The Paw Purse CAL
April 2024 Crochet-A-Long
Let’s continue to celebrate my 4th Designaversary with a quick CAL (Crochet-A-Long)!
Officially, this CAL began April 19, 2024 but we are happy to have you join in at any time!
The Paw
In May 2021, I published “The Paw 20“. I’ve adjusted that small square and turned it into a bag for us now!
This bag is worked in the round (as a tube) for both the interlocking crochet version and the overlay mosaic crochet version.
Free or Paid
The Paw Purse will be published to Ravelry and Etsy as a nice prinatable PDF with the fully written patterns and chart for both of my favorite colorwork techniques (interlocking crochet and overlay mosaic crochet).
I’ll also publish the writtens patterns here to my website for forever-free viewing!
Thank you for supporting me in whichever way works best for you!
CAL Begins April 19, 2024
Update: We are now live!
You have a few days to get your yarn and brush up on your skills before The Paw Purse CAL begins.
On April 19 I’ll publish the full pattern and charts to Ravelry and Etsy. On that day I’ll also publish part one of the free online version. (Jump to quick links to find these!)
On April 26 I’ll publish part two of the free online version. (Jump to quick links to find these!)
Two Colorwork Techniques
All of my patterns are designed for both interlocking crochet and overlay mosaic crochet.
Interlocking Crochet
The Locked Filet Mesh (LFM) interlocking crochet method uses only chain spaces and double crochets to create a mesh; two colors are worked alternately which creates the pattern.
Overlay Mosaic Crochet
Mosaic crochet is single crochet and double crochet stitches. The double crochet stitches cover some of the other color’s single crochet stitches to create the design. My patterns instruct you to cut your yarn at the end of each row. The back is striped but often gives a faint impression of the pattern on the front (sort of like illusion knitting).
I used worsted weight yarn for the interlocking crochet sample (blue and white) and you can see the size difference with the pink fingering weight yarn sample.
Yarn Details
I’ve calculated yardage details for two yarn weights for each technique. Matching gauge is not critical with a bag so you may prefer to think of these numbers as loose guidelines.
The image will show and the bag will be functional if you choose a different yarn weight (such as a light worsted) but you’d have to calculate your own yardage in that case.
Brush up on your yarn weight knowledge by checking out the information from Yarn Craft Council.
Fibre Content
You’re free to use any yarn weight of any fibre. I prefer 100% cotton for a bag.
Panda Yarns
This is not a sponsored post. I just wanted to give a little shout-out to this small Canadian business! Panda Yarns is a woman-owned business in the province next to me (I’m in Saskatchewan, she’s in Alberta).
She ships in Canada and the USA.
There are so many colors options and the prices are great!
I used the 4-ply for my fingering weight purse but I’ve also got some 5-ply here waiting for me to get busy! *cue the sparkly eyes*
Important Details for Interlocking Crochet Option
- US crochet terminology
- Chart is 76 x 38
Interlocking Crochet: Fingering Weight Yarn (1 – Fine)
- Yarn: Panda Yarns 100% cotton, 4-ply: 600 y / 549m per 166 g / 5.85 oz.
- Main color (MC) / paw – 80 yards / 73m or 22 g / 0.78 oz.
- Accent color (AC) / background – 69 yards / 62 m or 19 g / 0.67 oz.
- Optional strap (MC) 32” / 82cm – 47 yards / 43m or 13 g / 0.46 oz
- 3.5 mm hook (E-4)
- Gauge: 11 (dc, ch) x 11 rows in one color = 4”
- Body of bag: 7” / 18cm
Interlocking Crochet: Worsted Weight Yarn (4 – Medium)
- Yarn: Lily Sugar’n Cream 100% cotton: 120 y / 110m per 70 g / 2.47 oz.
- Main color (MC) / paw – 145 yards / 133m or 85 g / 3 oz
- Accent color (AC) / background – 130 yards / 119m or 75 g / 2.65 oz
- Optional strap (MC) – 33” / 84cm – 42 yards / 39m or 24 g / 0.85 oz
- 4.5 mm hook (US7)
- Gauge: 8 (dc, ch) x 8 rows = 4”
- Body of bag: 9.5” x 9.5” / 24cm x 24cm
Important Details for Overlay Mosaic Crochet Option
- US crochet terminology
- Chart is 37 (repeat twice) x 34
Mosaic Crochet: Fingering Weight Yarn (1 – Fine)
- Yarn: Panda Yarns 100% cotton, 4-ply: 600 y / 549m per 5.85 oz. / 166 g
- Main color (MC) / background – 73 yards / 67m or 20 g / 0.71 oz
- Contrasting color (CC) / paw – 55 yards / 50 m or 15 g / 0.53 oz
- Optional strap (MC) 32” / 82cm – 47 yards / 43m or 13 g / 0.46 oz
- 5 mm hook (E-4)
- Gauge: 24 sc x 25 rows in one color = 4”
- Body of bag: 6” x 6” / 15cm x 15cm
Mosaic Crochet: Worsted Weight Yarn (4 – Medium)
- Yarn: Lily Sugar’n Cream 100% cotton: 120 y / 110m per 70 g / 2.47 oz.
- Main color (MC) / background – 140 yards / 128m or 81 g / 2.86 oz
- Contrasting color (CC) / paw – 105 yards / 96 m or 61 g / 2.15 oz
- Optional strap (MC) 33” / 84cm – 42 yards / 39m or 24 g / 0.85 oz
- 5 mm hook (H-8)
- Gauge: 14 sc x 15 rows in one color = 4”
- Body of bag: 10.5” x 9” / 27cm x 23cm
Chart Details
The original small square, “The Paw 20“, used the same chart for both crochet techniques.
With this bag I’ve adjusted the mosaic crochet chart so that the solid areas are solid and you don’t see the interlocking crochet mesh dots.
As with all my patterns, the mosaic chart has X’s showing where the dropped double crochets go.
The interlocking crochet chart looks a bit different than my blankets because it’s worked in the round.
Charts for both techniques are only available in the paid PDFs.
YouTube Support Videos
I was planning on making a quick support video for The Paw Purse CAL but then I realized each technique deserved its own video.
And then the videos got quite long so I broke them up into two parts each.
There is an introduction video that goes over the CAL and then there will be two support videos for each technique. Find these videos on the technique-specific pages or view the whole playlist.