Scrumble Crochet Purse

If you have a lot of this...




Or this....




Or maybe some like this....

I told you I had a large yarn stash....and this is just the stuff I have out while we're building.




You can turn it into this.....












Here's the tools you'll need.


This is what your work area will look like...


When I have scrapes left over I now group them into color groups,
then when I'm getting inspired to make a scrumble purse I can pull out the color boxes and decide what colors work.

Then I decide on a pattern for the purse shape and sew the lining which doubles as the template. I like to put a small pocket inside the lining - I'm cool to my customers that way....I have trouble keeping track of my phone, so I need the pouch! I am very precise about the liner don'cha know!


The next step is to lock up the precision monster and let the free spirited chi loose.
You must abandon all ideas of keeping rows straight, counting your stitches and making things neat and tidy. It is helpful to get out a stitch book for inspiration.

Now gather together several different hook sizes, some safety pins, and about three different colors of yarn and many textures of those colors. Add a pair of scissors and you're ready to start.


Just start crocheting little swatches of patterns using combinations of stitches, twisting the stitches over and around, increasing, decreasing, big hook, little hook - just get crazy! The pieces should be various sizes, I usually don't make them much bigger than 3-6 inches with some smaller. Leave a tail long enough to sew the piece to its neighbor - no need to "finish off", neatness does not count in this game...I told you to get rid of the precision monster!


Crochet, and crochet, and crochet. I usually keep the yarn box available and sew a piece when the mood strikes me - since the pieces are only 3-6 inches you can whip one out during a commercial break or while you're waiting for the macaroni noodles to boil.

Sometimes the pieces start to look like things!


Sometimes not....

When you have a pile of pieces start putting them on the purse liner, puzzle fashion - to me this is the hardest part.
My first bag I spent hours putting the pieces just so, rearranging and adjusting...now I just plop them down, assess them as I turn my head to the side and then go on to the next piece. After you have filled some of it in... walk away for a few minutes and check out my blog....come back and see if you like what you did. If not - scramble the pieces and put the puzzle together a different way. If you like it, safety pin the pieces together. If you ever wanted to be an acupuncturist, you will love this part. After a bit you will know immediately if you've selected the proper spot for the piece. You'll be able to place and pin in one smooth action - which will reduce the traffic on my blog - so take your time getting that accomplished!

The handle sometimes can be tricky. It's hard to find the right one as my source selections are limited. I use handles from old purses, store bought ones from Hobby Lobby, or felted ones. I crochet a piece right around each handle end and then sew that to a piece in place. I use different methods of closures, sometimes magnets, sometimes a bobble at the end - whatever strikes me. Once you have all the spaces filled on your liner and safety pinned together you are ready to put it together.

Turn the piece over (leave the template down to refer to now and then). You will be sewing the pieces together with a tapestry needle and yarn which matches the pieces you're putting together. This is the part I really like - don't worry about weaving in the ends, they'll be hidden between the back and the liner!!!!! Hurray! After you've sewn the pieces together check to make sure you haven't left any gaps - fix these and sew them up.

Tips: You should not make pieces to fit spaces until you have filled up most of the liner with the puzzle pieces. The idea is to be free spirited and if you make pieces to fit spaces, you are cramping the spirits style.

You should keep some continuity to make it appealing - to many color variations can be distracting - it is really the texture and the stitch variety that makes people do a double take.

You should not crochet the pieces together ever! This will make it lumpy and hard to shape!

Remember the finished edge of the liner will be inside - I don't finish the outside edge 'cause you won't see it and I'm lazy - or my inner free spirit is which is what is left when I hide the precision monster!

I am working on this one for an 11 year old.

Her sisters is already done.




....
This one is an ongoing project

So is this one....





This is my first one, I made a crocheted dress for myself and Ashley aka The Princess and used the scraps to make a matching purse. I wore the outfit to my brother's wedding two years ago...the purse and dress are still around....





Scrumble is fun - set the free spirit loose and have at it. What have you got to loose? Except some of this...