Welcome to Part 1 of the Beach Blues Bag CAL. One thing I didn’t mention last week was that I started this bag to use up some of my cotton left over from a CAL I did last year run by Black Sheep Wools – the Folklore Jewels CAL. I chose the Pastel colour pack but I love blue, so I replaced some of the colours with more blue! This did mean I had quite a few shades of blue cotton left over and wanted to use all of them. So I now have bag and jewellery to match, perfect for the beach!

Are you ready to start the CAL?

You will need 15 square motifs, each about 13cm/5¼” square.  My motif has an open flower centre for the first 3 rounds, which I did in White and is then squared off and finished with granny rounds in a different colour. You could do more granny rounds to make larger squares and then a larger bag if you like. My bag is approx 36cm/14½” wide and 45cm/18” high when laid flat, excluding handle.

If you are using different weight of yarn you may wish to do fewer or more granny rounds and, of course, you may choose any colour scheme you want.

ABBREVIATIONS
The pattern is written in UK crochet terms.

St(s) = stitch(es)

Sp(s) = space(s)

Ch = chain

Ch-sp(s) = chain space(s)

Ss = slip stitch

Htr = half treble

Dc = double crochet

Tr = treble

Dtr = double treble

PATTERN

Make 15 motifs. All 15 motifs I made have White for the first 3 rounds and for the other rounds (Rounds 4 to 8) I made 3 each of the other 5 colours.

Foundation: Using White, make a 4ch foundation ch and join into a ring with a ss

Round 1: 3ch (counts as 1htr, 1ch), (1htr, 1ch) 7 times into ring, join to 2^nd st of original 3ch with a ss. (8 1ch-sps)

Round 2: ss into 1ch-sp, 1ch (does not count as st), 1dc in same 1ch-sp, 5ch, (1dc in next 1ch-sp, 5ch) 6 times, 1dc in next 1ch-sp, 2ch, 1tr into 1^st dc (forming last 5ch-sp). (8 5ch-sps)

Round 3: 1ch (does not count as st), 1dc in same 5ch-sp, 4ch, (1dc in next 5ch-sp, 4ch) 7 times, ss to 1^st dc to join.  (8 4ch-sps)

Round 4: join new colour into any 4ch-sp, 6ch (counts as 1dtr, 2ch), (2dtr, 1tr, 1ch) in same 4ch-sp, *(3tr, 1ch) in next 4ch-sp, (1tr, 2dtr, 2ch, 2dtr, 1tr, 1ch) in next 4ch-sp; rep from * twice more, (3tr, 1ch) in next 4ch-sp, (1tr, 1dtr) in first 4ch-sp, join to 4^th st of starting 6ch with a ss.

Round 5: ss into 2ch-sp, (note for this and each subsequent round: this ss is to position the start of the round in the right place) 5ch (counts as 1tr, 2ch), (3tr, 1ch) into the same 2ch-sp, *(3tr, 1ch) into each of the next two 1ch-sps, (3tr, 2ch, 3tr, 1ch) into the next 2ch-sp; repeat from * another 2 times, (3tr, 1ch) into each of the next two 1ch-sps, 2tr in the first 2ch-sp, join to 3^rd st of starting 5ch with a ss.

Round 6:  ss into 2ch-sp, 5ch (counts as 1tr, 2ch), (3tr, 1ch) into the same 2ch-sp, *(3tr, 1ch) into each of the next three 1ch-sps, (3tr, 2ch, 3tr, 1ch) into the next 2ch-sp; repeat from * another 2 times (3tr, 1ch) into each of the next three 1ch-sps, 2tr into the 1^st 2ch-sp, join to 3^rd st of starting 5ch with a ss. 

Round 7: ss into 2ch-sp, 5ch (counts as 1tr, 2ch), (3tr, 1ch) into the same 2ch-sp, *(3tr, 1ch) into each of the next four 1ch-sps, (3tr, 2ch, 3tr, 1ch) into the next 2ch-sp; repeat from * another 2 times (3tr, 1ch) into each of the next four 1ch-sps, 2tr into the 1^st 2ch-sp, join to 3^rd st of starting 5ch with a ss. 

Round 8: ss into 2ch-sp, 5ch (counts as 1tr, 2ch), (3tr, 1ch) into the same 2ch-sp, *(3tr, 1ch) into each of the next five 1ch-sps, (3tr, 2ch, 3tr, 1ch) into the next 2ch-sp; repeat from * another 2 times (3tr, 1ch) into each of the next five 1ch-sps, 2tr into the 1^st 2ch-sp, join to 3^rd st of starting 5ch with a ss. 

Break yarn and fasten off.

The motifs will benefit from a gentle blocking before they are joined. And joining is the next part, which I’ll publish in a week.

I have a Facebook page and a discussion thread on my Ravelry Group here.   Please join in and share your progress.

Happy crocheting xx