Free Pattern - 1912 Irish Crochet Opera Bag #571

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Vintage 1912 Irish Crochet Opera Bag #571

A clever woman will quickly create this exquisite evening bag in a delightful ’shamrock & rose’ pattern…a fashion accessory that will be a season & occasion-spanning wardrobe favorite!

MATERIALS:

1 large skein Pearl Cotton, #5

#2 ½ Steel Crochet Hook

#7 Bone Crochet Hook

BAG:
Using hk * ch 12 & join in ring, rep twice from * to form foundation for shamrock.

In 1^st ring made now put 1 sc, 25 dc, 1 sc & rep in each ring.

2^ND RND: Beg again with 1^st ring, make 1 sc in each st all around 3 leaves of shamrock.  Fasten off & draw center of shamrock up with end of thread.

1^ST PICOT RND:  Make 1 sc in 6^th st of 1 of leaves, ch 7, catch back in 2^nd ch to form picot, ch 8, catch back in 3^rd ch to form another picot, ch 2.  Thus forming 1 set of picots, sk 4 sts on leaf, catch with sc in next st.

Make another set of picots, as directed, sk 4 sts & catch down with sc.

Cont same manner, making set of picots & catching down until 4 sc sts have been caught down in each of 1st two leaves. 

On 3^rd leaf of shamrock fewer stitches must be sk, so that an extra set of picots can be made & caught down, 5 times in all.

2^ND PICOT RND: 1 Set of picots, catch in center bet 2 picots of prev rnd, ch 8 snugly, catch in next center, turn work & in ch 8 just made, make 16 sc, ch 3 & turn, 15 dc on 16 sc just made, ch 3 & catch down in same sp.  

* 1 Set of picots, catch in center bet next 2 picots, 1 set of picots, catch in next center, ch 8 snugly, catch in next center, turn, 16 sc, ch 3 & turn, 15 dc, ch 3, catch down as before & rep from * twice.

3^RD RND: 1 Set of picots, catch in center bet 2 picots of prev rnd & cont as 12^th rnd was made, except that picots are caught in 3^rd, middle & 13^th sts of petals.  [3 times.]

Rep 2^nd & 3^rd rnds until there are 4 petals in each corner.  There will be more picots bet petals on each rnd.  Fasten off. 

This completes back of bag.

Front of bag consists of 4 motifs joined tog. 

Make 2 of them with shamrock in center, follow directions given for back of bag, up to & including 3^rd rnd of picots; then fasten off.

ROSE MOTIF: 
Ch 6 & join in a ring.

2^ND RND:  Ch 5, * 1 dc in ring, ch 2 & rep from * 4 times; join to 3^rd ch of ch 5 at beg of rnd, with sl st, thus forming 6 sps.

3^RD RND:  Turn, 1 sc, 4 dc, 1 sc, all in 1^st sp, rep in each sp of rnd, ch 3, turn work & catch around 1^st spoke of 2^nd rnd with sl st.

4^TH RND:  Ch 5, catch around next spoke & rep all around.  Turn.

5^TH RND:  1 Sc, 8 dc, 1 sc in 1st sp & rep all around, ch 3 & turn.

6^TH RND:  Catch around 1st spoke of 4th rnd with sl st, ch 7 & catch around next spoke & rep all around, turn work.

7^TH RND:  1 Sc, 12 dc, 1 sc in each sp all around.

8^TH RND:  Make sets of picots as before, catch in 4^th & 10^th sts of each petal of rose.

Next make two rounds as directed for 2^nd & 3^rd picot rnds of shamrock motif & fasten off.

Join motifs with single row of picots caught alternately in centers of picots of 2 motifs. 

Join front & back of bag in same manner.

BORDER AROUND TOP: 
1^ST RND:  Make 1 sc in center of some picot sp, * ch 6 & catch in center of next sp with 1 sc & rep from * all around.  Join.

RIBBON BEADING: 
Ch 5, * 1 dc, ch 2, sk 2 ch & rep all around.

Make another rnd of ribbon beading, putting dc in sps of prev rnd.

Next rnd of picots caught down in alternate sps.  Fasten off.

Next rnd as 1^st rnd of top was made, work from wrong side. 

TURN:  Make 7 sc in ch just made, 1 sc in sc & rep all around. 

Turn; Ch 8 & catch down in sc of prev rnd & rep all around.

TURN:  * 5 Sc in ch just made, ch 3 & catch back to form picot, 5 sc in ch, 1 sc in sc & rep from * all around.

BALLS: 
Ch 4 & join in ring.  Make 8 sc in ring.  Do not join, as balls are worked around & around, both threads of st being taken up.

NEXT RND:  Put 2 sc in each st of prev rnd. 

Make 4 more rnds of 16 sc, then 2 rnds, sk every 3^rd st on each rnd.

Fill with cotton & make final rnd, sk every other st. 

Draw up with 1 sc, ch 10 & fasten off.

Make 17 more balls in same manner. 

Fasten 2 balls on each corner of bag – 2 in center of lower edge, 2 in center of each rose, & 2 on each of sl balls on cordeliere. 

Join then into pairs by catching 3^rd st of ch of 2^nd ball thru chain of 1^st ball, then finish ch & fasten off.

CORDELIERE: 
Make ch 5 yds long, or longer if extra length cordeliere is desired. 

Turn, sk ch next to needle & make 1 sc in each succeeding ch until work meas 16”. 

Then, without breaking thread, make another ch, long enough to reach within 16” of beg of 1^st ch made. 

Make 1 sc in each ch to end, thus forming 2 ends to be run thru ribbon beading, with 2 long chs bet.

Now, with #7 needle, make ch beg at end of 1 sc strip & ending at other sc strip, using 2 lengths of ch as 1 thread.

SLIP BALLS: 
Ch 6 & join in ring, 10 sc in ring.

2^ND RND:  2 Sc in each st. 

Make 5 more rnds of 20 sc, followed by 2 rnds sk every 3^rd st.  Fasten off, but leave long end of thread. 

Sl ball on cordeliere, & after running end of cord thru ribbon beading & fastening firmly, sl ball over joining, fill with cotton & draw up thread left. 

Fasten 2 balls to sl ball.

ENJOY!