Crochet directly onto a metal ring for purse strap?

IngridSera wrote

on Apr 2, 2009 12:17 PM

I know that you can easily knit onto a d-ring or o-ring for a purse strap, but since crochet works from a chain rather than another needle, is there a way to do it?

I'm new to crochet, so please speak slowly and use small words. ;)

PS...I am not looking for an alternative method to attach the crocheted strap onto the d-ring, such as looping a finished strap through the ring, then stitching the free end to the back of the strap, or knitting on a row, then switching to crochet. I'm aware that those workarounds are available to me. I'm looking for a way to incorporate the d/o-ring directly into the crocheted end from the beginning. Thanks!!

crochetinTrucker wrote

on Apr 5, 2009 8:45 AM

I have never crocheted or knitted around a handle like this but the only two ways I can envision are

1.  Chain as many as you need and hold the chain to the front of the ring. When you draw up or yarn over, make sure it is from behind the ring. This seems like it would give the effect the yarn is tightly wrapped around the ring with a seam of crochet.

2. Work up a piece of fabric long enough to go the circumfrence of the ring and wide enough to wrap around the ring. If the ring has a break in it you could stitch it together so it can be slid onto the ring and stitch closed both ends or stictch the ends together. If there's no break, hold the ring so it sits in the fabric like in a sling and slip stictch(or sc if you'd like a ridge) the fabric closed around the ring. Depending on the stitch you use to create the fabric, I would think this way would be more likely to show the ring through the fabric. BUT! If you had a particular stitch you wanted to use but didn't want a silver metal ring showing through, you could spray paint the ring either a contrasting color from the yarn, to show off the stitch, or one close to the color of the yarn to blend in more.

Or, now that I think about it!, you could work up a stretch of fabric and lash it around the ring with yarn like one of those steering wheel covers. OR, make it an extra long stretch of fabric and lash the fabric itself around the ring. Wow, I didn't know I had all that in the noggin this early on a Sunday! lol

I guess the method you use would depend on the purse...is it casual, funky, elegant and so on...I'm sure there are a ton of ways...I think there are a couple handbags/purses in the finished objects forum that have crochet or yarn of some sort incorporated in the handles. Usually I just crochet a stretch of fabric and let that be the strap! lol By the end of the bag, I'm over it and lazy!

Sorry to ramble on, good luck!

Jen

IngridSera wrote

on Apr 5, 2009 10:22 AM

Thanks Jen! I think the method described in #1 was just what I was looking for. I was having a mental block, I guess, because I was trying to think of a way to incorporate the ring into the foundation chain, like when you cast-on directly on the ring if knitting. Never occured to me to do it on the first row, but you're right. All I need is to loop over. Yea you!

#2 is certainly one of many ways you can incorporate a crocheted strap into a purse design, but I was looking for a way to do it with only crochet.

Thanks again!