Crocheting with Val: Coin purse

My sister Melanie found a crocheted coin purse at a craft sale. She bought it and showed it to me, asking, "Can you make this?"

It's a fun way to carry coins and easy enough to make to have several in different colors. The ring is a party favor for bridal showers. I bought a package of them. They look very pretty on purses made of white thread with a silver metallic thread in it.

This one is made from 2 squares which are then joined with sc around 3 sides.

Chain 31 and it looks too long, but you'll find that often the beginning chain gets shorter as you work it.

Yarn over and insert hook into 6th chain from hook. 3 of the 5 chains you skipped count as a dc. The other 2 chains are for the spaces at top and bottom of the row. If you want to use trc instead of dc, you'll need to chain 32 and insert hook into the 7th chain from hook, so that you'll have 4 chains to count as a trc.

Work dc, (or trc) ch 1, yo and skip 1 ch, insert hook in next ch.

Repeat across the row. This method makes a solid bag with no need to join 2 squares.

ch 1, turn, yo, and insert hook into space between last 2 dc.

Work a dc. ch 1. (If you're making it with trc, yarn over twice, before inserting hook into spaces, work a trc, ch 1)

Work a dc (or trc) in next space.

Repeat across row.

Being sure not to twist the row, ch 1 and join in 4th chain at beginning of row.

slip stitch into space. chain 4 (counts as dc and ch 1 space) (ch 5 to count as a trc and ch1 space.)

dc in next space, ch 1 around.

Join in top of ch 3, leaving 1 ch for space.

Slip stitch into space, chain 4

Repeat previous round until the bag is as deep as you want. I'm making this one using dc. The red, green and white one is made with trc, so it didn't need as many rounds as the dc will.

Make sure to make 1 dc in each space. Don't miss a space, that would decrease (make the bag smaller around). Don't put two dc in a space, that would increase (make the bag larger around).

I left the beginning string loose for the first few rounds, because it makes a good handle. I worked it into the stitches, don't cut it off.

Each round, as you slip stitch into the next space, the beginning of the round moves out of the corner, into the middle of the row.

I think it's deep enough. I want to be able to easily reach the bottom. You can make it as deep as you want. After all, you're designing your own!

Work a slip stitch in each dc (or trc) and each space across to the side.

Chain 1 and turn.

Insert hook in the first space in the front of the bag.

Put the hook behind the post of the dc (trc) right behind the space

Pull the post through the space.

Pull a loop through

slip stitch

Chain 20

What am I going to do with the tab from a coke can? It will be the pull tab instead of a ring. Recycle!

Now, I'm going to sc around to cover the metal.

Put as many or as few sc around to get an effect you like.

Metal won't bend, how to pull up a thread around the middle bar?

Make a loop,

Push it through to the back for the hook to pick up.

repeat until the bar is covered

sc in the outside of the ring beside first sc, 20 chain stitches.

Insert hook into next space in front of bag.

pick up next bar from back of bag,

Pull to the front.

slip stitch around the bar.

Chain 19

keeping threads straight,(so you don't sc on wrong side of previous sc in pull tab) sc in pull tab.

Chain 19

Insert hook in next space in front of bag, and pull next bar from the back through the space. Repeat across, chaining 1 less each time until the middle. From the middle to the other edge, chain 1 more each time so that you have 20 chain stitches on the last chain .