Shopping Bags

Finally, I am getting around to writing about Christmas projects.

These are pictures of two shopping bags that we gave as gifts filled with Italian food items from Claudio's Market in South Philly.

I had a difficult time making these bags because I really couldn't find a pattern that I liked.

I ended up creating a hybrid pattern that used both kntting and crocheting; crocheting for the bottoms and handles and knitting for the sides. Working them this way seemed to give the bottom some stability, and the body of the bag seemed to stretch very well when I used a YO knitting pattern