Crochet Bag - Colorful, Compact and Quick to Make

The last time I visited my daughter in Oregon, she used old shopping bags purchased several years ago from the commissary here in Hawaii. The bags are looking pretty beat up by now, so when I found this great FREE crochet grocery bag pattern by Haley Waxberg (on the website Ravelry) recently, I decided to make Riki a few new crocheted shopping bags.

The first crochet bags I like to refer to as my practice ones. I made the turquoise duo out of synthetic yarn. It's REALLY stretchy as shown below, but when it came to making the crochet bags I wanted to gift, I used 100% cotton yarn (as did the designer of the crochet bag pattern). These also stretch wonderfully and can each hold the weight of 4 or 5 cans of food.

The designer suggested stretching the crochet bag before using initially. Just hanging them up with a few cans inside does do the trick. :) Wash the crochet bags in cool water when needed and dry flat, reshaping as desired. I think I may whip up a few more of these for stocking stuffers.

Linking to the Sunday Showcase Party at Under the Table and Dreaming and Motivate Me Monday at Keeping it Simple. Come join us!