Prince Edward Crocheted bag no. 001
Posted by: Edward in: Projects (Sampling)Here’s my caregiver’s second crocheted bag project which she calls “Prince Edward crocheted bag no. 001.” This means there will be up to 999 Prince Edward crocheted bags. 
This bag is my caregiver’s first project in Irish crochet as well. So, what is Irish crochet anyway?
Irish crochet is a type of lace, which has its origin in the famine years of the 19th century in Ireland. It has been conducted by nuns from the Venetian needlepoint lace, which is also a raised lace like Irish Crochet. Compared to other crochet laces Irish Crochet is padded with a thicker cord to give it a three dimensional look. There are some different types of Irish Crochet like Roslea and Clones Lace, which shows up huge snowflake knots in its netting. - From the Wikipedia entry on Irish crochet.
Also, Irish crochet involves the construction of various motifs which are then assembled together with a mesh background. As seen on the Prince Edward crocheted bag, the chain and picot pattern around the rose flower motif is an example of one design of such a mesh. There are several others.
I find this very interesting how a very complex technique in crocheting developed during such period of poverty. It seems also that crochet provided the people a local industry and thus helped survive the famine. Also, perhaps the technique gave a high aesthetic satisfaction, not only as an imitation of Venetian point lace and laces that were certainly too expensive to import, but the development of crochet as a truly sculptural art form. 
Prince Edward crocheted bag no. 001
(A sample of Irish crochet, improvisation of the Princess Louise crocheted bag no. 275)
by Fatima Lasay
Materials:
Yellow Monaco raylon crochet thread 8-3 ply 200 grams
Yellow-orange Mega craft yarn 4 ply 18 grams (for the drawstring-cord and slip balls)
Crochet hook no. 6 (for bag)
Crochet hook no. 3/0 (for drawstring-cord and slip balls)
Cotton (stuffing for the slip balls)
Suitable lining
Sewing needle and thread of suitable color
Pattern instructions:
Rose flower motif:
The petals of the rose flower are contructed radially, the middle cluster first and the second cluster under the first, and the third cluster under the second.
Rnd 0: Ch 7, join to form a ring.
Rnd 1: Ch 5, 1 tc in ring, (ch 3, 1 tc in ring) four times, ch 3, join.
Rnd 2: 1 dc, 5 tc, 1 dc under each 3-ch loop (First cluster of petals made).
Rnd 3: Sl st to back of tc in Rnd 1, (ch 4, 1 sc at back of tc in Rnd 1) six times.
Rnd 4: 1 dc, 7 tc, 1 dc under each 4-ch loop (Second cluster of petals made under the first).
Rnd 5: Ch 5, 1 dc on dc of previous Rnd, (ch 5, 1 dc on next dc) all around.
Rnd 6: 1 dc, 7 tc, 1 dc under each 5-ch loop (third cluster of petals made).
Fasten off.
Background (start with sc on center tip of petal):
The inner mesh consists of chain stitches and picots, separated from the outer mesh by a round of tc).
Rnd 7: Ch 6, sc on 2nd ch, ch 6, sc on 2nd ch (a picot group made), ch 2, sc on center of next petal. Repeat all around.
Rnd 8: (Sl st to center of a picot group, ch 6, sc on 2nd ch, ch 6, sc on 2nd ch, ch 2) repeat for 3 groups, doubling on 4th group for corners, until end of rnd. Sl st to center of first picot group.
Rnd 9: (Ch 7, sc between picot group) repeat to end of rnd.
Rnd 10: 3 tc, 1 ch, 3 tc in each 7-ch loop.
Rnd 11: Ch 7, sc to 3rd ch, ch 7, sc to 3rd ch, ch 2 (picot group made), sl st to 1-ch space of previous rnd. Repeat to end, doubling for corners.
Rnd 12: Same with previous rnd.
Rnd 13: Same with previous rnd.
Rnd 14: (Ch 4, 3 tc in center of first picot group) Repeat to end, doubling at corners.
Rnd 15: (3 sc along 3 tc, 2 sc, ch 3, 2 sc) Repeat to end.
Fasten off.
Join edges:
Sl st in picot, *ch 6, sc into 3rd ch, ch 6, sc into 3rd ch, ch 2, sc into picot of other side. Repeat from * increasing at corners.
Top frill of bag:
Rnd 0: *Sl st in 3-ch picot, ch 5, sl st in sc above middle of 3-tc group, ch 5. Repeat from * to end of round.
Rnd 1: 2 tc in 5-ch, ch 1. Repeat to end.
Rnd 2: Sc in space, ch 3. Repeat to end.
Rnd 3: *Tc in sp, ch 3, sl st on top of same tc, tc in same sp, ch 3, sl st on top of tc just made, tc in same sp, ch 3, sl st on top of tc just made, ch 1. Repeat from * to end.
Fasten off.
Drawstring-cord:
Chain suitable length with craft yarn and pull through rnd 1 pattern of top frill of the bag. Join with sl st to form ring.
Slip Balls:
The size of the slip balls can be adjusted by simply adjusting the number of rnds that increase and decrease the stitches to form the shape of the ball.
Rnd 0: With craft yarn, ch 6, join to form ring.
Rnd 1: Make suitable rnd of sc in the ring.
Rnd 2: *1 sc in sc, 2 sc in sc, repeat from *.
Rnd 3: Repeat rnd 2.
Rnd 4: *2 sc in sc, sk 1 st, 2 sc in next sc, repeat from *.
Rnd 5: Repeat rnd 4.
Rnd 6: Repeat rnd 2.
Rnd 7: *1 sc in sc, sk 1 st, repeat from *.
Pull one end of drawstring-cord through the ring, stuff with cotton and continue with decreasing sc to enclose. Close off with a sl st across the top hole between the drawstring-cord. This will keep the drawstring-cord from being pulled out of the slip balls. Fasten off.
Tassels:
Make a tassel by winding craft yarn around a 4-inch wide piece of cardboard. Cut the end of the loop and knot to the corner of the bag. Decorate the tassel with the same crocheted mesh used for the bag. I started with a 6 chain joined to a ring around the top of the tassel, and made 3 rounds of 3 groups of picots all around the tassel.
Make bag lining.
