Crochet Granny Squares Bag Reveal : Camden Lock : Jef Kearns

We are speeding through March, heading towards the Easter Bank Holiday Weekend. It's still very nippy here in my corner of Bedfordshire, and the forecast for the Easter break is far from favourable. Ah well, you never know what might happen.....

At the end of my last entry here I did hint at what I've been working on. A crochet bag no less. My very first attempt at something like this. Heavily inspired by a couple of crafters who offer fantastic free tutorials. 

The first being the late Marinke (Wink) of A Creative Being. Very much missed in our community. Her squares bag pattern is awesome, and definitely a fantastic resource for any would-be bag maker. The other source of inspiration came from Brittany at B.Hooked Crochet, who offers some step-by-step video tutorials.

Now I know some of you like to know the particulars, so I'm just going to mention the materials I used. I'm not sponsored and gain no incentive for mentioning them here, but like to give you a bit more info should you wish to replicate this for yourself. 

The yarn is Stylecraft Classique Cotton DK in Shrimp (3674). 3 balls was sufficient for me to make this size bag which consists of 24 squares (pattern from B.hooked link above), worked up on a 4mm hook. The lining material is Bhandari Chennai in the Reena Colourway, that I sourced from a local independent department store. I bought a metre and that would easily line 2 bags, so I have some left over for another project. 

I hand-lined the bag as I do not have a sewing machine, nor have any experience of using one. I'm pleased with the overall finish considering I didn't have a clue. I very nearly didn't bother, as I thought I'd make a hash of it. With a little thought, and a bit of trial and error I sussed it out. So glad I didn't just give up. 

The handles I purchased from Hollie Craft on Ebay. I plumped for 2 pairs as it worked out slightly cheaper than buying a single pair. I'm sure I'll be making another bag sometime in the near future so made perfect sense. The big button is from Hobbycraft, the brand is Vogue Star and colour reference 123.

So there you have it, my first handmade bag! 

I look forward to using it........

Before I go, I thought I'd share a couple of collages from a recent trip to Camden Lock Market in London. I drove down, parked opposite Regent's Park and sauntered through Primrose Hill, along the canal tow path to the market.

It's been some years since I've been there, and let me tell you it's VAST. Goodness me, the sights and smells were a feast for the senses. I enjoyed having a good browse amongst the hundreds of stalls. Just wish I had endless pots of cash to spend! Suffice to say I had to be very disciplined. 

Did I mention the food? OMG, the food stalls/outlets/restaurants are on another level. There is something for every palate. The only thing that puts me off is how busy it gets. This was a quiet Friday afternoon in Winter and it was still bustling. The Summer must be a nightmare! 

Don't get me wrong I like the vibe of the place, but it's never pleasant when there's hundreds of bodies trying to occupy the same square metre of space. 

Just one last thing before I do disappear, and btw thanks for staying with me till the end. I know I've waffled on a bit. But I wanted to share with you this amazing flautist who I've just been introduced to. His name is Jef Kearns, and I love this instrumental track in particular entitled 'Lavender'. 

This will be the soundtrack to my Summer this year.......

Till next time

x x x x