How is it mid-June already? It’s almost time for another quarterly newsletter! But first, here is the first free pre-release crochet pattern: a rainbow bag. You can read more about why I am publishing my patterns temporarily for free in this blog post.

Rainbows make my soul smile. And since real rainbows are hard to catch, I like to surround myself with as many rainbow colored items as I can. After all, one’s soul can never smile too much. This particular rainbow bag is the perfect size to store my journal and pens, but I’m sure you’ll find countless other uses for it. I’d love if you shared them in the comments!

This crochet rainbow bag is so quick and easy to make! It only uses tiny amounts of yarn for the rainbow band, and utilizes the soothingly repetitive moss stitch to construct the bag’s body.

Materials

• Sugar’n Cream (or other 13 wpi/wraps per inch yarn) in following quantities and colors.

->55 g (just under 2 oz) of Main Color (Ecru)
-> 300 cm (just under 10 ft) of each of these 14 Rainbow Colors:

Color A: Black Currant;
Color B: Grape;
Color C: Soft Violet;
Color D: Lt Blue;
Color E: Blueberry;
Color F: Teal;
Color G: Sage Green;
Color H: Custom Dyed Green*;
Color I: Yellow;
Color J: Hot Orange,
Color K: Tangerine;
Color L: Red;
Color M: Country Red;
Color N: Wine.

• 4.5 mm (size 7) hook
• scissors, tapestry needle

*To get this shade of green, dissolve 1 tsp of liquid Rit Dye in Kelly Green in 2 cups of hot water. Tie 300 cm (10 ft) of white Sugar’n Cream cotton into a loose hank. Soak the hank in lukewarm water for approximately 5 minutes, or until completely saturated. Squeeze out excess water and place the hank into dye bath for 1 minute, swirling it around periodically. Remove the hank from dye bath and rinse in cold water.

If the color is too light, submerge the hank in the dye bath for additional 15-20 seconds. Remove and rinse. Repeat if necessary. If the color is too dark, add a drop of dish soap to the hank, work it gently into the fibers for about 10-15 seconds, and thoroughly rinse the soap out in cold water.

Squeeze out excess water and dry the hank completely. Wind into a ball and use as usual.

Construction

This bag is constructed in three sections.

Section A is worked in back and forth rows. Turning chains do not count as a stitch. Ends of the finished strip are whip stitched together to form a band.

Sections B and C are both worked into Section A row edges. After a round of single crochet stitches, remaining rounds are worked in moss stitch in a spiral without slip stitching or turning chains. Last round of Section B is whip stitched together to create the bag’s bottom.

Tip: The rainbow band of Section A is simply a sequence of 2 rows of single crochet stitches in each of the 14 rainbow colors, which is repeated 3 times.

Trick: Work over the end tail each time you work the first row in a new color to eliminate the need to sew this end in later.

Techniques needed to create the Rainbow Bag

Moss stitch

Moss stitch is a combination of single crochet and chain stitches, in which single crochet stitches are always worked into chain stitches of the previous round.

Color change

Change the color while working the turning chain stitch. That is; work the last single crochet stitch of a row in the old color. Add new color. Work turning chain stitch with the new color. You have one loop in the new color on the hook, ready for the first single crochet stitch in the new color.

Working into row edges

You will work Section B and Section C into Section A row edges.

Section A row edge consists of alternating single crochet stitches and turning chains. Each color stripe of Section A contains 2 rows of stitches. That means, in Round 1 of Section B and Section C, you need to work 2 single crochet stitches into the edge of each color stripe, alternating between working into the post of a single crochet and into the turning chain. Because the whip stitch seam with which the band was sewn together visually creates an additional row in the band, you also need to work a single crochet into the seam space.

Whip Stitch

With the right side of work facing, hold together both layers you wish to join and align the stitches. Start on the left side of the future seam. Pointing it towards you, insert the needle under both loops of a back layer stitch first, then under both loops of the matching stitch of the front layer. Pull yarn through. Move to the pair of stitches to the right and repeat these steps, making sure to always guide the needle under both loops of each stitch. After the last stitch, guide yarn to the wrong side of work (inside of the bag), carefully secure, and trim excess.

Rainbow Bag Crochet Pattern

Section A: Rainbow Band

With Color A, chain 8.
Row 1: Starting in 2nd ch from hook, 7 sc. Turn. {7 sts}
Row 2: 1 ch, 7 sc. Turn. Change from Color A to Color B. Break Color A yarn. {7 sts}
Row 3: *1 ch, 7 sc. Turn. {7 sts}
Row 4: 1 ch. 7 sc. Turn.* Change from Color B to Color C. Break Color B yarn. {7 sts}
Rows 5-6: As Rows 3-4. Change from Color C to Color D. Break Color C yarn. {7 sts}
Rows 7-8: As Rows 3-4. Change from Color D to Color E. Break Color D yarn. {7 sts}
Rows 9-10: As Rows 3-4. Change from Color E to Color F. Break Color E yarn. {7 sts}
Rows 11-12: As Rows 3-4. Change from Color F to Color G. Break Color F yarn. {7 sts}
Rows 13-14: As Rows 3-4. Change from Color G to Color H. Break Color G yarn. {7 sts}
Rows 15-16: As Rows 3-4. Change from Color H to Color I. Break Color H yarn. {7 sts}
Rows 17-18: As Rows 3-4. Change from Color I to Color J. Break Color I yarn. {7 sts}
Rows 19-20: As Rows 3-4. Change from Color J to Color K. Break Color J yarn. {7 sts}
Rows 21-22: As Rows 3-4. Change from Color K to Color L. Break Color K yarn. {7 sts}
Rows 23-24: As Rows 3-4. Change from Color L to Color M. Break Color L yarn. {7 sts}
Rows 25-26: As Rows 3-4. Change from Color M to Color N. Break Color M yarn. {7 sts}
Rows 27-28: As Rows 3-4. Change from Color N to Color A. Break Color N yarn. {7 sts}
Row 29: As Row 3.
Row 30: As Row 2.
Rows 31-84: Repeat Rows 4-30 two more times.

Fasten off, leaving a 20 cm (8 in) tail. Sew Rows 1 and 84 together with a whip stitch to form a band. Fasten off and break yarn. Weave in all ends.

Section B: Bag Bottom

Section B: Rainbow Bag Bottom
With MC, place a slip knot on your hook.
Rnd 1: 85 sc along Section A row edge (work 1 sc per row plus 1 sc into seam). {85 sts}
Rnd 2: Starting with ch st, moss stitch around. {85 sts}
Rnds 3-11: Moss stitch around {85 sts}

Fasten off and break yarn, leaving a 60 cm (24 in) tail. With RS facing, sew the stitches of Round 11 together with a whip stitch to create bag’s bottom. Weave in ends. Alternatively, you can use running stitch or ladder stitch to sew the bottom together.

Section C: Rainbow Bag Top

With MC, place a slip knot on your hook.
Rnd 1: 85 sc along Section A row edge (work 1 sc per row plus 1 sc into seam). {85 sts}
Rnd 2: Starting with sc, moss stitch around. {85 sts}
Rnds 3-11: Moss stitch around {85 sts}
Optional: Rnd 12: With a 9 mm (M) hook, sl st around into ch sps only.

Fasten off and break yarn. Weave in ends. Block and/or add zipper and/or lining, if desired.

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What did you think? Would you like to help me make this pattern better? Leave me a message below with your suggestions, questions, or corrections. Each crocheter who completes the form and submits a picture of the finished item will be eligible to win a $30 gift card of their choice in a draw on July 14, 2020.