Beaded tiered purse

This delicate handbag is made even more elegant with tiers of beaded scallops.

By Doris Chan

SKILL LEVEL: intermediate

finished measurements
Approx 6 1/2"/16.5cm wide x 8"/20.5cm high x 2"/5cm deep, not including handles

what you'll need

YARN
Aunt Lydia’s Fashion Crochet, size 5 crochet thread, (150 yard ball, 100% cotton): 6 balls 420 Cream

Coats Opera #5, size 5 crochet thread (191 yard ball, 100% cotton): 4 balls 502 Cream

CROCHET HOOKS
Size F/5 (3.75mm) and Size D/3 (3.25mm) crochet hooks or any sizes to obtain correct gauge
Size 13 or 14 steel crochet hook for beading

NOTIONS
•70 size 2/0 (6 mm) round pearl beads in cream/ivory
•Two plastic lids from small coffee cans or similar lids, 4"/10cm diameter
•Curved nail scissors or sharp pointed craft scissors
•Emery board or fine sandpaper

gauge
20 sts and 22 rows = 4"/10cm over sc with 2 strands of thread held together using size F/5 (3.75mm)
crochet hook.
4 rows of trim pattern = 1 3/4"/4.5 cm with single strand of thread using size D/3 (3.25mm) crochet
hook (exact gauge is not critical)
Remember to check gauge for best results!

how to make a gauge swatch

With F/5 (3.75mm) hook and 2 strands of thread held together, ch 21.

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Row 1 Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across – 20 sts.

Row 2 Ch 1, turn, sc in each st across.

Repeat Row 2 twenty more times. Swatch should be approx 4" x 4"/10 x 10cm. If necessary, adjust
hook size to obtain correct gauge.

Abbreviations used in this pattern

ch chain
dc double crochet
hdc half double crochet
sc single crochet
sl st slip stitch
sp space
st(s) stitches

special abbreviations
Fpsc (front post single crochet) make single crochet by inserting hook from front to back and to
front again around post of next sc.
HB (hoist bead) drop loop from larger working hook, slip a bead onto steel hook, insert steel hook in
the dropped loop and draw loop through hole in bead, remove steel hook, replace beaded loop on
large working hook and tighten yarn.

BASE
With F/5 (3.75mm) hook and 2 strands of thread held together, ch 30.
Rnd 1 (right side) Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in next 27 ch, 3 sc in last ch; working along opposite
side of foundation chain, sc in next 27 ch, 2 sc in same ch as first sc; join with sl st in first sc – 60
sts.

Rnd 2 Ch 1, turn, 2 sc in next 2 sc, sc in next 27 sc, 2 sc in next 3 sc, sc in next 27 sc, 2 sc in last
sc; join with sl st in first sc – 66 sts.

Rnd 3 Ch 1, turn, *2 sc in next sc, sc in next 28 sc, [2 sc in next sc, sc in next sc] twice; repeat from
* one more time; join with sl st in first sc – 72 sts.

Rnd 4 Ch 1, turn, sc in next sc, 2 sc in next sc, sc in next 2 sc, 2 sc in next sc, sc in next 29 sc, [2
sc in next sc, sc in next 2 sc] twice, 2 sc in next sc, sc in next 29 sc, 2 sc in next sc, sc in last sc;
join with sl st in first sc – 78 sts.

Rnd 5 Ch 1, turn, sc in next 2 sc, 2 sc in next sc, sc in next 30 sc, [2 sc in next sc, sc in next 3 sc]
twice, 2 sc in next sc, sc in next 30 sc, 2 sc in next sc, sc in next 3 sc, 2 sc in next sc, sc in last sc;
join with sl st in first sc – 84 sc.
Fasten off.

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SIDES
With wrong side of base facing, F/5 (3.75mm) hook and 2 strands of thread held together, skip join-
ing sl st and next 2 sc, join with sl st around next front post of next sc. Join should now be located at
one side of bag.

Rnd 1 (wrong side) Ch 1, Fpsc around next 84 sc; join with sl st in first sc – 84 sts.

Rnds 2-7 Ch 1, turn, sc in each sc around; join with sl st in first sc.

Rnd 8 (foundation round for trim) Ch 1, turn, sc in next sc, [ch 1, skip next sc, sc in next 2 sc] 27
times, ch 1, skip next sc, sc in last sc; join with sl st in first sc – 28 ch-1 sps and 28 skipped sc.

Rnd 9 Ch 1, turn, sc in next sc, [sc in next ch-1 sp, sc in next 2 sc] 27 times, sc in next ch-1 sp, sc
in last sc; join with sl st in first sc – 84 sts.

Rnds 10-41 Repeat Rnds 2-9 four more times.

Fasten off.

beaded trim
Work trim with right side facing and bag held upside down.

tier 1
With single strand of thread and D/3 (3.25mm) hook, join thread with sl st in first skipped sc after
joining stitch on Rnd 7 of bag.

Rnd 1 Ch 1, sc in same sc as join, [ch 3, sc in next skipped sc] 27 times, ch 1; join with hdc in first
sc – 28 ch-3 sps, counting last ch-1 and hdc as 1 sp.

Rnd 2 Sl st in last ch-3 sp made, ch 3 (counts as dc), dc in same ch-3 sp (1/2 shell made), [ch 2, 5
sc in next ch-3 sp, ch 2, (2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc) in next ch-3 sp (shell made)] 13 times, ch 2, 5 sc in next
ch-3 sp, ch 2, 2 dc in first ch-3 sp, ch 1; join with sc in top of beginning ch-3 (shell completed) – 14
shells, counting last ch-1 and sc as 1 sp.

Rnd 3 Sl st in last ch-sp made, ch 3, 2 dc in same ch-sp, [ch 3, skip next sc, sc in next 3 sc, ch 3, (3
dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in ch-2 sp of next shell] 13 times, ch 3, skip next sc, sc in next 3 sc, ch 3, 3 dc in first
ch-sp, ch 1; join with sc in top of beginning ch-3.
Fasten off.

Rnd 4 (beading round) Sl st in last ch-sp made, ch 3, 3 dc in same ch-sp, [ch 4, skip next sc, sc in
next sc, ch 4, (4 dc, HB, 4 dc) in next sp] 13 times, ch 4, skip next sc, sc in next sc, ch 4, 4 dc in first
ch-sp, HB, ch 1; join with sl st in top of beginning ch-3.

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Fasten off.

tier 2
Working along Rnd 15 of bag, offset the points of the trim by joining thread in first skipped sc before
joining. Work Rnds 1-4 of tier 1.

tier 3
Working along Rnd 23 of bag, join thread in first skipped sc after joining (align trim with tier 1). Work
Rnds 1-4 of tier 1.

tier 4
Working along Rnd 31, work as for tier 2.

tier 5
Working along Rnd 39, work as for tier 3.

HANDLE (make 2)
Prepare plastic rounds for handles Start with two clean lids and curved, sharp nail scissors. Cut
out and remove flat center part of lid, leaving a 1/4"/6mm-wide inner ridge and the outer rim (the part
that snaps over the edge of the can). Sand away any rough spots with emery board.

With F/5 (3.75mm) hook, 4 strands of thread held together, and outer rim facing towards you; attach
yarn to hook with slip knot.

Cover ring with sc hold working yarn over rim, * insert hook into center of ring from front to back,
yarn over and draw loop through ring; bringing hook over top of ring, yarn over and draw through
both loops on hook (sc made); repeat from * until about 80 single crochet cover the ring and are
evenly spaced around. Join with sl st in first sc. Fasten off.
Repeat for second handle.

HANDLE CASING (make 2)

With F/5 (3.75mm) hook and 2 strands of thread held together. Locate join at center of one side, skip
next 8 sc, join with sl st in next sc.

Row 1 Ch 1, sc in same st as join, sc in next 25 sc – 26 sts.

Rows 2-10 Ch 1, turn, sc in each st across.

Keeping last loop on hook, cut thread leaving an 18"/45.5cm tail. With right side of handle and cas-
ing facing you, fold casing in half to inside of bag through handle, passing hook and tail of thread
through center of handle.
Joining Row Turn, with wrong side facing and matching sts of Row 10 of casing to sts of Row 1,

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*insert hook in sc of Row 10, insert hook around post of corresponding sc on Row 1, yarn over and
draw through all loops to join the 2 sts; rep from * across.
Fasten off. Repeat for second casing.

finishing
Weave in all ends. Steam block ruffles, being careful not to melt beads or handles.

TIP
To work without beads, work shells of Rnd 4 of sides as follows: Sl st in last ch-sp made, ch 3, 3 dc
in same ch-sp, [ch 4, skip next sc, sc in next sc, ch 4, (4 dc, ch 2, 4 dc) in next sp] 13 times, ch 4,
skip next sc, sc in next sc, ch 4, 4 dc in first ch-sp, ch 2; join with sl st in top of beginning ch-3.

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 BEADED RUFFLE PURSE
DIAGRAM

BEADED TRIM–FIRST TIER

9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1

SIDES

BEGIN
1 SIDES
4 5
2 3
1

BASE

C 2006 copyright Soho Publishing Co.

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