Sweet Nothings Crochet: MY AFRICAN FLOWER TOTE

MY AFRICAN FLOWER TOTE

I have been pretty vociferous about my *love* (not ! ) for granny squares and motifs.. but I love their beauty .. I’m just against the ends we need to weave in and fasten off and all that extra hard work!

That said, there are some patterns that you can just not miss out on, and this pattern is one of them. Sound like fun? Come on then, let’s get to it.

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For this beauty, I’ve used the superb African flower pattern for a donation project with Project Chemo Crochet. So I thought I’d make a hexagon instead of an eight-sided one.

My earlier African flower was a granny square at https://shyamanivas.blogspot.in/2015/01/jus-granny-squares.html

Edited to add : After I’d made this bag, I showed it to my friend before I posted it anywhere.. and she said she’d thought she’d seen this somewhere. Before I could say ‘Huh’? she’d already pinned it https://in.pinterest.com/pin/470063279839614671/

This page has a neat photo tutorial as well – so do go ahead and check it out.. so you can get the best of all worlds!

Materials used : Polyester purse yarn, about 7 cones (5 + 2 black), with a 3.5 mm crochet hook ; Embroidery needle

Size : (of each hexagon) is 4”

Skill level : Intermediate to advanced

While the stitches used are easy enough, this is a bit of a long(ish) project and needs patience

Stitches used :

Starting slip knot : Here’s how you start with a slip knot. https://youtu.be/lJcqsVcs8cw

Starting slip knot 1 or the Sloppy Slip knot : This is a neat new way to start your work without a slip knot. https://youtu.be/YfC7KmGpifs

What is a chain stitch ? Here is an easy video tutorial https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXx5ukBjKkY

Magic circle : To refresh your skill, please view this easy video https://youtu.be/ISC39yOqWro

Foundation Single Crochet : fsc : To refresh your skill on the fsc, please view this video https://youtu.be/mcT85fwh4mA

Half Double Crochet : Hdc : yo, insert hk into st ; yo (3 lps on hk) ;

yo, draw through all 3 lps. One hdc made.

Check out the video at https://youtu.be/sDiELJdB2Dg

Chainless start for Half Double Crochet : I dislike the ch-2 start, and this is what I do to start my row of hdc. Check out the video at https://youtu.be/lWXpl1KdbZ8

Double Crochet : dc : yo, insert hk into st ; yo (3 lps on hk); [yo, draw through 2 lps] twice. One dc made. Check out the video at https://youtu.be/xdnjB27zpYo

Chainless start for Double Crochet : I dislike the ch-2 / ch – 3 start, and this is what I do to start my row of dc.

Check out the video at https://youtu.be/wskv3iTjRx0

Whipstitch to join : Here’s a quick tutorial on how to join using the whipstitch at https://youtu.be/wZ-9LNzftMA

Invisible join : Here’s a quick tutorial on how to join using the embroidery needle and whipstitch to get an invisible join at https://youtu.be/a6XZQ6VzJFM

Single crochet to join : Here’s a quick tutorial on how to join using the single crochet at https://youtu.be/6FXoW_47_dI

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

Instructions : (Using U.S terminology)

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.

In my patterns I work with the principle of stitch count and body measurement. This means that you need to work the stitch count in pattern, till you get the measurement (length and/or width) that you need for your project.

So let’s start on our first motif for our beautiful bag, shall we?

I’ve made an eight-petal African flower in a granny square for an earlier project. Using the similar idea, I thought of starting with 6 sts and making a hexagon for this one, just so that there are lesser sides to attach.. Trust me to find an easier way out and enjoy the laziness of lesser work, if I could!

Our African flower is a set of stitches worked around in a hexagon. To get this flower look, one usually changes colour with each round or alternate round.

Now that said, I decided to have only two colours, but I have given you suggestions on the colour changes.

I used this chart for my African flower motif.

Start (Using Colour 1) : with a magic circle and 6 sc in that circle.

Round 1 : (Using Colour 1) : 2 dc in the 1^st sc ;

*ch 1, 2 dc in the next sc* ;

rep *to* all around ;

ch 1 and join with a sl-st to the 1^st dc.

Round 2 : (Using Colour 2) : sl-st into the 1^st ch-1 sp ;

(2 dc ; ch 2, 2 dc) all in the same 1^st ch-1 sp ;

*sk next 2 dc ;

rep (to) in the next ch-1 sp* ;

rep *to* all around ;

and join with a sl-st to the 1^st dc.

Round 3 : (Using Colour 2) : sl-st into the 1^st ch-2 sp ;

7 dc in the same ch-2 sp ;

*7 dc in the next ch-2 sp* ;

rep *to* all around and join with a sl-st to the 1^st dc.

In the following round, we will be marking the edges of our flower.

For this, we will work sc’s around the ‘petal’ of our African flower, and to mark two petals apart, we will work a dc into a st on Round 2.

So let’s take a look at Round 2 and see where our dc goes in.

In Round 2, we’ve worked (2 dc ; ch 2, 2 dc), right? So at the ends of these sts there are two sets of 2 dc without any stitch between them. It is in between this set of 4 stitches that we will work our long dc.

Now in most cases, when we work our dc or sc, we work in the stitch. To get the effect we’re looking for here, we will work in between. So right now, take a look at where your dc will go – as I will not write all this long explanation below.

I will just state that the dc goes into the stitch in Round 2, and I hope you know which one it is now. It is this row that defines and *makes* our African flower.

Round 4 : (Using Colour 3) :

(dc into the stitch in Round 2) ;

*sc in the next 7 dc ;

rep (to) once* ;

rep *to* all around and join with a sl-st to the 1^st st.

In the following final round, we will work a dc only in all the sc, ignoring all the dc that we have worked. This will pull our flower back together and give it the definitive hexagonal shape.

Round 5 : (Using Colour 4) :

skipping 1^st dc,

(dc in the next 4 sc ;

ch 1, dc in the same sc ; dc in the next 3 sc) ;

*sk next dc, rep (to) once* ;

rep *to* all around and join with a sl-st to the 1^st st.

Fasten off and weave in ends.

You have completed the first superb African flower motif.

Now you go ahead and make more of these lovely hexagon motifs and check out the attachment ideas.

So I first made 21 hexagons. I then attached them as per my chart below.

So the 5 blue hexagons with the red line running across the centre is the bottom of the bag. The red arrow shows you that that’s where you fold it upwards.

We then have the centre row of orange 4 hexagons that are neatly ending on a straight line, so that’s your end neatly matched up.

The top row has 5 green hexagons, and the bottom one has 3 green hexagons. As you have figured, (and following the green arrows on either side), you fold the top green hexagons and attach them to the lower 3 green hexagons.

Now the slight confusion in joining is in the two corner blue hexagons, which are outlined in yellow. So the top of that blue hexagon will be attached to the orange hexagon BUT there will be 3 sides of one hexagon to be attached to 2 sides of the other hexagon – but you will manage to join these in neatly and this gives our bag a nice plump rounded bottom.

Now depending on the size you’re looking for, go ahead and join hexagons to the top of your project and increase the height or width as you desire.

One small hexagon and so many ideas – this is just fantastic, isn’t it?

I’ve given links on how to line the bag. I have personally given my bag to a professional for a better finish than I am able to get.

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If you'd like to check out some of my other bag patterns, here goes

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