Pattern Posting: Sunshine of my Mind

Okay, more experimento time-- just cut & pasted this out of Word so let's see how it works! The picture for this bag is in the previous post... And here's Norm, finally, to introduce the subject! (It's also highly possible to crochet a bag based on the pattern below that looks much like Norm, by selecting the right colors & deleting row 5, and adding pointy ears & a big fuzzy tail...)



Sunshine of my Mind
Crocheted Felted Bag by Kim Waldheim

Materials:
2 skeins MC (pink or blue)
1 skein CC1 (gray or yellow)
½ skein CC2 (white or orange or black)
¼ skein CC3 (orange or white or orange)
1 skein CC4 (black or blue or green)
½ skein CC5 (purple, optional)
(Note: All yarn in chunky weight, or double-stranded light worsted. Colors are suggested only. Use first color for Brain Bag with optional CC5. Use 2nd color for Sunshine and 3rd color (if present) for Sunflower. Refer to pic.)
Size K & P crochet hooks
Scissors
Tapestry needle
8 large safety pins (optional for beading)
Large silver beads (optional): both long & squatty & small, 8 each OR
Beads/buttons of choosing (optional): such as leaves, fish, anything summery


Directions:
(With K hook, make 2. Crochet over tails as you go.)
Base: With CC2 ch 3, slst into first ch forming loop.
Row 1: Ch 2, sc 7x, slst into 2nd ch forming octagon.
Row 2: Ch 2, sc into same st, [sc 2x into each st] around, slst into 2nd ch.
Row 3: Ch 2, sc into same st, sc into next st, [sc 2x into next st, sc into next st] around, slst into 2nd ch.
Row 4: Ch 2, sc into same st, sc into next 2 st’s, [sc 2x into next st, sc into next 2 st’s] around, insert hook into 2nd st, pull CC3 thru both loops, cut CC2 leaving 4” tail.
Row 5: With CC3, ch 2, sc in same st, sc into next 3 st’s, [sc 2x into next st, sc into next 3 st’s] 2x, [hdc 2x into next st, hdc into next 3 st’s] 2x, dc 2x into next st, dc into next 3 st’s, dc 6x into next st, skip 4 st, insert hook into 5th st, pull MC thru both loops, cut CC3 leaving 4” tail. (You have now formed what looks like a skinny paisley around 7/8ths of the center octagon.)
Row 6: With MC ch 2, sc into same st, sc around, placing 2 sc’s in “corners” and in 3rd dc of shell, slst into 2nd ch. (You’ll have more sc’s on the “sides” that contain shell st’s. Your octagon will start looking squashed. That’s okay, it’s supposed to.)
Row 7: Sc around, placing 2 sc’s into each “corner”.
Row 8: Sc around 7 sides as above. Slst into corner before 8th side with CC1 (cut MC leaving 4” tail) and continue as before with CC1.
Row 9: With CC1 ch2 (counts as first sc.) Make 8 triangles: [sc, hdc, dc, picot,dc, hdc, sc] to fit around 6 sides of your squashed octagon. Fudge if you have to (crochet a stitch together or 2 into a stitch.) Count st’s between finishing last triangle and start of first. Should be around 20. Divide in ½. Sc to this midpoint, your new beginning & end.
Row 10: Sc around, sc’ing twice in each dc and dec’ing in the dip between triangles by pulling loop through a st on each side of the dip then pulling final loop through both. Sc to beginning/end, switch to MC (as above.) Pattern may now be crocheted in a spiral.
Row 11 & 12: Follow same pattern as row 10 with MC, switch to CC last st.
Row 13 & 14: Follow same pattern as above, switch back to MC last st.
Row 15: Sc the non-triangulated/zig-zag parts. Start to fill in the triangles as follows (2 row procedure): Place two 3-dc shells in dip, 1 shell on descending side, one on ascending. “Corner” the tops as usual, sc non-pointy/dippy parts as usual.
Row 16: Continue sc’ing non-pointy/dippy parts and filling in triangles: Place 1 shell in bottom of dip. DO NOT CORNER THE TIPS OF THE TRIANGLES!
Row 17: Sc around.

If you would like a Brain, form Cerebellum as follows: Place the 2 pieces of the bag “face to face” so that the non-zig-zag corner is facing down. Rotate them slightly toward each other so the flat side is face down and the center, if it were a cup, would drain empty. The Cerebellum should be placed on the flat part that is not now the base. With CC5, ch 2 into the bottom “corner” and sc up to the tip of the triangle. Ch 2 and skip TWO st’s, sc across, turn. Repeat for 3-4 rows until you have a rounded cerebellum. Repeat with other piece of the bag.

Finishing:
Crochet the 2 halves together. For the Brain, crochet from the top of Cerebellum around the bottom of the bag to the tip of 3rd triangle using CC5 for the cerebellum, then switching to MC for remainder. For Sunshine or Sunflower, use MC to crochet from tip of 2nd triangle down and around to tip of 2nd triangle.
Make straps with CC4: Unravel approximately ½ the skein by feel. If it squishes about the same, you’re close enough. Find midpoint and start to re-roll it into a ball of double-strand. Repeat process until new ball has about the same quantity of yarn as the pile & leftover skein together, except this time re-roll the whole way. Cut off any excess and keep! You will now have 1 ball of quadruple-strand. Using P hook, make 4 chains each 100 st’s long. I left 6” tails, but I’d suggest 8” tails or no tail at all and use the excess to sew the beads on AFTER felting. Plait the 4 chains in the middle for 4” or so, if desired. Secure with waste yarn for felting. Felt the bag & handles separately.
To secure handles, poke a hole in the tip of the next triangle and in the dip between that and the sewn edge. You will have 8 holes, 4 per side, 2 left & 2 right. Being careful to keep strap ends untangled, thread outside straps through bottom holes, and inside straps through top holes. Secure with large safety pins while beading (if desired.) Check straps to make sure they’re straight. For Brain bag’s electrode, thread squatty then long then little bead to secure. For Sunshine & Sunflower, use smaller beads to secure larger beads. Knot & feed ends back through strap using tapestry needle. Beads/buttons may not secure strap to bag. Knot ends of straps to be safe. Use an overhand knot in lower hole and double-overhand knot in upper hole to even the straps.