Toiletry Bag

My mother came to my crochet class last week as a special guest. I told her to bring along something to crochet.  She brought a small toiletry bag that she crochets for a non profit organization in Arizona that supports abused men and women. Every person receives one of these bags filled with toiletry items. My students were very impressed with the bag and the utility of such a bag. They began discussing  many ways the bag could be used and asked about the pattern.  Mom said she really didn't have a pattern, she just sorta made it up.  My students looked at me wanting to know if I could show them how to make the bag. I told them, I'd come up with something. Here is my bag which looks very similar to the bag my mother was working on.

And here is the pattern which I will also make available in Ravelry as a free download. You can search for me under designers as Mary Riley Hunt

Special Instructions: Do not join rounds. Place a stitch marker at the beginning of each round, move the stitch marker up each round as it is worked to mark the first stitch in each round.

Ch 41

Rnd 1: sc in the 2ch from the hook (place stitch marker) and in each ch to the end, do not turn, but continue to sc along the back side of the chain. (80 sc)

Rnd 2-24 sc in the back loops around for 24 rows or until desired height has been reached.

Rnd 25: at the row marker slip stitch next stitch, chain 4, skip next stitch, *dc in next stitch, ch 1, skip next stitch. Repeat from * around. Join with a slip stitch in the 3^rd chain of beginning ch 4.

Rnd 26: ch 3, 2 dc in same stitch, *dc in next ch 1 space, 3dc in next stitch. Repeat from * around. Join to beginning ch 3 with a slip stitch. Finish off and weave in ends.

Tie:  chain 100. Finish off and weave around the ch 1 spaces in the bag. Add beads to both ends of the ties if desired.