How to crochet Big Red & Green Christmas pouches

Materials:

• •  Yarnsmiths Create DK Glitter:
  • 2 White (G3040) - 100g
  • 1 Red (G3100) - 100g
  • 1 Green (G3210) - 100g
• •  Alternative, without the 'glitter', Yarnsmiths Create DK:
  • 2 White (3040) - 100g
  • 1 Bright Red (3110) - 100g
  • 1 Christmas Green (3210) - 100g
• •  Yarnsmiths Flurry Chunky:
  • 1 Snow White (2Q010) - 50g
• •  Ribbon: 1 inch wide
• •  5mm Crochet hook
• •  5mm Tunisian double-ended crochet hook
• •  Stitch marker
• •  Scissors
• •  Tapestry needle with an eye big enough for chunky yarn

Terms:

• TSS Tunisian Simple Stich
• YO Yarn over
• FO Finish off

Gauge:

Gague is not important.

Method:

Base:

With Yarnsmiths Create DK Glitter White yarn, leave a tail of approxamately 24 inches (for sewing up the bottom) and chain 80. I find it much easier to make chains with the ordinary crochet hook, and then transfer to the tunisian hook.

Round 1:

Join the chain by inserting your hook into the 'back bump' of the 1st chain, and pulling up a loop. Mark this loop. Placing the loop in the 'back bump' will create a neater bottom edge, and makes sewing up later a little easier.

Forward pass: add as many loops as possible with the white yarn. I often do this in blocks of 10 if using a short 15cm Addi Double End Tunisian Crochet Hook (as illustrated) or 20-30 if using a longer 35cm Pony Double End Tunisian Crochet Hook, but you can add as many or as few as comfortable.

Back pass: slide all the loops to the opposite end of the tunisian hook. Turn your work. To add the coloured yarn, create a slip knot on the hook, and pull through 1 loop. Continue pulling through 2 loops, until there is at least 1 coloured and 1 white loop left.

NOTE: it is important that you keep at least 2 loops on your hook - 1 white and 1 coloured.

Forward pass: slide all the loops to the opposite end of the tunisian hook. Turn your work. Continue drawing up loops on the chain.

Alternate between the forward passes and back passes, until you reach your 1st loop (the one you marked at the beginning). There is no need to move the stitch marker as you go: this is left as a reference only.

Rounds 2 - 5:

Continue alternating between the forward passes and back passes in continuous rounds.

This is where I usually sew up the bottom, as it is much more manageble at this stage. With the tail you left before chaining, and from the inside of your work, catch up each of the 'inner' loops, and then return catching up the 'outer' loops - this method creates a much sturdier seam than a single pass.

Rounds 6 - 40

Continue alternating between the forward passes and back passes in continuous rounds.

Round 41

Forward pass: (1 TSS, YO, miss a loop) to end.

Return pass: 1 TSS in each loop. Note: the 'YO' of the forward pass is a loop.

Rounds 42 - 45

4 rounds of ordinary TSS as before.

FO, do not bind off.

Fluffy edging:

With Yarnsmiths Flurry Chunky, switch to the ordinary crochet hook

R1: sc & dc in each space between loops.

R2: sc & dc in each stitch.

FO.

Finishing touch:

Weave ribbon in spaces formed in round 41, and tie in a big bow!