I have a new way for you to support my FREE PATTERNS!! I know many or most of you love supporting us makers – the truth is that is takes a long time to create a pattern and then write it and then edit it and get it proofed and tested – and then publish it – then you have to link it everywhere – its a lot of work, but us makers do what we do to share our love with you. And, if you have followed my blog you may know that I do not run ads on my blog so all my support comes from PDF purchases. Some of you don’t need to purchase the PDF of my patterns, but still want to say a quick Thank you – so, you can now support my blog and my work.
Item #6 in my Scraptastic Summer Series!!
See THIS POST for more information and to get all the pattern links in one place as I finish them. My first five projects are great stash busters! This project will be fabulous for upcoming craft shows. You can bust out a big pile in no time!
First, the boring bits:
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.
You may sell products made from this pattern, but please give me credit as the designer. Please do not use my photos as your own work, but you may use my photos to reference back to my blog, Etsy, Pinterest, IG or FB, but please link back to me.
If you find any problems with this pattern, please let me know and if you have any problems with any of it feel free to message me and ask for support.
Kristi Bergin-Smith and The Burgundy Basket, 2021. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to me, Kristi Bergin-Smith and The Burgundy Basket with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
Stitches Guide: *US Terms apply
Chain: Ch
Stitch: St
Single Crochet: SC
Inc Sc or Inc or 2sc: make two single crochet stitches in the same stitch as indicated
Inv dec or dec: decrease, invisible decrease or even crochet together
BLO: back loop only/ FLO: front loop only
Hdc: half double crochet
Dc: Double Crochet
To start, I have THE PAID PDF pattern listed in my ETSY SHOP
for those that like to support the makers. It is cheaper than a cup of coffee and helps me continue to offer free patterns here on my blog.
AND – This 8-page PDF contains 30 photos to help beginners and new crocheters with the fiddly bits. If you are struggling, I encourage you to spend the $1.99 and get the 30-picture photo tutorial since I can’t put 30 photos on my blog. Thank you
No time right now? Save this pin and pop back over.
Materials: This pattern is written as a scrap yarn project, but you can use any yarns you have for this as long as you keep the overall weight of the yarns being held together the same. Gauge is not critical exactly, but you do want consistency throughout. For example, if you start with 2 strands of #4 yarn, don’t switch in the project to 2 strands of #5 yarn or a strand of #3 and #4. You can use all of these yarns, but you need to be consistent throughout. So, you could start with a strand of #5 and #3 held together – but keep that throughout.
I have used 2 strands of #4 worsted weight yarn like Red Heart Super Saver in almost all of the bag savers. The middle one in the photo above that is blue and yellow was made with a strand of #5 and #4 yarn.
I used my size K/6.5 mm hook for everything except the trim around the handle at the end. For that part, I used my size J/6mm hook.
Naturally, if you are using materials very different from mine, you will end up with a different size in the end.
I can’t give you an exact number of yards that you will use per bag saver– I used all scraps – scrap balls and skeins and leftover pieces – but, you will not need much per saver. If you run out of yarn while making it, just join a new color – that is the magic of scrap yarn crochet!
Ugly Yarns: This is the perfect project for ugly, old yarns! When you hold them together sometimes you get something very nice at the end. Also, some variegated yarns make really blocky patterns when worked in the round, but if you hold a second strand this changes that all together!
Crochet Hooks: You will probably need to try a few sizes to get the one that is right for your yarn.
What I mean by “works” is that you want to be able to easily crochet all the strands without fighting them, but you also want to create a nice fabric without holes since you will be stuffing the legs. For the 3 examples above, I used one size for the head and then went up 1-2 sizes for the legs since they are not stuffed and able to be crocheted looser. You don’t have to do this, but it is a hand saver.
A note on yarns: If you have crocheted for a while, you will know that not all #4 worsted weight yarns are the same. For example, Red Heart Super Saver works up very different than Caron Simply Soft, but they are both listed as #4 weight yarn. Consider this as you work and try to be consistent on your yarn changes. For example, don’t start with 2 strands of RHSS and then change those out for Caron Simply Soft or your project will be smaller in some places than others. You can absolutely use them together in this project, but be consistent – if you start with a strand of RHSS and Caron Simply Soft – as you run out of one type, join the same type.
Additional materials: I have finished the bottom of the bag saver with a hair tie/band. This part is optional and you really do not need it. This pattern will still function and work without a hair band on bottom.
The labels that I have used came from All This Wood on Etsy.
A note on working in the round: while working in the round you DO NOT join and chain up. This prevents a joining seam. You just continue to work in a continuous manner. If you need to know where you specifically start and stop each row, I encourage you to use a stitch marker. For these bag savers, the body of the saver is worked in the round. There is no joining.
I made two sizes for these examples, but after you do this pattern, you will easily be able to modify it to make an even larger bag saver if you need.
The smaller one is about 5” wide and I worked the bag saver part to be 18-20” long. The handle adds another 4-5”
The larger ones are the same length, but they are about 7” wide.
You can work these to be any length and even make them wider.
To start, hold your strands of yarn and chain 31. (for the larger bag holder I started with a chain of 41)
In the second chain from the hook, hdc and hdc in each chain. *This is the STRAP
Again – my PDF has a 30-photo tutorial – I can not put 30 photos here on my blog so if you want to grab the PDF here are those links:
Chain 1 at the end and slip stitch 2x across the side of your work.
Now, chain 15 (I chained 20 for the larger bag holder) *to modify this to make even larger bag savers just keep the chains that make up each side the same. So, you could chain 25 or 35 – just do the same on the other side. I don’t think you would need to make the strap part any larger though.
Turn the STRAP part and make sure it isn’t twisted and slip stitch 2 across this end of the strap.
Chain 15 (or 20 if you did that earlier for a larger bag holder) for the other side of the bag holder. You will slip stitch to the first slip stitch that you made to complete the circle.
Chain 1 and hdc in the same stitch where you slip stitched and in each chain AND slip stitch around.
You will be working in a continuous manner now without any joining or chaining up. Just continue to work around. Once you get back to your first stitch you can start the pattern. You can choose to work either in sc or hdc. I did hdc around. The pattern is so simple – hdc (or sc) chain 1, skip one, repeat. All the way around.
Once you get back around, you will be placing your stitch in the SPACE that you made with your chain 1 and will be working every stitch into a chain 1 space for the entire length of your bag saver.
Once you reach the length that you want (I worked until I had 18-20”) you will hdc in each space around, but NOT MAKE ANY CHAIN 1. Just hdc (or sc if that is what you are doing) with no chains.
Once you get done with that round, do a round of sc (if you want to do a contrasting color like I have done you will change colors for this round)
The last round of sc is next, but if you want to crochet over a hair band as I have done, do that for this round. This is the last round and it is just sc in each stitch around. If you are using a hair band, just crochet around it.
Finish off and weave in your end.
Now, this part is optional, but I think it adds a special finished touch. Using your contrasting/different color and one size smaller hook, join a few stitches to the right of the strap. I joined about 4 stitches to the right of my strap so that I could crochet over my tails- sc in each stitch until you get to the strap – now, what you will need to do is pull the working yarn under the strap so you can slip stitch under where the strap connects to the bag to get to the other side – then sc along the other side and repeat the slip stitches where the other side of the strap is and continue to sc until you get back to where you began.
Once you get back to where you started, slip stitch across to the strap so you can sc in the side of the strap.
Sc all along the side of the strap until you get to the other side. When you get to the other side, slip stitch into the slip stiches at the base so you can move over to the unworked side of the strap and then sc in the unworked side.
Once you reach the end of this side, slip stitch into the first slip stitch and finish off and weave in your ends. And that is it! If you have a label, sew it on and you are done! Now – make all the colors 🙂
I’ve been a member of Darn Good Yarn for years now and can’t say enough good things about this fabulous company!
Thank you for choosing my pattern. XOXO, Kristi at The Burgundy Basket.
