Broomstick Lace Clutch Purse free crochet pattern courtesy of Lion Brand and St. Martin's Press

Lion Brand is once again offering a free pattern from my book Crochet-opedia on their website. This pattern is available for download courtesy of the publisher St. Martin's Press. Click here for the pattern. You'll need to register if you haven't already, but it's free to join, so why not?

I really wanted to showcase the beautiful broomstick stitch pattern in a very modern project. I think this clutch handbag does that wonderfully. It is made in two panels which are then single crocheted together. The clasp is different, something that I hadn't thought of before this design. It is worked in one piece directly onto the clutch and consists of chain and slip stitches to form the clasp.

The yarn I used is Vanna's Choice in Cranberry. It is a wonderful yarn to work with and the deep red color makes this clutch perfect for an evening on the town!

Broomstick lace is a fun technique to learn. If you've never tried it, grab a copy of Crochet-opedia. In it you will find how-to instructions. The book also includes patterns and how-to's for hairpin lace, Tunisian crochet and many more crochet techniques!

Broomstick Lace Clutch crochet pattern
and last week's pattern
Hairpin Lace Mobius Wrap crochet pattern

Enjoy :)

Continuing Crochet - Weeks 3 and 4

These 2 weeks were busy for the Continuing Crochet Class. Week 3 we concentrated on motifs, joining, seaming, and basic construction of garments.

Above is a slightly modified motif pattern from the book Beyond the Square: Crochet Motifs by Edie Eckman. This is a great book with lots of patterns, and includes tips for making your motifs, finishing them, joining, and much more. It is one of the most detailed and useful books on crochet motifs that I have found.

For the second half of class I demonstrated joining motifs, and seaming. I also discussed basic construction for garments. I brought a finished sweater, an unfinished sweater, and a pair of socks, plus we also talked about glove and mitten construction. I brought along the patterns to show as examples. My goal was to show my students the basics of shaping techniques in different patterns and also to show them the schematics for the sweaters. We also discussed the importance of gauge (which had been stressed repeatedly in the beginners class).

Week 4 I taught them the basic afghan (Tunisian) stitch, and supplied them with simple charts (heart, sailboat, clover) that they could use to cross stitch onto their finished fabric swatches. I showed them a scarflette of my own design I made using a different Tunisian stitch:





They picked up the Tunisian Simple Stitch really quickly, and were eager to move onto bead crochet, which they also learned really quick and were surprised at how easy it is. So, here is the finished bead crochet project, a girls beaded drawstring purse of my own design.



Whew! We covered a lot of different subjects these 2 weeks, but my class was ready and eager to learn. I wish I had taken photos of their finished projects, I am kicking myself for not doing so! One lady made a gorgeous motif shawl, and quite a few finished their beaded bags before the 5th class! I am very proud of them all :)

Thanks for stopping by, and next week I will update you on Weeks 5 and 6.

Links: Continuing Crochet - Weeks 1 and 2