Quick Stripe Cosmetic Small Purse

Howdy Readers!!

I just wanted to share this quick project for this super cute little cosmetic purse.  It actually came about due to a challenge that I am running this year from my Facebook Page – also called The Burgundy Basket.  This whole year I have been challenging my page followers to challenge me with the letters of the alphabet.  We started – of course – at A and are now on F, but I am still finishing up some “E” challenges.  One of my page followers challenged me with the word “eel” Yikes!!! I didn’t know what in the world I was going to do for that.

I thought about vintage eel skin and started checking out my thrift stores and then went to Etsy and Pinterest for some inspiration.  I was thinking of getting some eel skin fabric, but never found anything affordable or anything that I could thrift.  So, I thought about making something in the electric green color of an eel, but I just couldn’t find anything in that color and then I spotted this Michael Kors large tote purse in bright orange!

It fit what I was kind of looking for.  It was a super bright color and had a “skin” texture even though it is not eel skin or faux eel skin.  I believe this is supposed to be crocodile.  Anyway, it fit my challenge. And it was like new!  I can’t believe sometimes what I find at the thrift store!  So, I decided to make up a cosmetic purse for to go with this bag in some more bright colors including the bright green I was after.  I hope this is a fun pattern for you.  I first made it as I was writing the pattern in another yarn so the tutorial will be in that color.

This pattern is intended for personal use only. This pattern -and all my patterns- are offered for free or a small fee to help support my family so please do not redistribute, sell, copy or use them in any way not in accordance with fairness.

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The two yarns that I used are I Love This Yarn soft in Hot Stripe and Red Heart with Love Stripes in Rainforest Stripe.

I also used my I/5.5mm hook
-These are the hooks I use exclusively now.

I love this little purse made with striping yarn – that is why I named the pattern what I did.  You can also use a solid or variegated yarn, but striping yarns are so fun and always a surprise!

I used these little magnetic closures:

My green and blue one also has a small pocket made from Red Heart Colorscape in Dublin.

I have another fun bag coming made from the rest of that skein. UPDATE: Find that other Bag – THE DUBLIN DUFFLE ON THIS POST.

Okay, so, let’s get started.

For the start of this purse, you are going to be working in rows with a curved end.

So, to get the size of purse similar to mine – which is 6.5″ x 9″:

Note for pattern reading: sc 2 means make a single crochet in the next 2 stitches, but 2sc means make 2 single crochet in the same next stitch. And if something is in parenthesis do that the number of times after – so, (2sc) 3 means make 2 single crochet in each of the next 3 stitches. 

Chain 10.

Stating in the 2nd chain from the hook make a single crochet and then single crochet (sc) down the chain to the last stitch.  In the last stitch make 5 sc.  Now, you will turn your chain to work on the opposite side of your starting chain and sc 8.  (21 stitches total)  Chain 1 and turn for each row (I will note this as Ch1 t from now on)

Row 2: sc 9, (2sc) 3, sc 9 Ch 1 t (24)

Row 3: sc 10, (2sc) 4, sc 10 Ch1 t (28)

Row 4: sc 10, (2sc, sc) 4, sc 10 Ch 1 t (32)

Row 5: sc 12, (2sc, sc) 4, sc 12 Ch 1 t (36) 

Row 6: sc 14, (2sc, sc) 4, sc 14 Ch 1 t (40)

Row 7: BACK LOOP ONLY (BLO) hdc (half double crochet) across/around the whole piece for 40 hdc Ch1 t

Row 8: FRONT LOOP ONLY (FLO) hdc (half double crochet) 16, (2hdc, hdc) 4 (still in the FLO), hdc FLO 16 Ch1 t (44)

Row 9: (all in BLO again) hdc across/around the whole piece for 44 hdc Ch1 t

Row 10: (all in FLO again) hdc 18, (2hdc, hdc) 4, hdc 18 Ch1 t (48)

Row 11: (all in BLO again) hdc across/around the whole piece for 48 hdc Ch1 t

Now, this time you are turning to work along the straight edge. You will single crochet along the straight edge for 24 evenly spaced single crochet. Ch 1 and t

Now, from here on out, I worked in hdc, but you could also work in sc.  I worked hdc crochet in rows with a chain 1 and turn at the end of each row.  I worked for just over 22 rows on the blue purse and 26 on the bright colored one. You want to fold up the bottom edge toward the top like an envelope until you get the fold size you want.  See the photos.

After getting the body of my purse done, but before sewing up, I did steam block it.  See this post on Steam Blocking

 

For this first purse, I sewed a little pocket on the front inside as well.  It is simply a little square of chain 17 and then do sc 16 across and repeat for 12 rows and then border it out and leave a long tail to sew on **you may want to sew the pocket down before you close up your purse.  It will be easier.  

After the last row is done, you need to finish on the left side of the purse (looking at it like in the photos) and then sc down the side, then across the bottom (just go between the stitches) and back up the other side.  On the blue purse I think I finished on the right side so I did my single crochet join where the wrong side faces front.  It doesn’t really matter, but it does look a little more finished if you do your single crochet join with the wrong side of the stitch away from you.  Also, don’t do like me – I did this purse before my coffee and after all my BLO and FLO to give a nice texture, I folded up my purse the wrong way so that my texture part is on the inside.  Some mornings the coffee just is not strong enough =) – also, I did another round of sc around the top on the blue purse, but not on the bright purse so this part is up to you.  Just finish off and sew in your end.

Now, for the orange purse, I did not do a pocket, but I did sew in a liner. This version is made the exact same way, but I found after getting done with my rows to fold up in half that this yarn worked up a little bit shorter so I had to do 4 more rows.  Just do enough rows that when you fold up the bottom part up to the top that your outer curve edge sits about even with the bottom of the bag.

For my liner I just trimmed a piece of fabric with about 1 inch overhang and then ironed smooth and used some stitch witch to hem the side and placed them down on my purse and pinned in place.  Then I hand stitched the liner down catching the inside of the crochet stitches only so no of the sewing is visible from the outside.

Do the liner before the crocheting your purse closed if you are going to do that part.

For my closure, I decided to use a magnetic closure. I really do like these closures, but after I put them on, I realized that you could see the “washer” part from the outside, so I had to improvise and sew a button on over that.  But the magnetic closures themselves are a snap! (pun intended) – and so easy to use.

And that is it!  Your new little quick stripe cosmetic purse is now done!

Please share with me your finished projects over @theburgundybasket on IG

And here are some of my favorite latest Amazon finds. I keep these or give them as gifts.