pinkwool's craft house

(Note: I've never written crochet instructions before, so if these are confusing anywhere, please let me know so I can improve!)

Materials:

- Rice-color yarn (I used Caron 1-lb Off White)

- Nori-color yarn (I used uhhh something from my library's Makerspace, but it was the same weight as the rice yarn)

- K hook

- Tapestry needle

- Cotton fabric

- Needle

- Thread

To make the rice ball:

- Chain 44. Turn your work

- From the 2nd chain, DC 42

- Ch 1 and turn

- HDC 42. Ch 1 and turn.

- Repeat for 65 rows (mine is 59 and I wish it were a little longer)

- Ch 1 and turn 90*

- Down the raw edge, hdc 1 stitch per row

- Ch 2 and turn 90*

- SC 42 across the initial DC row

- Ch 2 and turn 90*

- Down the raw edge, HDC 1 stitch per row

- Ch 2 and turn 90*

- SC 42 across the second DC row

- SlSt into the ch1 from instruction 6 and cut your yarn

To make the nori wrap:

- Ch 27, turn your work

- From the 1st chain from your hook, HDC 26

- Ch 1 and turn your work

- Repeat for 31 rows

- Ch 1 and turn your work 90*

- SC one crochet for each row, down the raw edge of the rectangle

- Ch 1 and turn your work 90*

- SC 26 across the initial chain

- Ch 1 and turn your work 90*

- SC one crochet for each row, down the other raw edge of the rectangle

- Ch 1 and turn your work 90*

- SC 26 across the final row

- SlSt into the final stitch and cut your yarn

Assembly:

- Center the nori rectangle in the middle of the rice rectangle

- Using the nori yarn and a tapestry needle, sew on the nori down both long sides

- Sew across the center of it as well. This creates two pockets, one on the front and one on the back

- Turn the bag inside out

- SlSt down each side using the rice yarn and a tapestry needle

- Weave in your ends

Lining:

- Set the bag down on the liner fabric of your choice

- Trace around it

- Fold the fabric in half

- Cut out the fabric

- Fold down the top raw edges

- Sew down the side seams using a 1/4" seam allowance, trapping the folds in place. They will have raw edges but that's okay

- Place the liner into the crochet bag the way you want it to look, then turn the whole thing inside out. This is the easiest way, in my experience, to make sure you're putting the liner in correctly

- Line up the folded top edge of the bag with the bottom of the DC row at the bag's top, aligning the side seams of the liner with the side seams of the crochet bag

- Zig-zag stitch along the edge of the liner. This leaves the DC row exposed atop the liner

Straps

- Measure how long you want the straps to be. This is the distance from the back of your shoulder to where you want it to sit at your side

- Add to that measure about 3"

- Double that number. That's the length you want

- Using three strands of yarn (I used 2 rice yarn and 1 nori yarn), chain the length. This was 120 chains for me, and it was very short

- Do this twice (two straps)

- Using a tapestry needle, weave one strap through the DCs at the top of the bag, so that it exits at one side seam, then through the bottom corner of the bag. Tie the two ends together

- Do the same for the other strap, coming out the other side of the bag

- Try the bag on to make sure you like the length

- Once you're sure you're happy with the length, pull the bag open

- Using a single strand of yarn and a tapestry needle, stitch together the inner side of the two chains, so that they make a single strap. Do this for the length of the strap up to the top of the bag, which should be FULLY pulled open for this. For me, this was 30 chains

- Tie off the end when you reach the top of the bag, then weave in your ends

- Do the same on the other side. This makes it so that you don't run the risk of sticking your hand through the space between the chains when you're putting the bag on