How to Crochet a Classic String Bag

Need reusable shopping bags? Want something thats funky, colourful and that you can make yourself? Try this Classic String Bag - its super easy using only chain stich and slip stich!

Materials
2 50g ball of crochet cotton size 10
2.00mm hook

Size
30 x 35cm (12 x 14in)

Tension
10 loops should be close to 10cm (14in)

Notes
1. When making a tube the work is not turned and there is no real beginning or end after row 1.
2. If you leave a length of cotton approximately 50cm (20in) long before making the slip knot, this length of yarn can then be used to sew up the base of the bag without joining in a new piece of cotton
3. After working 10 to 20 loops of the second row or spiral, put a safety pin in the loop on your hook, to stop it unravelling, and connect the chain into a circle. This will make it easier to know where to insert your hook when you come to the end of what is technically round 2.
4. You can be economical with your thread by working the handles first

Handles
Make 6 lengths of chain each 46cm (18in) long.

Bag
Work 244 ch.
Row 1: 1ss in 8th chain from hook, *5ch, miss 3ch, 1ss in next ch, rep from * to end of chain (60 lps)
Row 2: 5ch, 1ss in next chsp (this is the space of the first lp made in row one and changes rows into rounds). *5ch, 1ss in next chsp, rep from * in a continuous spiral until approx 35cm (14in) in length has been completed, or until the thread runs out. Fasten off

To complete
Sew the bottom of the bag by flattening the tube and joining the two halves together.
When the bag is flat there should be 30 loops on each side of the bag. Securely attach one end of a handle chain into the 5th, one into the 7th, and one into the 9th loop.
Plait these three lengths of chain 6cm (2 1/2in) from the bag until 6cm of the chain is left.
Securely join the three ends into the loops, missing 12 loops free in the centre.
Attach the remaining 3 lengths of chain to the other side of the bag the same way.
Place a little sewing stitch at the end of the plait to hold the strands together and prevent unravelling.

You may like to slide some clear plastic tubing over the handles to make it more comfortable to carry!!

**This bag is easily adapted using double knitting cotton and a 4.00mm hook. Begin with 120ch, whcih will give you 30 loops at the end of Row 1. When attaching the lengths of chain for handles place one chain in loop 2, one in 3 and one in 4, leaving 7 loops free in the centre of each side.

This pattern is taken from 'How to Crochet' by Pauline Turner

How to Make the Most of 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar'

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle is a great book. It also happens to be my two year old's current favourite. One of the really fantastic things about it is that it lends itself to all sorts of investigations, experiments and learning opportunites. So this weeks 'How to. . .' list is a compilation of fun activities you can do with your pre-schooler that are based on The Very Hungry Caterpillar.


CRAFT
There are some great craft activities you can enjoy with your pre-schooler.

Painting or colouring butterflies and caterpillars

Make a butterfly mask

Make an egg carton caterpillar.
You will need: paint, paint brushes, glue, construction paper, pipe cleaners, cotton balls, and egg cartons (oddly enough!)

Cut the egg cartons into sections of three. Then, glue the egg carton to a sheet of construction paper and paint the egg carton. Allow the carton to dry. Next, glue some cotton balls to the top of the carton. Place two pipe cleaners into the front of the egg carton. Draw on eyes and a face. Of course you can decorate it with other things - glitter, sequins, buttons . . . whatever takes the fancy of your pre-schooler!

MUSIC & MOVEMENT
You could find some appropriate music and dance around like a butterfly or a caterpillar

Click here for a great site with songs and poems about caterpillars and butterflys.

SCIENCE
If its the right time of year and you have a vegetable garden, it could be a great time to pop out and have a look at the white butterflies hovering around your cabbages and cauliflowers and their offspring eating them!

Or you could grow some Swan Plants and observe the life-cycle of the Monarch Butterfly.

You could do some blind taste tests of some of the foods the caterpillar ate. Your pre-schooler can try and guess what each thing is. Talk about texture, smell and taste.

Get some picture books from the library about the life cycle of butterflies.

MATHS
Cut out 11 circles from different coloured paper. Decorate one to be the Caterpillars face, write the numbers 1 - 10 on the other circles and work with your pre-schooler to put the caterpillar together with the numbers in the right order. Or alternatively you could draw 1 -10 spots on each circle instead of writing the numbers.

Make caterpillars of varying sizes and talk with your pre-schooler about bigger and smaller, putting the caterpillars in order of smallest to biggest or vice versa.

VOCABULARY
Talk about the days of the week with your child

Make cards of the different letters the foods start with and talk with your pre-schooler about the sounds and which food starts with which sound.

This is by no means an exhaustive list. Feel free to add any other ideas you might have in a comment attached to this post!

Have fun!!

For more ideas and for activities for older kids head on over to:
* http://www.teachingheart.net/veryhungrycaterpillar.html
*http://www.atozteacherstuff.com/pages/452.shtml