I seriously cannot believe how fast January came and went. 2020 has really took off this year. We are all here trying to work on our resolutions and we are down one full month of the year. Valentine’s day is just a few weeks away and some of us like to celebrate Galentine’s Day. (Anyone else a Parks and Rec fan here?) Jessica of Jessica Paz Creates is bringing us the perfect project to make for yourself, your loved one, or even one of your gal pals. Let us give a huge Valentine’s day welcome to Jessica
Hello Jessica!!!
Hi, I’m Jessica! The maker behind Jessica Paz Creates. I’m super excited to be featured on Yarn Punk. Let me share a little bit about myself. I’m married to my best friend and a stay at home mom of three girls. I can’t live without coffee, yarn, and tacos. I’ve always had a crafty side, but had never really created much. After seeing a friend post her cute crochet items on Facebook, I decided I wanted to learn. So I taught myself to crochet and inevitably, knitting followed a few years later.
Where it Began
As you may have guessed, I quickly became obsessed. I took the time to learn new stitches and techniques by following free patterns and watching YouTube videos. At the same time I thought, why can’t I design my own patterns? So I set out to learn as much I could. After the birth of my second daughter, I became a stay at home mom. Suddenly I had so much more time to focus on my craft and the door to design was standing wide open. For my first few years as a professional maker I designed original patterns and sold finished objects in my Etsy shop. It wasn’t until I had been designing for a couple of years that I worked up the courage to release my first pattern to the public.
*trigger warning- miscarriage mentioned in the following paragraph*
Right around the same time I took that step, I found out I was pregnant again. After suffering five miscarriages over the last two years, we were excited but scared. Scared of another loss, scared of going down that road of grief and anxiety again. But mostly scared that we may have to give up our dream of having another baby. During those dark days, I felt like my mind was in a constant state of fogginess. It was hard to focus on things around me. My craft is the one thing I could focus on.
That’s when I discovered my craft is therapy to me.
I could ease my mind and calm my anxiety by diving into my work. As my pregnancy progressed and my fear of another loss lessened, knitting and crocheting quickly became the only thing that would keep my anxiety at bay. Knowing that I could grab my yarn and take time for me to be able to relax and focus on something that I love to do, helped me in more ways than I thought possible. Then, on Valentine’s Day 2019, our daughter Scarlett was born.
Follow me on:
Instagram Facebook and Pinterest to see all of my latest creations. You will find my other patterns on Etsy, Ravelry, and Love Crafts I also have free patterns on my blog. This is an original pattern from Jessica Paz Creates. Please do not sell, reprint, or repost any parts of this pattern. You are welcome to sell your finished items but please link back to my shop. Be sure to tag me or use #jessicapazcreates #thescarlettbag so that I can see your Scarlett bag!
The inspiration behind the bag:
Throughout the years, I had always considered designing a Valentine’s Day pattern, but I’ve never been a huge fan of the holiday and it didn’t feel right. Now that Valentine’s Day is a very special day indeed, I have finally found a way to celebrate my journey through life’s challenges with the creative outlet that got me through.
This Valentine’s Day Scarlett will be one year old.
After all of the hardships we went through to bring her into this world, I wanted to design something with her in mind. The Scarlett Bag is the perfect project bag to take all of your yarnie things on the go. If you’re like me, being able to bring my yarn along is a must. It can be a perfect conversation starter, yet at the same time, it can also help me manage my stress and anxiety by finding a quiet place to sit and relax. Any way you use it, I hope you love it as much as I do.
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Materials:
Hooks: US I/5.5mm & US M/N-9mm
Scissors
Tape Measure
Tapestry Needle
Yarn:
3 skeins of Lion ZZ Twist (246 yds/3.5 oz)- Total: 500 yds
Lion Brand Go For Faux- Pink Poodle- Total: 15 yds
Rings: Two 6” Metal/Steel rings
I grabbed mine at Hobby Lobby
Abbreviations:
- Ch- chain
- Dc- double crochet
- FC- Forked Cluster (Stitch described in Notes Section)
- Dec- decrease (sc2tog)
- Inc- increase (2 sc in same st)
- Rep- repeat
- Rs- right side
- Sc- single crochet
- St(s)- stitch(es)
- Ws- wrong side
Gauge:
Gauge isn’t super important
14 sts x 12 rows (pattern fc, sc rows)
Measurements before seamed:
Length: 12” from center of bag
Width: 18” across the widest part of the bottom
The bag is made in 2 panels, worked from the top down, then seamed together.
The heart is sewn on after completion of the bag.
Notes:
- Forked Cluster (FC): Yo, insert hook in same sp as last st made, draw up a loop, yo, insert hook in next st, draw up a loop (5 loops on hook), (yo, draw through 3 loops) twice
- After the 1st row is made, the rest of the pattern will only say fc instead of the full written instructions for it.
- At the beginning of each fc row, make sure you’re starting in the same sp as ch 3.
- Ch 3 counts as a stitch in the 1st row only. The rest of the pattern Ch 1 & Ch 3 do not count as a stitch.
Pattern:
Ch 37 (make 2 panels)
Row1: Yo, insert hook in 4th ch from hook, draw up a loop, yo, insert hook in next ch, draw up a loop (5 loops on hook), (yo, draw through 3 loops on hook) twice (dc made) *yo, insert hook in same ch sp as last fc, draw up a loop, yo, insert hook in the next ch, , draw up a loop (yo, draw through 3 loops) twice, rep from * across ending last fc in last ch, dc in same ch, ch 1, turn (34 sts)
Row2: (Sc 16, inc) twice (last inc made in top of ch 3), ch 3, turn (36 sc)
Row3: Fc across, dc in last st (same st as fc), ch 1, turn ( 36 sts)
Row4: *Sc 8, inc, rep from * across, ch 3, turn (40 sc)
Row5: Fc across, dc in last st (same st as fc), ch 1, turn (40 sts)
Row6: *Sc 9, inc, rep from * across, ch 3, turn (44 sc)
Row7: Fc across, dc in last st (same st as fc), ch 1, turn (44 sts)
Row8: *Sc 10, inc, rep from * across, ch 3, turn (48 sc)
*Reminder FC is Forked Cluster (FC): Yo, insert hook in same sp as last st made, draw up a loop, yo, insert hook in next st, draw up a loop (5 loops on hook), (yo, draw through 3 loops) twice *
Row9: Fc across, dc in last st (same st as fc), ch 1, turn (48 sts)
Row10: *Sc 11, inc, rep from * across, ch 3, turn (52 sc)
Row11: Fc across, dc in last st (same st as fc), ch 1, turn (52 sts)
Row12: *Sc 12, rep from * across, ch 3, turn (56 sc)
Row13: Fc across, dc in last st (same st as fc), ch 1, turn (56 sts)
Row14: *Sc 13, inc, rep from * across, ch 3, turn (60 sc)
Row15: Fc across, dc in last st (same st as fc), ch 1, turn (60 sts)
Row16: *Sc 14, inc, ch 3, turn (64 sc)
Row17: Fc across, dc in last st (same st as fc), ch 1, turn (64 sts)
Row18: Sc 64, ch 3, turn
Row19: Fc across, dc in last st (same st as fc), ch 1, turn
Rep rows 18 & 19 until row 35, ending on a Fc row.
Fasten off, weave in ends.
Make 2nd panel.
Seaming:
The fc stitch is reversible. Choose which side you prefer to use as your right side (rs).
Lay your 1st panel with the ws facing down. Lay your 2nd panel on top of the 1st panel with the ws facing up. Rs facing each other.
Using a strand of yarn approx. 60”, you’ll start seaming between the 4th and 5th rows. This is to give you a bigger opening after you add the handles.
Seam your bag down one side, across the bottom, and up the other side using the mattress stitch or your preferred seaming method. Weave in ends.
Edging and Handles:
With your bag still inside out, you’ll sc around the top of both sides of the bag to give the edges a cleaner look.
Insert your hook into the top right corner on the back panel, ch 1, sc 34 across (adding 2 sts in each corner), sc down the edge, up the edge on the other side, sc 34 across, down the edge, and up the edge on the other side.
Sl st to the 1st sc, ch 1. Do not fasten off.
Attaching the ring:
Now grab a ring and line it up with the top edge. You’re going to single crochet the ring across the top edge.
Holding the ring, you’ll insert the hook into the 1st st, slide the hook behind the ring. With the yarn in front of the ring, grab the strand with the hook and pull it through the ring and st, you now have 2 loops on your hook. Yarn over and pull it through both loops. Rep across for the next 33 sts. (34 total)
Fasten off, weave in ends. Rep on the other side.
Optional: Sc around the entire ring for a pretty look.
Once you’re finished with the handles, flip your bag right side out.
Faux Fur Heart:
Using 9mm hook
Row1: Ch 2, sc in 2nd ch from hook, ch 1, turn
Row2: Inc, ch 1, turn (2 sc)
Row3: Inc, sc, ch 1, turn (3 sc)
Row4: Inc, sc, inc, ch 1, turn (5 sc)
Row5: Inc, sc 3, inc, ch 1, turn (7 sc)
Row6: Inc, sc 5, inc, ch 1, turn (9 sc)
Row7: Inc, sc 7, inc, ch 1, turn (11 sc)
Row8: Sc 5, ch 1, turn
Row9: Dec, sc, dec, ch 1, turn (3 sc)
Row10: Dec, sc, ch 1, turn (2 sc)
Row11: Dec, fasten off.
Sl st, ch 1, to opposite end of row 7.
Rep rows 8-11. Do not fasten off. Sc evenly around the edge of the heart, fasten off leaving a long tail for sewing heart to your bag. Weave in ends.
Tip:
To keep the heart in place while sewing it onto your bag tie the top two humps in place with a piece of scrap yarn. I tied mine between rows 7 & 8 of the pattern.
I hope you love making the Scarlett Bag as much as I do.
Be sure to tag @knot.bad and @yarnpunk on your socials and use the hashtag #yarnpunk!
