HAPPY Rucksack - FREE Crochet PATTERN - PART 1

Lots of sunshine, warm temperatures, warmer nights and the odd days with showers, that has been our summer experience here in Kent, UK, and we have been enjoying it !  

And what does all this good weather bring? days out and about and not much crocheting in sight! Well for me, that has been the case and I have taken most of the summer season to relax and enjoy our visitors, travels, day trips and family instead. 

I am thoroughly enjoying the time away from crochet and everything to do with it - blogging, pattern writing, answering emails, FB crochet groups, and the like. It has been so relaxing and stress free, absolute bliss!

However, I must admit to some odd evenings I have crocheted away a few hours before bedtime. Just so many daylight hours during summer and even after a big day out, there are still daylight hours to fill in the late evening.  Lovely.

This is how my HAPPY rucksack came about. A need for a pretty little bag for day trips out and about.

I crochet the rucksack, from start to finish over five days  NIGHTS. 

I never thought I would be sharing this pattern, therefore I don't have photos of the actually steps for each pattern stitch of each row. However, I have done my best with the photos I did take after the making of the bag (and even after using it) so you can see how the stitch pattern rounds look close up.

I love this bag, so much, I am happy to share and walk you through the simple pattern combinations I used.  The simple pattern stitches and the design were decided as I crocheted, nothing planned ahead, just crocheting in the round, changing the stitch, round by round, changing colour, round by round, and working with remnants of my yarn stash.  That is why the main colour is orange, I had a good amount of it, and a smaller amount of the purple, green, pink and pale blue.   

You can use as many colours as you like, you may want to use just one (1) colour, or just two (2) colours, or you may want to change colour every row.  It's all good, it's about creating a HAPPY rucksack.

PLEASE NOTE:  

INSTRUCTIONS for the bag will be in THREE (3) PARTS.  

Today I will share with you PART 1, covering the Foundation Row and first nine (9) rounds.  Then in a few days times I will come back with PART 2, and we will continue with the following pattern rounds.

After all it is still summer time, and I am still having fun enjoying every moment of this holiday time.  So, if you have some free time to crochet this free pattern and would love a colourful rucksack or backpack for the summertime, then do join in, and crochet-a-long.

PATTERN DETAILS:

SKILL LEVEL:  Easy

YARN:  Petra Crochet Cotton 5 by DMC * Thread * 100% Cotton * 437 yards / 100 grams

TOTAL YARDAGE:  568 - 611 yards / 130-140 grams

HOOK:  2mm

MEASUREMENTS:   Length 15in (38cm) X Width 11in (28cm) - Bag circumference = 22in (56cm)

PATTERN NOTES:

Bag is crochet in the round, from bottom up.  Bottom of bag has a strong foundation row, slightly gathered.  Two drawstrings at the top, close the opening of the bag, and also serve as shoulder straps.

You will need to know how to:

• crochet in the round  
• colour change
• single crochet
• double crochet
• half double crochet

PATTERN INSTRUCTIONS:  (PART 1)

ABBREVIATIONS:

Ch = chain; sc = single crochet; hdc = half double crochet; dc = double crochet; sl st = slip stitch; st/sts = stitch/es; rep = repeat; ch1-sp = chain 1 space.

WITH MC

Foundation Row:  *Ch3, dc in 3rd st from hook, rep from * 14 times (15 loops).

Rnd 1:  Ch3, *5dc in loop, 1dc in st between loops, rep from * to end, 11dc in last loop, work opposite side, ** 1dc in st between loops, 5dc in each loop, rep from ** to end, ending with 5dc in last loop, join in ch3.  (220sts)

CHANGE TO CC1

Rnd 2:  Ch3, dc around, join with sl st in ch3.

CHANGE TO MC

Rnd 3:  Ch2, hdc around, join with sl st in ch2.

CHANGE TO CC2

Rnd 4:  Ch2, hdc around, join with sl st in ch2.

CHANGE TO MC

Rnd 5:  Ch3, dc around, join with sl st in ch3.

Rounds 1 to 9

CHANGE TO CC3

Rnd 6:  Ch2, hdc around, join with sl st in ch2.

CHANGE TO MC

Rnd 7:  Ch3, *skip next st, (1hdc, ch1 in next st), rep from * around, join with sl st in 2nd ch of ch3.

CHANGE TO CC3

Rnd 8:  Ch2, 2hdc in each ch1-sp around, join with sl st in ch2.

CHANGE TO MC

Rnd 9:  Ch3, dc around, join with sl st in ch3.

PHOTO BELOW:  Bottom of bag and first nine (9) rounds.

This photo we are looking at the bottom of the bag and identifying the first nine (9) rounds.

HAPPY Rucksack FREE Crochet Pattern PART 2 - go HERE

HAPPY Rucksack FREE Crochet Pattern PART 3 - go HERE

Hope you enjoy this FREE CROCHET PATTERN for my HAPPY Rucksack and hope you are all enjoying your summer holidays!

ciao, ciao!

Barbara Summers Hand Knit and Crochet   www.crocknit.com
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