Round Flower Purse

Round Flower Purse by Rachel Beth

Project Overview

The Round Flower Purse is a beginner-friendly crochet bag designed by Rachel Beth. This downloadable PDF pattern creates a circular purse with decorative crocheted flowers. The finished purse measures 7¼ inches in diameter and stands 6 inches tall, with a long handle for carrying. This project is ideal for crocheters new to bag construction who want to create a functional accessory with decorative elements.

What Is Being Made

This pattern creates a structured round purse featuring a circular body and a long handle. The purse is embellished with separately crocheted flowers that are attached after the main bag is complete. The design combines a solid-colored bag base with contrasting floral accents, making it a visually interesting finished piece suitable for everyday use or as a handmade gift.

Crochet Techniques Used

The Round Flower Purse employs several fundamental crochet techniques appropriate for beginner-level crafters:

• Working in the round: The purse is constructed continuously in the round, meaning stitches are worked in a spiral pattern without joining rounds, which creates a seamless circular shape.
• Increasing stitches strategically: The pattern increases stitches by 6 in each of the first nine rounds, but places these increases in different locations around each round to maintain the circular shape and prevent distortion.
• Two-strand construction: The main bag body is worked with two strands of yarn held together, creating a thicker, more durable fabric suitable for a functional purse.
• Single-strand flower elements: The decorative flowers are made separately using only one strand of yarn, then sewn onto the finished purse for added dimension and visual interest.
• Stitch marker usage: A stitch marker is used to identify the first stitch of each round, helping maintain consistency and preventing confusion when working continuously in the round.

Crochet Stitches Used

This beginner pattern uses basic crochet stitches that form the foundation of most crochet projects:

• Chain (ch): Used to create the foundation ring at the start of the pattern.
• Single crochet (sc): A short, tight stitch used throughout the purse body for structure and durability.
• Double crochet (dc): A taller stitch that may be incorporated into the pattern for texture variation.
• Slip stitch (sl st): Used to join the foundation chain into a ring and for joining elements together.

Materials and Tools

Yarn: The pattern calls for worsted weight yarn. The designer used Lily's Sugar 'n Cream yarn in two colors—Hot Green and Mod Blue—creating a two-tone color scheme. Worsted weight yarn is a medium-thickness yarn that works up quickly and creates a fabric with good structure, making it ideal for bags that need to hold their shape.

Crochet hooks: Two hook sizes are required. The Size K (6.5 mm) hook is used for the main purse body worked with two strands of yarn, while the Size H (5 mm) hook is used for the single-strand flowers. Using a larger hook with doubled yarn creates the appropriate gauge for the bag, while the smaller hook provides better control for the delicate flower details.

Additional tools: A yarn needle is needed for weaving in yarn ends and attaching the finished flowers to the purse. A stitch marker helps track the beginning of each round during the continuous circular construction.

Pattern Notes and Construction Details

This pattern uses US crochet terminology and is written for crocheters familiar with basic stitch abbreviations and techniques. The unique construction method—increasing stitches in different positions each round—demonstrates an important principle in circular crochet: strategic stitch placement prevents puckering and maintains an even, flat circular shape. The separation of the bag body and flower elements allows crafters to complete the main project before adding decorative details, making the construction process more manageable for beginners.