Summarize the following:
Instead of the simple envelope bag, you may decide you want to try your hand at a tote bag. This method has you crochet two pieces and sew them together. This style bag has straps for handles so will be well-suited to use as a purse or shopping bag. The beginning steps of this alternate project are the same as the envelope-style bag. You'll want to make sure that you are comfortable with the basic crochet stitches, have carefully selected your yarn and hook, and have thought about what you want your final project to look like. Once you've done that, you're ready to start crocheting your new bag! You will be creating two pieces and sewing them together. If you do not want a flap for your bag, the front and back pieces will be identical. If you want a flap, however, you'll need to crochet the back piece to be taller. For example, if you want a bag that is 12" tall with a flap, you'll want to make your back piece longercrocheting to 18" will give you a 6" flap. Counting your stitches carefully, create a chain until you reach the length you'd like the bottom and top width of your bag to be. You will be crocheting either a square or a rectangle, depending upon the shape you want your tote to be. If your chain is particularly long, you may find it helpful to use markers every ten or twenty stitches to help you keep count. Once you've completed your initial chain that is as long as you want the width of your bag to be, you'll need to turn so that you can start the next row on the opposite side. You will need to do this every time you get to the end of a row. To turn your work, simply rotate clockwise halfway so that your last stitch in the current row becomes the first stitch in the new row you are starting. Keep crocheting, turning, and creating new rows until you reach the desired height you are aiming for. Remember that if you want a flap for back, the back piece will need to be longer (taller) than the front piece. Once your front (or back piece, depending on which you are working on) is as tall as you want it to be, you need to fasten off the yarn. Once you've completed your last row, cut the yarn from the skein, making sure to leave a few inches. Draw the tail of the yarn onto your hook, remove the hook and pull on the yarn to tighten it. Then, weave the tail through the stitches in your top row. . Once you've finished, you'll have either two identical pieces (the front and the back of a bag with no flap), or two pieces with a longer back side piece that will flap over the front. With the wrong side of the two pieces facing each other, use matching yarn to sew the bottom and side pieces of your bag together. You'll probably want to use the same color yarn to sew your pieces together, but it may be fun to use a contrasting color. You'll most likely want to add a strap to your bag. The process for making this is very similar to what you've already been doing. There are a coupe of options for accomplishing this: Option one: Make a chain as long as you want your strap to be. Turn the chain, and single crochet back along to the end of the chain. Repeat the single crochet until the strap is as wide as you want it to be. Finish off the strap, and then sew the ends of the strap into the corners of your bag. Be sure to use plenty of stitches when attaching the straps to your bag; nothing is worse than having a strap break, causing you to drop the contents of your bag! Option two: Attach your yarn to the opening of the bag using your crochet hook and a slip-stitch. Chain one, single crochet across edge of bag making 4 single crochet stitches on on side of the seam and continue till you have 4 single crochet on the other side of the seam. Continue in rows until strap is desired length. Attach other end to bag using either slip-stitches or sewing on in same way used for seams.
Review steps 1-5 from above. Decide if you will want your bag to have a flap. Create a chain. Turn your work, and then single crochet back along your chain. Continue to single crochet. Fasten off your yarn. Repeat Steps 3-6 for the second piece of your bag. Sew the front and back pieces together. Make a strap for your bag.