Free Hobo Bag Crochet Pattern

MATERIALS:

approximately 10-12 oz 100% cotton worsted weight yarn
(i'm a bit prejudiced in favor of cotton yarn--it's all i use! You may wish to try another type of yarn. )

optional: small amount of contrasting color cotton worsted weight yarn for trim

crochet hooks size G and H
(If you tend to crochet rather loosely, you may want to drop down to an F and G.




NOTE: sling is worked with dc worked into the space between two dc sts, rather than in each dc st.

SLING: using larger hook, ch 4, join with sl st to form a circle.
row 1: ch 3 (counts as first dc), work 11 more dc into circle, sl st into SPACE bet beg ch and next dc to join, turn.
row 2: ch 3 (counts as first dc), work another dc in same space bet beg ch and dc, *work 2 dc in space bet the next 2 sts; rep from * around; 24 dc, sl st into SPACE bet beg ch and next dc to join, turn.
row 3: ch 3 (counts as first dc), work another dc in same space bet beg ch and dc, *dc in the next space bet 2 sts, work 2 dc in the next space bet 2 sts; rep from * around; 36 dc, sl st into SPACE bet beg ch and next dc to join, turn.
row 4: ch 3 (counts as first dc), work another dc in same space bet beg ch and dc, *dc in each of the next 2 spaces bet sts, work 2 dc in the next space bet 2 sts; rep from * around; 48 dc, sl st into SPACE bet beg ch and next dc to join, turn.
row 5: ch 3 (counts as first dc), work another dc in same space bet beg ch and dc, *dc in each of the next 3 spaces bet sts, work 2 dc in the next space bet 2 sts; rep from * around; 60 dc, sl st into SPACE bet beg ch and next dc to join, turn.
row 6: work even by dc-ing in each space around, sl st into SPACE bet beg ch and next dc to join, turn.
row 7: ch 3 (counts as first dc), work another dc in same space bet beg ch and dc, *dc in each of the next 4 spaces bet sts, work 2 dc in the next space bet 2 sts; rep from * around; 72 dc, sl st into SPACE bet beg ch and next dc to join, turn.
row 8: ch 3 (counts as first dc), work another dc in same space bet beg ch and dc, *dc in each of the next 7 spaces bet sts, work 2 dc in the next space bet 2 sts; rep from * around; 81 dc, sl st into SPACE bet beg ch and next dc to join, turn.
row 9: ch 3 (counts as first dc), work another dc in same space bet beg ch and dc, *dc in each of the next 8 spaces bet sts, work 2 dc in the next space bet 2 sts; rep from * around; 90 dc, sl st into SPACE bet beg ch and next dc to join, turn.
row 10: ch 3 (counts as first dc), work another dc in same space bet beg ch and dc, *dc in each of the next 9 spaces bet sts, work 2 dc in the next space bet 2 sts; rep from * around; 99 dc, sl st into SPACE bet beg ch and next dc to join, turn.
row 11: rep row 6.
row 12: ch 3 (counts as first dc), work another dc in same space bet beg ch and dc, *dc in each of the next 10 spaces bet sts, work 2 dc in the next space bet 2 sts; rep from * around; 108 dc, sl st into SPACE bet beg ch and next dc to join, turn.
row 13: ch 3 (counts as first dc), work another dc in same space bet beg ch and dc, *dc in each of the next 17 spaces bet sts, work 2 dc in the next space bet 2 sts; rep from * around; 114 dc, sl st into SPACE bet beg ch and next dc to join, turn.
row 14: ch 3 (counts as first dc), work another dc in same space bet beg ch and dc, *dc in each of the next 18 spaces bet sts, work 2 dc in the next space bet 2 sts; rep from * around; 120 dc, sl st into SPACE bet beg ch and next dc to join, turn.
rows 15-28: rep row 6.
row 29: work as established and dec every 9th and 10th st tog around; 108 dc, join and turn. [to work dec: insert hook in st, draw up a lp, insert hook in next st, draw up a lp, yo and draw through 3 lps on hook, yo and draw through rem 2 lps on hook]
row 30: rep row 6.
row 31: work as established and dec every 5th and 6th st tog around; 90 dc, join and turn. [to work dec, see row 29]
row 32: rep row 6.



SEPARATE FOR SHOULDER SHAPING: continue to work bet sts at all times.
FIRST SIDE:
row 33: ch 3, dec next 2 sts tog, dc in each of next 29 spaces, dec next 2 sts tog, dc in next space (33 sts), turn without working remaining sts.
row 34: ch 3, dec next 2 sts tog, dc in each of next 27 spaces, dec next 2 sts tog, dc in next space, turn.
row 35: ch 3, dec next 2 sts tog, dc in each of next 25 spaces, dec next 2 sts tog, dc in next space, turn.
row 36: ch 3, dec next 2 sts tog, dc in each of next 23 spaces, dec next 2 sts tog, dc in next space, turn.
row 37: ch 3, dec next 2 sts tog, dc in each of next 21 spaces, dec next 2 sts tog, dc in next space, turn.
row 38: ch 3, dec next 2 sts tog, dc in each of next 19 spaces, dec next 2 sts tog, dc in next space, turn.
row 39: ch 3, dec next 2 sts tog, dc in each of next 17 spaces, dec next 2 sts tog, dc in next space, turn.
row 40: ch 3, dec next 2 sts tog, dc in each of next 15 spaces, dec next 2 sts tog, dc in next space, turn.
row 41: ch 3, dec next 2 sts tog, dc in each of next 13 spaces, dec next 2 sts tog, dc in next space, turn.
row 42: ch 3, dc in each space across; 16 dc, turn.
rows 43-86: rep row 42. fasten and end off.

SECOND SIDE:
skip 12 spaces from the last st worked on row 33, join yarn in next space, ch 3 and work same as rows 33-51 for first side. fasten and end off. [you may wish to add or subtract rows after row 42 in order to adjust sizing but remember the stretch of the yarn.]



FINISHING: from wrong sides, sl st both ends of shoulder tog.

TRIM: with right side facing, either with same yarn or contrasting color and smaller hook, sc evenly around both openings, fasten and end off. [author's note: for me, "sc evenly" turned out to equal one sc in each dc st, one sc in the end of each plain dc row--which i think prevents stretching some--and two sc in the end of each dec row (bet 33 and 42 on each side). i worked the second sc in the end of each dec row into the dec st in order to prevent a big gap in the work.]

©copyright 1999 m.l., revised 2005

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