My Blanket Stack
Published on November 6, 2020

Learner Bag: Big FO Reveal!

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Hello, lovely! Today I wanted to share a finish with you! I know you might be in the middle of my Gloria Blanket CAL, but I have had this FO in the vault for a long time, just because I wanted to put it to the test (more on that later), and now I just have to share it.

The Learner Bag was a project that stemmed from a desire to branch out from making blankets and into creating something new. I don’t think I am alone when I say that crafting is my safe and happy place, and I don’t like to rock the boat too much for fear of inviting discomfort in. So, to take baby steps, I decided to choose a project that would effectively be two small, erm.. bag-sized.. blankets sewn together. I even used an old pillow case for the lining; I am that dead-set on making this thing as painless as possible.

The outcome was superb! Read on to see more!

Enjoy my Finished Object reveal pics and I hope it can inspire you to try making a bag if you are deathly afraid of stepping out of your comfort zone. Of course, if your realm includes bags, then just consider this one to be a super simple project that you can whip up and add to your collection.

The Learner Bag

The pattern for this bag will be released very Monday here on my blog as a freebie, and of course a convenient PDF will be offered as well.

Social Media: Use hashtags #LearnerBag and of course #CypressTextiles

Designing The Learner Bag

The idea for the Learner Bag came to me when I received an awesome sample of Scheepjes Mighty Yarn. I got just five 50g balls of it to play with, which isn’t enough to make a blanket of course, and I wouldn’t consider Mighty to be a blanket yarn anyway. It is perfect for accessories and stuffed toys, and the like. Very durable!

The first scraps of designy bits! This is when I was just beginning to see how I would create the shapes, and you can read all about the WIP at this blog post.

Learn New Skills

These are just some of the skills you will learn as you create your Learner bag. This pattern will be designed for folks who have never made a crochet bag and are quite intimidated by the idea of constructing the bag and then lining it and adding handles. Trust me, I felt the same way! Now I feel like I could make a hundred more of them!

The Learner Bag Skills

  • Granny square with no visible starting corner
  • Solid chevron (half square triangle) with no holes at “peak”
  • My PLT Join – a totally flat join-as-you-go method
  • Make a project by building on previous pieces – completely no-sew crochet
  • Line a bag using an old pillowcase
  • Attach leather handles to bag

Choosing a Color Combo

Before I talk about the color palette, I wanted to say that the twine-like yarns really speak to me. The combination of solid colors and two-color yarns is really fun!

The colors I used for this bag are in the photo below – and what a gorgeous mix, I must say! Pictured are my Namaste Maker’s Bag and my trusty planner.

Shop Scheepjes Mighty

Find Sheepjes Mighty at the following retail stores, using these affiliate links. Shopping through these links will gain me a small commission to help support my work, at no additional cost to you!

Or find a Scheepjes retailer near you!

These colors are – one ball each:

  • Yarn A: Ocean 757
  • Yarn B: Mountain 755
  • Yarn C: Glacier 753
  • Yarn D: Oak 752
  • Yarn E: Ice 750

I’ve picked out another color combo to make the step-by-step sample!

These colors are – one ball of each:

  • Yarn A: River 756
  • Yarn B: Oak 752
  • Yarn C: Glacier 753
  • Yarn D: Desert 760
  • Yarn E: Volcano 758

The Learner Bag was a pleasure to design, and I put it to the test by making it my main tote bag for the past eight months or so. It has held up tremendously through all of my family adventures. I highly recommend this yarn for projects that need to last, as it has zero signs of wear and tear.

I hope you enjoyed my FO photos and the little back story of The Learner Bag!

Thank you as always for stopping in and checking out my latest offering. I appreciate you!

Happy Crafting,

Rachele C.

The Art of Crochet Blankets

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