Cluster Stitch Shoulder Bag Finished!

I finished the Crochet Cluster Stitch Shoulder Bag last night. Although I don't have a pic of it, it is lined with some cute contemporary red fabric that has little white hearts drawn on it.




Tips for working on this pattern:

How to do a Cluster Stitch in this pattern: Yarn over before you put the hook into the center of the SC (Single Crochet) stitch. Then, grab the yarn draw up about one inch worth and pull it back through the loop. Do this again for as many times as the directions specify. Then you will put the hook back through the SC stitch, grab the yarn one more time and pull it back through all the loops on the hook. One last chain stitch will gather the loops all together to make the cluster. Your first cluster is made! Now, skip the next SC and do the cluster again in the following SC. Basically you'll be doing a Cluster in every other SC.

Also pay attention to the X times more directions. You don't want to be a few rows too short at the end of the pattern. Printing out the pattern and placing little tick marks on it is an easy way of keeping up with how many rows you have completed.

It may seem tedious, but going back and counting your sts in your row fairly often will guarantee that you keep the 29 sts that you are supposed to have. You won't believe how easy it is to leave one stitch off a row and add two others onto another row.

I hope you enjoy this pattern as much as I have!

Crochet Cluster Stitch Shoulder Bag

Here's a blast from the past vintage pattern for you. The Crochet Cluster Stitch Shoulder Bag from circa 1975. I was a whole 6 years old when this one was published in an unknown magazine. My mother clipped this out and for some unknown reason has been able to keep up with it all these years. She made it for my kindergarten teacher, who is, hopefully, still alive and still has her bag. Since it was made from acrylic, we're going to assume the bag, at least, is still around. 'kay?

This is too cute not to share. I haven't made it yet, but it's on my to-do list. This would make a really cute Christmas gift and looks really quick and easy. Hope you enjoy it!