Hip-Hop
Author
by Carol Ventura
Introduction
For those who like to crochet loosely, this is the project for you since it's tapestry crocheted with a large hook and loose stitches. With tapestry crochet, one yarn is single crocheted, while another is carried. Colors are switched while two loops of the single crochet stitch are still on the hook. For more information about tapestry crochet, please visit www.tapestrycrochet.com.
The bag shrinks and felts like magic in a washing machine. The beauty of felted tapestry crochet is that the carried yarn increases the sturdiness of the fabric and the pattern is visible on the inside and the outside!
Materials List
- Berroco Hip-Hop (100% wool; 76yd per 3 1/2 oz / 70m per 100 g), 4 balls each of:
- MC: #7240 Zion
- CC: #7231 Dreamz
- stitch marker
- 1 1/2” button
- yarn needle.
- US size Q (15.75-16 mm) or hook needed to obtain gauge
Finished Size
Before felting: 31” wide x 18” high (with base, but without handles)
After felting: 13” wide x 15” high (with base, but without handles)
Gauge
Before felting: 6 sc and 7 sc rows = 4” / 10 cm square
Notes
When changing from one color to another in sc, the final yo and draw-through is done with the second color. Additionally, one yarn is "carried" while the other is being crocheted. This technique, which should be applied throughout this pattern, is known as the tapestry crochet stitch and is illustrated in detail here.
The Pattern
Hip-Hop before felting
Pattern
With MC, make a slip knot (leaving a 6” tail), ch 4, sl st in first ch to form ring.
Round 1: Work 6 sc loosely into the ring (while carrying the tail of the yarn). (6 sts)
This piece is worked as a spiral, not in concentric rings, so do not join rounds. To keep track of where each round ends, slip a stitch marker into the top of the last st of the round. You will remove the marker from the st as you come to it again and slip it into the new last st at the end of each round.
Round 2: Continue to carry the tail, work 2 sc in each st around. (12 sts)
Round 3: Cut the tail and begin to carry the CC yarn, work 2 sc in each st around. (24 sts)
Round 4: *Sc in next st, work 2 sc in next st,* rep from * to * around. (36 sts)
Round 5: *Sc in each of next 2 sts, work 2 sc in next st,* rep from * to * around. (48 sts)
Round 6: *Sc in each of next 3 sts, work 2 sc in next st,* rep from * to * around. (60 sts)
Round 7: *Sc in each of next 4 sts, work 2 sc in next st,* rep from * to * around. (72 sts)
Round 8: *Sc in each of next 5 sts, work 2 sc in next st,* rep from * to * around. (84 sts)
Round 9: *Sc in each of next 6 sts, work 2 sc in next st,* rep from * to * around. (96 sts)
Graph 1 (for right-handed crocheters) is read from bottom to top, from right to left.
Begin tapestry crochet motif
Rounds 10 through 28 correspond to Graph 1, above.
Round 10: *With CC, sc in each of next 6 sts, with MC, sc in each of next 6 sts,* rep from * to * around.
Rounds 11: *With CC, sc in each of next 7 sts, with MC, sc in each of next 5 sts,* rep from * to * around. Rounds 12: *With CC, sc in each of next 8 sts, with MC, sc in each of next 4 sts,* rep from * to * around. Rounds 13 - 14: *With CC, sc in each of next 9 sts, with MC, sc in each of next 3 sts,* rep from * to * around. Rounds 15: *With MC, sc in next st, with CC, sc in each of next 8 st, with MC, sc in each of next 3 sts,* rep from * to * around.
Rounds 16: *With MC, sc in each of next 2 sts, with CC, sc in each of next 7 sts, with MC, sc in each of next 3 sts,* rep from * to * around.
Rounds 17: *With MC, sc in each of next 3 sts, with CC, sc in each of next 6 sts, with MC, sc in each of next 3 sts,* rep from * to * around.
Rounds 18 - 20: With MC, sc in each st around.
Round 21-28: Rep Rounds 10 – 17.
Graph 2 (for right-handed crocheters) is read from bottom to top and from right to left.
Rounds 29 through 38 correspond to Graph 2.
Round 29: *Sc2tog, sc in each of next 10 sts, * rep from * to * around. (88 sts)
Round 30: Sc in each st around.
Round 31: *Sc2tog, sc in each of next 9 sts, * rep from * to * around. (80 sts)
Round 32: *With CC, sc in each of next 5 sts, with MC, sc in each of next 5 sts,* rep from * to * around.
Round 33: *With CC, sc in each of next 6 sts, with MC, sc in each of next 4 sts,* rep from * to * around. Round 34: *With CC, sc in each of next 7 sts, with MC, sc in each of next 3 sts,* rep from * to * around. Round 35: *With CC, sc in each of next 8 sts, with MC, sc in each of next 2 sts,* rep from * to * around. Round 36: *With MC, sc in next st, with CC, sc in each of next 7 sts, with MC, sc in each of next 2 sts,* rep from * to * around.
Round 37: *With MC, sc in each of next 2 sts, with CC, sc in each of next 6 sts, with MC, sc in each of next 2 sts,* rep from * to * around.
Round 38: *With MC, sc in each of next 3 sts, with CC, sc in each of next 5 sts, with MC, sc in each of next 2 sts,* rep from * to * around.
Handle and Rim
NOTE: Except when crocheting with both yarns together, one yarn will be "carried" when crocheting with the other.
With MC, sc in next st, then join MC and CC yarns together and while they are still attached to the bag, ch 45 sts (increase or decrease the number of ch sts to make handle longer or shorter).
Round 1: Insert hook into the rim 40 sts away from the base of the ch (this attaches the handle to the other side of the bag), with MC, sc in to each of next 40 sts across rim, with CC, sc in each ch st across handle.
Round 2: With MC, sc in each of next 40 sts across rim, with CC, sc in each st across handle.
Round 3: With MC, sc in each of next 40 sts across rim, with CC, sc in each st across handle.
Cut MC flush, sl st with CC. Fasten off. Weave in ends.
To finish on opposite side of handle strap, turn the bag over and insert the hook into the upper right inside corner of the rim and handle, attach MC, leaving a 2” tail hanging out the back.
Round 4: With MC, ch 1, then begin to carry the CC yarn (along with the 2” tail of MC), sc in each st across the rim, with CC, sc in each of next 45 sts across handle by inserting the hook into the bottom loops of the foundation ch.
Round 5: With MC, sc in each of next 18 sts across rim, join the MC and CC yarns together, ch 9, skip next 4 sts of bag rim, with MC, sc in each of next 18 sts, with CC, sc in each st across handle.
Round 6: With MC, sc in each sc and chain st across rim, with CC, sc in each st across handle.
Cut MC flush, sl st with CC. Fasten off. Weave in ends.
After Felting
Felting
To felt the bag, set the washing machine for small load, hot wash, cold rinse, normal agitation, then wash it by itself twice with mild soap (not detergent; 1 tbs. of Ivory Dishwashing liquid works for me) and once without any soap. It will shrink and felt a little more each time it is washed. It may be thrown in the drier or air dried, then steam ironed.
Sew the button on with MC after the purse has been felted.
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Oh goodie-a large tote purse. I have had so much fun with Tapestry crochet, everyone loves the pieces I have done.
Just keep doing more patterns!
I love this bag, but 8 balls of hip hop would break my tiny grad student budget. Is this something I could make in Lion Wool?
Absolutely! You can substitute with any 100% wool yarn.
Kim, Ed.
great! I don't know much about felting so I wasn't sure if any wool would work, I remember hearing that some white wools don't felt
That's true - it's a factor of the bleaching process. Some wools will felt better than others, but synthetic and most plant-fiber yarns won't felt at all.
Lion Wool would work great, but it is around half as thick as Hip-Hop, so you should double strand it (two strands of Lion Wool roughly equals the weight of one strand of Hip-Hop).
I am left handed and was wondering how to read the graphs. I have worked from a chart before but the designs were always symmetrical so it wasn't an issue. Thanks!
Left-handed crocheters should place a mirror to the right or left of the diagram and follow the reflected image. The written instructions work for both right and left handed crochet.
i love the shape of this bag! i'm wondering though if it would be as substantial if it was done in a single color (w/o the tapestry work). if it was done in a single color, i'm assuming rounds 10-28 would have 96 stitches??
also, rounds 18-20 says "st in each st around." should it be "SC in each stitch around?"
thanks in advance for the input...
Sure - you could single crochet it without the motif, and yes, rounds 10-28 would have 96 stitches. You could try changing the yarn color every few rows to do horizontal stripes, or keep the same color for a solid look, of course. Thanks for noticing the typo - yes, rounds 18-20 should say, "sc in each stitch around." Thanks!
thanks carol :)
one more question -- do you think i would still need 8 skeins total if i did it in a single color?
If the yarn is as thick as Hip-Hop, then 5 skeins should do it. If you use a thinner yarn, you will need less yarn and should use a smaller hook.
I love this bag. do you have a pattern for knitting? I don't crochet but I would love to knit this bag.
Tapestry crochet is easier than knitting - at least it is very easy to rip out a mistake, since you only have one loop on your hook. Also, you don't have the loops of thread on the back of the fabric because the colors are integrated into the crochet stitch. Maybe it's time to give tapestry crochet a try!
Just a quick question----
I need a suggestion for othjer yarn to use than wool when working a felting project (actually this will be my 1st).
The reason I need a different yarn type is that my daughter is allergic to wool. And I want to make this bag for her.
You could use alpaca or mohair, which would be fuzzier, because felting only works with animal fiber. If you don't want to felt it, though, you could use any thick yarn and a smaller hook.