Sweet Nothings Crochet: HELLO KITTY BAG

HELLO KITTY BAG

Now which little girl do you know who doesn’t like Hello Kitty ?

I’m not sure I’ve met one as yet. This lovely pattern too literally fell into my lap, just as I was thinking of what bag to make next for this lovely young lady who’s coming home shortly.

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Inspired by the the pattern from

http://mossitabellacrochet.blogspot.pt/2012/01/bolsita-hello-kitty-crochet.html , these are my notes. As always, if you find that you can follow the link above with chart, then go on ahead with that.. and we’ll catch up in my next blog.

Materials used : Today I’ve used our lovely Indian acrylic Vardhaman Millenium yarn , with a 3.5 mm crochet hook. The range of colours in our Polyester yarn are superb and it will work for this creation. Today's yarn is a Sport / DK acrylic yarn.

You may also need some fabric glue to seal ends ; stitch markers ; embroidery needle.

For Indians : You could use Anchor , Red ros e or unbranded knitting cotton as well

General yarn info : This polyester yarn is available only in India.

The yarn used today is not specific to this pattern.

You can use any yarn with a suitable hook to make this project to any size.

International yarns : Among the international yarns I have used, I’d suggest Aunt Lydia Cotton 10, Aunt Lydia Bamboo-Viscose 10, DMC Petra, Sullivans knitting cotton (Australia), Milford Soft, Hilaza Rustica Eclat , Alize cotton yarn and Alize bamboo yarn ; Hobby Lobby's I-love-this-cotton ; Spotlight's 4-Seasons Marvel & Stallion 8-ply acrylic yarns.

Size : My little bag is about 7.25” (top to bottom) and about 8” (across sides). The handle is about 34” long.

The size is just for information. Your bag may not be of this size. It depends on the yarn/ hook you use and the tension /looseness of your work.

Skill level : Intermediate.

Stitches used : Using U.S. terminology

Starting slip knot : https://youtu.be/lJcqsVcs8cw

Starting slip knot 1 or the Sloppy Slip knot : https://youtu.be/YfC7KmGpifs

What is a slip stitch : https://youtu.be/weB3QNbA8Iw

What is a chain stitch ? https://youtu.be/pXx5ukBjKkY

Foundation Single Crochet : fsc : https://youtu.be/mcT85fwh4mA

Whipstitch to join : https://youtu.be/wZ-9LNzftMA

Invisible join : https://youtu.be/a6XZQ6VzJFM

Single crochet to join : https://youtu.be/6FXoW_47_dI

How to change colors seamlessly : https://youtu.be/fRzSBja9jno

How to carry your yarn when using two colors : https://youtu.be/NuascBU3pxQ

Abbreviations used :

lp(s) : Loop(s) sc : Single crochet

dc : Double crochet sp : Space

sl-st : Slip stitch ch : Chain

st(s) : Stitch(es) hk : Hook

yo : Yarn Over

fsc : Foundation Single Crochet

Instructions

Please note that I start all my rows with a ch 1, turning chain for ease.

Please check the top of this blog for easy video tutorials on all stitches used in today's pattern.

Please read through all my notes before you pick up your hook, so you know just where we're heading in our pattern.

Before we set off on our lovely Hello Kitty bag journey, let’s quickly see what we’re going to do here today.

We have five parts to our creation today.

We’re going to make two similar halves, back and front and then join them up together.

We start at the centre of our little purse and then work in rounds .. (or an oval). We will then work till the top of the bag and construct the ears.

We then work on the strap for our bag ; we then make a small flower motif and finally we put it all together.

Easy? Let’s get on with it then.

Part 1

Start with 8 fsc. Turn.

We will now start working in rounds.

We will work to the end of the row, and then work around the fsc along the bottom to end up at the first stitch we started with – and then work in rounds from here on.

Round 1 : sc in the 1^st fsc and in the next 6 fsc ;

3 sc in the next fsc ;

(turn and working on the underside of the fsc) ;

sc in each sc till end ;

2 sc in the last/1^st fsc.

Join with a sl-st to the 1^st fsc.

Round 2 : 2 sc in the 1^st sc ;

sc in the 7 sc ; 2 sc in the next sc ;

sc in the next sc ; 2 sc in the next sc ;

sc in the next 8 sc ; 2 sc in the next sc ;

sc in the next sc ;

Join with a sl-st to the 1^st sc.

Round 3 : 2 sc in the 1^st sc ;

sc in the 8 sc ; 2 sc in the next sc ;

sc in the next 3 sc ; 2 sc in the next sc ;

sc in the next 9 sc ; 2 sc in the next sc ;

sc in the next 3- sc ;

Join with a sl-st to the 1^st sc.

Round 4 : 2 sc in the 1^st sc ;

sc in the 9 sc ; 2 sc in the next sc ;

sc in the next 5 sc ; 2 sc in the next sc ;

sc in the next 10 sc ; 2 sc in the next sc ;

sc in the next 5 sc ;

Join with a sl-st to the 1^st sc.

Rep Round 4 increasing 4 sts every side in keeping with the repeats.

This means that for the next round, you will have sc in the next 7 sts on each side and so on.

Looking at the chart, the designer has continued this increase till there are about 63 sts (give or take).

Now what I’ve done is just carry on till I’ve got a bag of the size I’m happy with.. so you do your thing as well… and we’ll meet back here to get our little kitty ears done.

(Just for information, I repeated seven times).

Part 2

Now for our ears, let’s place convenient markers, shall we?

So take a look at the 2 top corners where we’ve increased stitches.

Our ears are 9 stitches wide.

We will be using the 3 sts on the inside of the head (i.e between ears) and 4 sts on the outside of both corner sts to make a total of 9 sts.

So please place markers now so that you have a total of 9 sts on both top corners of your purse for the ears.

See pic below

Next row : Sc in each sc till the 4^th marker. Turn.

Next row : Sc in each sc till the 1st marker. Turn.

Ear row 1 : sc in the 1^st 9 sc. Turn

Ear row 2 : Rep Ear row 1.

Ear row 3 : sc 2-tog in the 1^st 2 sc ;

sc in the next 5 sc ;

sc 2-tog in the next 2 sc. Turn.

Ear row 4 : sc in each sc till end. Turn

Ear row 5: sc 2-tog in the 1^st 2 sc ;

sc in the next 3 sc ;

sc 2-tog in the next 2 sc. Turn.

Ear row 6 : sc in each sc till end. Turn

Ear row 7 : sc 2-tog in the 1^st 2 sc ;

sc in the next sc ;

sc 2-tog in the next 2 sc. Turn.

Ear row 8 : sc 3-tog in the 1^st 3 sc. Turn.

You have finished your right ear.

Turn your work such that you’re facing the front again, and your right ear is on your right-hand side.

We will now work down the ear and the ‘forehead’ to the left ear.

Sc in each st along the side of the ear ;

and then down the sts of the forehead between ears till Marker 3.

Sc in each sc till the 4^th marker. Turn.

Next row : Sc in each sc till the 3^rd marker. Turn.

Rep Ear rows 1 – 8. Turn.

You have now finished your left ear.

Turn your work once again such that both you’re working on the right side of work.

You are on the tip of the left ear.

Sc in each st along the side of the ear till you come down to the 4^th marker.

Sc in each sc all around till the 1^st marker.

Join with a sl-st.

Fasten off and weave in ends.

One side done.

Optional : You could change to a red or pink contrast colour and run one round of sc’s all around the bag instead of doing it in white, so outlining the full face of your Hello Kitty.

OR you could do this contrast colour when joining the two halves of your purse.

Do this once more for the second half of your little purse.

We will meet back shortly for the strap.

Part 3

Strap : Start with an fsc chain for the length that you want your strap.

Now depending on the thickness of the strap, you will either do an sc (or sl-st) in each st all the way back to end in this same MC, or you will attach a contrast colour (CC) now.

I started with 100 fsc.

Using CC sc in each st all the way till the end, turn around the end, and then continue back down the other side of the fsc till end.

Fasten off and leave a long tail to join.

(As I wanted a slim strap and my yarn is thickish, I didn't use the CC.

I just turned around at the end of 100 fsc and did 1 sc in each sc till end)

Part 4

Cute little flower motif :

I’ve used two colours for my little flower.

The Contrast colour (CC) for the centre and the Main colour (MC) for the petals of the flower.

Start : Using CC with a magic circle and 5 sc in that circle.

Pull lightly and join with an sc to the 1^st st.

Round 1 : 2 sc in each sc till end.

Join with an sl-st to the 1^st st.

Round 1 : Using MC (sc ; dc ; trc ; dc ; sc) all in the 1^st sc ;

*sk the next sc ; (to) in the next sc* ;

rep *to* till end.

Join with an sc to the 1^st st.

Fasten off and weave in all colours, leaving a tail to sew your cute little flower onto the top of the Hello Kitty purse.

Oh I also added a small pearl bead right in the centre.. just cos we can.

Part 5

Finishing :

1. Attach your strap on either side of the ears. (Rather than ruin the hard work of getting these cute pointed ears, I sewed my strap from the inside of the bag)

2. Line your bag (links given at the top of the blog)

3. Attach a zipper (links given at the top of the blog)

4. Add googly eyes or embroider two large black eyes, a cute pink nose, and whiskers to the side of the kitty face.

5. Attach the flower to the right hand side top of head. (Just to get my flower to *pop* for a 3D effect, I sewed it just around the CC, so that the ends of the petals would stick out.

a) How to line the bag : http://pattern-paradise.com/2014/06/12/tutorial-how-to-line-a-crocheted-bag/

b) Easiest I-cord : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_AQ9m0QeZI

c) How to attach a zipper : http://frogknitting.blogspot.se/2013/08/att-sy-i-dragkedjor-installing-zippers.html?m=1

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Check out some of my other beautiful and unusual bag / purse patterns

https://shyamanivas.blogspot.com/2019/08/zeeba-coin-purse.html

https://shyamanivas.blogspot.com/2019/08/easy-squared-pouch.html