When the cold weather begins to rear its head, the crochet guru gets a hankering to warm up with a new crochet project. Fortunately, a crocheted shawl pattern may be just what the doctor ordered! Crocheted shawl patterns are easy to find, many are easy to make, and materials to create one-of-a-kind accessories and gifts are plentiful.
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While crocheted purses appear to be the current rage, these accessories are far from new to the fashion scene. In fact, the first crocheted purse pattern was published in Holland in 1824! At this time, the popular styles of crocheted purse patterns were pouches or round, flat bags. In the 1920’s the “finger purse” came into vogue. The finger purse was a small bag that dangled from a crocheted ring that was worn around the finger. These purses were quite popular to wear with gowns on special occasions.

These days, crocheted purse patterns run the gamut – from small drawstring bags to carry the bare essentials, to large totes that are designed to hold everything but the kitchen sink. Evening bags are particularly in demand, since available materials for crocheted purse patterns include luxurious chenille and sparkling metallic. The best thing about a crocheted purse is that it takes very little yarn or thread to complete, and many of the patterns are perfect for a beginner’s project.
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