Fireweed Crochet Pouch

This past week was spring break and when I started on this project a few days ago, spring was in the air. Well, not anymore. That next morning, we woke up to 16 inches of fresh snow. However, I say we can choose the vibes to project so I decided to write up this pattern to share with all of you.

The Fireweed Crochet Pouch is a stash-busting project. It is a simple one-piece worked from the lip of the pouch to the flap of the pouch. The main stitch is single crochet but this project requires some embroidery skills.

The final additions include a button accent and flower embroidery. For the buttonhole, I just went with an extra chain in between double crochet stitches and it is enough to let the button go through.

This pattern is very flexible. Gauge is not critical and you can actually customize it in many ways. You can use less or more number of stitches for the width of the pouch and less or more number of rows for the height of the pouch.

I used two strands of yarn and crocheted tightly than loosely. For both pouches, I used Lion Brand Yarn Wool Ease Worsted in colors Rose Heather and Dark Rose Heather.

Materials used:

• Yarn 1: Lion Brand Heartland in Great Smoky Mountains (first pouch)
• Yarn 2: Caron Simply Soft in Charcoal Heather (second pouch)
• Lion Brand Yarn Wool Ease Worsted in Rose Heather and Dark Rose Heather (for embroidery)
• US H – 5.00mm crochet hook
• US E – 3.5mm crochet hook (not on photo, optional)
• DMC threads in Black (310) and Green (703)
• Button – size 7/8” (22mm) Le Bouton
• Tapestry needle
• Scissors

Gauge: 15 sts x 16 rows (4” gauge swatch using single crochet)

Abbreviations:

• Sts – stitches
• Ch – chain
• Sc – single crochet
• Sl st – slip stitch
• Hdc – half double crochet
• Dc – double crochet

Pattern:

Starting the pouch

Row 1: Ch 26, sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across. Ch 1, turn: 25 sc.

Row 2: Sc in each sc across. Ch 1, turn: 25 sc.

Repeat Row 2 until piece measures 8” – 8 ¼” from Row 1, ensuring you have 25 sc in each row.

Start decrease:

• Sl st the first 4 sts, sc 1, hdc 1, dc 12, hdc 1, sc 1, sl st in the last 4 sts.
• For the next row, the sl sts from the previous row will tend to be tighter so a good option is to use a smaller hook to get the yarns through. I used US E/3.5mm.
• Sl st the first 4 sts starting on 2^nd stitch, sc 1, hdc 1, dc 6, ch 1 (for buttonhole), dc 6, hdc 1, sc 1, sl st the last 4 sts. Fasten off. Note: You can adjust the number of chains for the buttonhole to make sure the button you are using will fit.
• Attach the button of your choice. Embroider your flower.

Finishing:

Do 1 row of single crochet on all edges of the pouch using two strands of the contrasting colors also used for the fireweed. Fasten off and secure the ends.

And that is it! You now have your own Fireweed Crochet Pouch. It is a cute spring accessory to put in your essentials for going out. If you prefer it to be a bit bigger, add 10-15 chains for the foundation and adjust the number of rows for the height. This will allow you to have room for your phone.

I hope that you will give this a try. Please let me know if I can help with anything. And I would love to see the photos of your finished work.

Happy spring and happy crocheting!