I like to take yarn and end up with something useful, pretty - and hopefully somewhat unique! So, the other day I was browsing on Pinterest and found some free patterns for crocheted squares and I thought, "What if I took those and made three different squares which I could use to make a purse? So, I did!

I'm going to give you the links for the squares and then tell you what I did to turn them into a purse. I'm also going to talk a bit about the yarn I used - Red Heart Boutique Changes in Ruby, Jade and Aquamarine. I really love this yarn because Red Heart took five different yarns and combined them into one skein - it rotates through these different yarns and gives a unique and somewhat eclectic look to the finished project with different shades and textures! I really loved it for my purse!

Now for the squares - the first one I made was a Celtic Knot square. I really like it because it is unique and it adds a fun look to my purse! This link will take you to a free download from Raverly for the pattern and it is really easy to make!

The next square I made was a Polka-dot Square. I liked this because it just looked "fun" to me! This link will take you to a blog from little woolie where you will find the pattern. It is simple and adds a fun touch to whatever you want to use it for!

With my back and flap squares covered, I chose a simple Waffle pattern to make my final square. Follow this link to Suburban Jubilee and you'll find a tutorial for making the waffle stitch - just make it to fit the size square you need for your project! I love the texture and look of this stitch!

Since some of my squares had "openings" between stitches which may have allowed items in my purse to slip through, I crocheted a simple lining in single stitches - I just chained a length to fit inside my purse and then crocheted around both sides of the chain and continued around until it was the size I needed for my purse. I added a pouch for my make-up on one side and a couple flaps for my driver's license and cards on the other to keep them handy and easy to find! I put the liner inside my purse and crocheted around the top edge - crocheting over the handles - which I made by chaining eight, joining in first chain and then single crocheting around until it was the length I wanted. I made two and twisted them together.

This is all there is to it! I love my new purse and am quite sure I'll be making another one of these days using different colors - maybe different square patterns - who knows! Time will tell! :-)