Mosaic ‘Purse’onality

I got hooked on mosaic crochet during the latest lockdown in Ontario.

Prior to starting the bag I had completed a few little samples to learn how to follow a graph and just to see how it really worked.

I found a free pattern at daisyknots.co.uk and printed it out. It was originally a CAL (crochet along) for an afghan, however I decided to do a smaller project of a tote bag to see how I liked it.

I took two of the various patterns and came up with a bag pattern. I made it 48 stitches wide, plus end stitches and a turning stitch. With white as the main colour I also added black and 3 different shades of grey yarn.

I devised an easy way to keep track of the row I was on, by using a strip of coloured paper and 2 paper clips.

I decided to do 4 sections of the fifth pattern in the CAL and 3 sections of the second pattern in the CAL pattern. This is totally my own choice and I love how it turned out.

In mosaic crochet each row is completed on its own, so there are lots of tails of yarn on both sides of the piece. And while you are concentrating on the front pattern, the back makes up all on its own in neat rows.

I crocheted 2 sides the same, and then used an overcast stitch to join them together, with all the tails of yarn on the inside. They will be hidden inside once the lining is added.

Next to crochet was the strap and then join it to the sides before adding the lining. This will be a cross body bag so a longer strap was required.

Searching through my material stash I found some white lining material, not my first choice but it was what I had. When I can finally get out to the fabric store I will look for something that I like a bit more, but until then this will do.

I usually line my straps as well but I just didn’t have enough material to do it this time around without piecing so many little bits together. That will be another reason to find better material to line my bag.

Have you tried mosaic crochet? I loved it so much I’m already planning my next project.

~Bags with purse-onality~

• black and grey bag 
• circles bag
• green tote bag
• kitty bag
• mosiac bag
• portable pocket bag
• shades of grey crochet bag
• upcycled black bags bags
• upcycled embriodered bag
• yarn crawl bag