Masa Bag
2 balls of yarn, 1 crochet hook and a good podcast…
I used 2 balls of Katía Jamaica in a yellow/green/red/brown blend and a 3mm hook.
Work 48 chain stitches, turn and work in slip stitches or double crochet – whatever you prefer – untill you have rectangle 20 cm wide and 53 cm long. Or thereabouts.
The fun part is the folding, inspired by Japanese furoshiki and bukuro. I’ll sketch some instructions for you. I just have to remind myself how I actually did it…
Stitch the bag together, and make a narrow strap (8 chains wide) and attach it to the top corners.
If you like you can leave your bag flat, or you can turn it inside out and fold the bottom corners to form a flat bottom and fasten the flaps with a few strong stitches.
You don’t have to crochet this – you could also use a felted, knitted rectangle or a length of fabric.
Make it small and use it as an evening purse or make it huge and use it for shopping.
The name Masa Bag is inspired by a Canarian/Japanese sushi place in Las Palmas I visited just after buying the yarn. My bag is Spanish-Japanese just like Hideo the sushi cook!
Ooh, crochet, marvelous! I need to learn. :)
Super spring colours, these.
Yes, go for it! This is a VERY, very, easy piece-of-cake pattern :-)
Well, I do have the crochet hooks….
and yarn…
… oh probably. Whether to use my new favourite green cotton DK that was going to be a summer top, or to make one in loud blues and yellow. Or the banana yarn maybe? Decisions, decisions….
This is adorable!! Is the way that you folded it listed on the page of furoshiki? I’d love try this, but I’m worried I’d get it done and not have a clue how to fold it! :)
@Janet, no the folding isn’t on the furoshiki page, but I’m sketching and testing and photographing so I’ll post the folding instructions tomorrow.
I actually had a hard time re-figuring it out! So simple, yet so complicated…
Great!! I will anxiously await your drawings then… it really is awesome!
I have the vaguest inkling this is going to be popular. :)
Beauteeful! I love the felting idea. Next time I get together with my sisters, we could do this…thanx!
It looks great. so simple and so clever. well done. I’ll try it too soon.
it must be very easy, cause it looks so complicated ;). looking forward to it.
Thank you so much for the pattern! It was a terrific first project. I’m a newbie and am most comfortable with Tunisian right now – so I did the whole thing in Tunisian simple stitch. I used wool so it’s a bit stretchy, but I doubles the handle (and used a Tunisian join on the edges) to stabilize that bit.
Pic at: http://grendelskin.blogspot.com/2009/05/brand-new-bag.html
Thanks again – I know I will be making more of these (especially after other folks get a peek!)
This is a very nice souvenir! The restaurant is closed since June, I am so sad about. Un abrazo muy fuerte!
Birgit, what a shame! I had planned to visit it again next winter… we’ll be back in February – hope to see you all again :-)
Lisa, great desing!!! lovely colors.
Besos.