Karielle’s Strap

If you make purses, you can never learn to make too many different purse straps! They give variety and interest to the simplest purse, especially if they are knotted or braided! Karielle is very easy to make, especially if you take the time to go through our previous tutorials!
Note-
If you don't know how to make a rope, please refer to our tutorial that teaches how to make them.
You will find it here:
How to Make the Crocheted Ropes

Materials-

Worsted weight yarn in color or colors of choice

Crochet hook size H

Pins

Pillow or cardboard to pin to

Scissors

Blunt needle to sew

Purse rings

To make this strap, crochet 4 ropes, twice as long as the length of strap you want, leaving 1 end of each rope attached to a ball of yarn, just in case you need to make a bit of extra rope, or to unravel some, if you miscalculated. That way, you will not have to start all over again.

At the beginning of the strap, leave about 1 ½ to 2 inches of rope un-worked, so that you can bend over a purse ring and sew. Pin in place so that ropes will not come off as you work.

Start rope as follows:

1-     Take rope #1 (the one on the right), to the back and bend it to form a loop. Bring rope #4 to the center, lay it in front, on top of the 2 center ropes and bend it to form a loop. Now, take the end of rope #4 towards the back over the bend you made with rope #1, and bring the end of rope #1 from the back to the front over the bend with rope #4, forming a knot. Slide it upwards, tightening it gently. Repeat again.

2-     Bring the right hand rope over the one just closest to it. Cross the rope in the middle over the one on the left. Cross the two ropes in the middle over each other, left to right. Repeat these steps for as long as you need to form your strap.

3-     Factor into your calculations, that you must leave 1 ½ to 2 inches of rope to sew onto the purse ring, plus about 1 inch more to make the last granny knot.

4-     So once, you have reach that point in your braiding, make a granny knot as we did at the beginning and then, end your braid, leaving a bit of rope at the end to sew around a purse ring.

Done!

Bible Universe

Clarissa Frog Closure

This is a substantial but beautiful frog closure. It is recommended for a large bag or tote.
You can also use it for a shawl or a vest. Unfortunately, a dark yarn does not do justice to the beauty of this frog, but I needed it in this color for a project for my mom, and decided to share it anyway.

Materials-
Worsted weight yarn of your choice (I used Read Heart worsted weight Black) about 3 oz.
Crochet hook size G
Scissors
Blunt needle
Sewing thread of color to match your yarn
Button of color to match your yarn
Pins
Pillow or cardboard to pin to

To make frog closure, proceed as follows:

Note- Before you make your ch 3 to start the rope, leave off a long tail, you will need it at the end of the project.

1- Make a crocheted rope 28 inches long.
If you don't know how to make a rope, please refer to our tutorial that teaches how to make them.
You will find it here:
How to Make the Crocheted Ropes
2- Once you have made the rope, fasten off, leaving a long tail to sew with.
3-Measure and cut a piece of yarn of the color of your rope, 33" long and thread blunt needle with it.
4- Fold rope in half, matching ends.
5- Cross left leg of the rope over right leg, adjust to the size of the button you have chosen for your frog (this is the buttonhole).
While holding it with one hand, turn it to the wrong wide and with the blunt needle, make some stitches on the wrong side to secure the buttonhole loop (don't worry, the back of the frog closure will be sewn onto your project anyway and won't show.) Fasten off beginning end, and secure at back of rope, you can even pull the little knot into the rope and make it disappear there. What you want is to make sure that
your closure will not fall apart with use.Leave the rest of the yarn in the blunt needle. At the back of the rope, make a stitch that will bring the remainder of the yarn to the very center, between the two legs of the rope that are hanging. Take the yarn out of the needle.
Now, pin the buttonhole loop to a pillow or to a piece of cardboard so that the piece will not be moving all over the place while you work.
6- Fold the left leg of the rope over the center and behind the hanging piece of yarn, now fold the right side under the center piece of hanging yarn and over the right cord, now the rope comes up through the loop and passes over the left rope. Pull to tighten, but not too much, we want the knot to show.

7- Fold the left leg of rope again, under the center piece of hanging yarn over the right leg of the rope, the right leg of the rope goes over the center and then down through the loop formed by the fold and passes under the left rope.
Tighten a bit but not too much so that the knot will show.
8- Thread blunt needle again with leftover hanging yarn and fasten off at back of frog. As you do that, take advantage of the yarn to secure the knots well so that they will not twist to the side.
Secure well at back and cut yarn.
9- Thread blunt needle with the long tail left at the beginning of the rope. Now, working on the wrong side of the frog, begin to turn the end of the rope into a curl and to sew it in place by using the little loops that naturally form at the end of the rope as you crochet it. Keep turning and sewing with tiny stitches, until you reach the side of the center knots.
Stitch to side of central knots using the little loops that form naturally on ropes. Secure at back.
10- Repeat the same process with the leftover leg of rope.
Now you can sew you pretty for to your project!
Done!
















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