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Purse #1
Envelope Purse
Okay, let's start with an envelope purse. It's easy.
Grab your thread and an appropriate hook. For my "demo purse" I used DMC
Cebelia in an iris blue color, with clear lavendar "drop" beads.
An envelope purse is a rectangle with a flap on one end. The easiest way
to plan one is by making a flat piece and folding it, whipstitching the sides
together. You can put a "point" at the far end (like a "real" envelope),
a curve, or (easiest of all) a straight edge. If the edge is straight it's
folded like you fold a piece of paper, into thirds or so, with two of the
thirds whipstitched together. You probably made envelopes this way, stapling
or taping the edges of the paper, when you were in grammar school.
I'm making a clutch purse (in sterling with freshwater pearls). I didn't
want to "guesstimate" my edges, so I made a quick sketch of the dimensions
I want. That's my pattern. (Yup, that's it.)
How many beads to put on? Well... lots. It's easier to put extras from the
thread back into a container when you're done than to try to add more if
you run out. (Adding more involves cutting the thread, adding beads, and
re-attaching the thread. Easier not to have to bother.)
So, how many? It'll depend upon your purse pattern, how many beads you want
and where in the pattern you want them, how big the purse is... One book
I read gave bead quantities in feet of beads on the thread. That works if
you're using the same size beads as the directions. If you're using the beads
YOU want, your mileage (footage) will vary. I try to estimate by wrapping
the threaded beads around my wrist. I figure one "lap" around my pudgy wrist
is about two "laps" around a small purse with a bead every other stitch.
Then I guesstimate how many rows I'll have -- by wrapping the thread down
my arm and thinking about how big the purse will be. Then I add a LOT of
'slush' -- about 25-50% more beads than I estimate.
The easiest way I've found to thread beads onto my crochet thread is by
stiffening the end of the thread and using that as a "needle". Quick-drying
fingernail polish is a fast and easy stiffener. (When you're done threading
the beads, you just snip off the "needle".)
Start at the "inside" edge (not the flap) for the simple reason that it'll
be hidden if you goof at the start, before you really get your bearings.
For a small opera purse, pull out a credit card. Chain the length of your
credit card, plus about an inch. (You should be able to put SOMETHING in
this when you're done!) Then sc in the 2nd chain from the end, and sc across.
Chain one and turn.
Now, it's your call as to whether you want to bead these first rows. Only
you will see them (because they'll be covered by the flap under normal
conditions). Personally, I start the pattern (whatever it will be) on the
very first row. That way the purse will look glam-OR-ous (accent on the OR)
when it's open.
Beading crochet is pretty easy. You have all these beads on the thread. After
you put your hook under the loops to start a new stitch, you slide a bead
up before you put the thread over to pull it through. The bead gets "caught"
between the hook and your work. As you pull the thread through, the bead
rotates and aligns. It's pretty cool -- the beads line themselves up
automatically.
That's a normal beaded crochet. You can do all sorts of variations on that
-- going under the front loop only (FLO) or back loop only (BLO) before you
bead, or pulling the bead up before the SECOND yarn over (rather than the
first) of a sc. If you're going for texture, you can pull up more than one
bead at a time. (This is an especially good effect if you're putting a fringe
at the edge of something, for your last row of sc's.) For a starter purse,
you should probably just choose ONE place to put ONE bead, and stick with
it.
Okay, now... if you've tried to put beads on your second row, you've noticed
a problem. You get beads on only one side of your work, normally the side
away from you. (I crochet backwards, so for me it's on the side facing me,
but, trust me, I'm weird.) When you chain one and turn, the beads are suddenly
on the INSIDE of the purse, where you don't want them. You're creative, so
you have two options:
1 - make it part of the pattern, so that beads are only on every other row
2 - learn to crochet backwards in addition to crocheting forwards, so that
the beads are all on one side. (There are two ways to do that. Beaded reverse
single crochet
Learn Reverse
Single Crochet lets you chain one and NOT turn when you finish a row,
so the same side is always facing you. There's an even weirder work-around
-- or two -- that I'll give you when you want and/or need it. In the fifth
lesson. Wait. Really. It's not worth jumping ahead for!)
You can be fancy-schmancy with your beading pattern, or not. (For your first
purse, you might want to just pick pretty beads and let the regular beads
be the pattern, s'alright?) So, for now, use an "every other row" pattern
of beads. You'll have one row with beads, and one row without. (Beaded rows
will be 2, 4, 6, etc.)
And, instead of putting a bead in EVERY stitch (which would look like
pinstripes), how about a bead every other stitch? Or every third stitch?
That gives them room to "breathe" instead of being crowded together. It also
makes the purse MUCH lighter.
Another option is to put beads in rows irregularly, or with a pattern that's
not regular. How about beading rows 2, 4, 8, 10, 14, 16? (Two beaded, then
skip one that would be beaded, then two more beaded...)
That's it. Keep going, sc'ing with and without beads, until the rectangle
can fold into the size you want it.
Finish off (perhaps with a fringe of beads? This is where you can add lots
of loops to the edge if you have extra, or keep it conservative if you're
almost out of beads.)
That's it. Fold the purse and whip-stitch the matching edges together.
Oh, you wanted a strap? Sure! Decide how long you want it. Decide if you
want it beaded or not. Then make it. You can do a mile-a-minute-style strap,
a beaded chain stitch strap (add a bead each time you make a new chain stitch),
or a beaded or unbeaded sc strap. Or, if you've got metallic type beads,
you can go to the hardware store and get some lightweight chain, or to the
fabric store and get some ribbon or edging, and use that for a strap. Stitch
the strap into place inside the purse.
If you want to make another purse with the Envelope pattern, you might want
to try a crochet stitch other than just single crochets. For the purse at
the top of the page I used a repeat that was a treble, a double, then a single
crochet, with a bead added on the single crochet. I added beads only every
sixth row, to give the beads "dangle room". (Sure, THAT's a common phrase!)
THAT'S IT. Now, go make a purse or two. Try some fancy stitches, some beaded
single crochets, go to the bead store and drool over all your options. Then
come back for lesson #2. "P" #2 - Basic
Pouch It's on making purses in the round...