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I’m participating in the Christmas in July Make Along with Underground Crafter. How did I, an Orthodox Jew, end up joining a Christmas in July project? Well, I may not celebrate Christmas, but scrambling for handmade holiday gifts is something I’m certainly familiar with. Regardless of what holiday(s) you celebrate in the wintertime, you can get a head start on your gift giving with the 28 bloggers that have teamed up to bring you a month full of free patterns — including crochet, knitting, sewing, and crafting projects. For all the fun details visit Underground Crafter.
Teen Spa Day Soap Sack
My teenage daughter and I were shopping the other day when we came across a gorgeous display of fancy soap bars. When I say fancy I mean pretty colors and beautiful scents with a price to match. I hemmed and hawed but of course we ended up buying some. On the way home, I became sad thinking about how eventually this fancy soap would turn into a pitiful, discarded sliver. For that price, I want to use up every last bit!
I knew just the solution: a soap sack. Soap sacks are lacey crocheted bags that hold your soap in the shower. Besides being too cute for words, soap sacks make sure you’re able to use every last bit of that soapy goodness. You can put your whole soap bar in a sack from the beginning, or fill the bag with slivers as whole bars get worn down. I don’t know about you, but soap bar slivers seem to multiply in my bathroom almost as quickly as my yarn stash grows – and that’s saying something!
I went stash diving for this project and opted for some mercerized cotton. Mercerized cotton won’t absorb as much water as untreated cotton, so the bag will dry faster. I also decided to add a sparkly bead, because when it comes to teens, the more sparkle the better!
Technique
Crochet
Skill Level
Easy
Finished Measurement
Approximately 5 inches in circumference x 4.75 inches tall when lightly stretched
Materials
40 yds DK weight mercerized cotton yarn
US Size B/1 (2.25mm) crochet hook or size needed to obtain gauge
1 bead (3mm-4mm hole)
Tapestry needle
Gauge
5 dc = 1 inch
Gauge is not critical for this project.
Pattern Notes
Pattern is written in US crochet terminology.
Sack
Ch 13.
Starting in the 2nd chain from the hook, sc across to last ch, 3 sc in last ch, working in opposite side of ch, sc in each ch across to first ch worked in, 2 sc in first ch, join with sl st in first sc. 26 sc
Round 2: Ch 4 (counts as first dc and ch 1 here and throughout), skip next sc, [dc in next sc, ch 1, skip next sc] around, join with sl st to 3rd ch of beginning ch 4, sl st into ch-1 space. 13 dc, 13 ch-1 spaces
Round 3: Ch 5 (counts as first tr and ch 1 here and throughout), [tr in next ch-1 space, ch 1] around, join with sl st to 4th ch of beginning ch 5. 13 tr, 13 ch-1 spaces
Round 4: Ch 1, sc in first tr, [ch 3, sc in next tr] around, ch 3, join with sl st in first sc, sl st into first ch-3 space. 13 sc, 13 ch-3 spaces
Round 5: Ch 4, [dc in next ch-3 space, ch 1] around, join with sl st to 3rd ch of beginning ch 4, sl st into ch-1 space. 13 dc, 13 ch-1 spaces
Round 6: Repeat Round 3.
Round 7: Repeat Round 4.
Round 8: Repeat Round 5.
Round 9: Repeat Round 3.
Round 10: Ch 3 (counts as first dc here and throughout), dc in each tr and ch-1 space around, join with sl st to top of beginning ch 3. 26 dc
Rounds 11 & 12: Ch 3, dc in each dc around, join with sl st to top of beginning ch 3.
Fasten off.
Drawstring Handle
Row 1: Ch 2, sc in 2nd ch from the hook, turn. 1 sc
Row 2: Ch 1, sc in the sc, turn.
Repeat Row 2 until your handle is approximately 12.5 inches long. Remove the loop from the crochet hook and thread through the bead, replace the loop on hook, ch 1 tightly to secure the bead. Fasten off.
Weave the beginning end through the last round of dc on top of the sack. Pull the handle so that the handle ends are even. Sew the ends together. Weave in ends.
Ta da! Now you’ve got a great gift any teen (or mom for that matter) will love. Make some extras so that you will always have an extra gift handy.
If you liked this pattern, you LOVE my Drift Ice Shawl crochet pattern. Click here to get the details.
Abbreviations
ch = chain
dc = double crocheet
sc = single crochet
sl st = slip stitch
st(s) = stitch(es)
tr = treble crochet
