Q&A on the Crochet Hobo Bag

To my readers,

I've put up this blog for a while now and the only reason people come here is the Crochet Hobo Bag. That entry is the only one that receives the most attention from lots and lots of people and I am very thankful for that.

The reason I'm writing this entry today is to address most of the confusions that you've raised in the past. Since I come here once a month to upload, I think this is a good pointer to those who are having difficulties while making the bag. I know some of you are beginners and may not have anybody to ask so this one is for you.

Q: Why did you make this bag and named it "Nordstrom Crochet Hobo Bag"?
A: I saw it on Nordstrom's website and figured out if I can make something similar, I can save myself some money. The "Nordstrom" part is the tribute to its root. To be honest with you, I didn't even go to Nordstrom because there's none of those where I live. I just figured everything out from the picture.

Q: Did you make up the pattern yourself or get it from Nordstrom?
A: As I mentioned above, I saw the picture and made the bag. Since I've never seen it and touched it in real life, I don't know how close it is to the one from Nordstrom.

Q: What kind of yarn do you recommend?
A: Any type of yarn that you have. Bulky wt. makes a roomy bag while worsted wt. makes a slightly smaller size. You can use pure wool if you prefer or sturdy acrylic if that's all you have. I've seen people making this bag using acrylic and theirs look really awesome.

Q: Do I need to use all those hooks?
A: The purpose of using all the hooks is to give a tapered shape to the bag. If you choose to have a rectangular bag, just stick with the biggest size of hook throughout.

Q: What is the gauge?
A: There is no gauge, it's just a bag. As long as you have a steady tension, the bag should come out just fine.

Q: In row 2, you mentioned the back loop. What is the back loop?
A: When you make a foundation chain, notice there are 2 sides of the chain: the one that's closer to you is the front loop. Normally, that's the loop you use to make the first row. The back loop is "the other side" of the foundation chain that people simply do not use. In this pattern, we use both front and back loop on the 2nd row to create the bottom.

Q: Are there any easier ways to line the bag?
A: So far I've seen people using hand stitchers and sewing machine. I've yet to find anything easier than that.

Q: Where did you get the strap?
A: I purchased mine in Walmart before the craft section was reduced. You can get them at JoAnn's or Michael's, in the bag/purse making section. If you can't get them, you simply just crochet a strap or knit an i-cord.

Q: How long is the ribbon?
A: To be honest with you, I don't even know. My guesstimate is around 1 meter but it can be shorter.

Q: Does the ribbon need to be satin?
A: It is totally up to you. You can use satin, organza, wired, striped, polka dots... And you can just skip the ribbon all together and add a decorative flower. Be creative!

Q: What do you mean by "not selling the pattern"?
A: This pattern is protected by the Creative Common law, ie everyone and anyone can use it for their own leisure purposes but not for profit. Since I put it up for free, you can print it out and make it as many times as you want. But if you decided to sell this pattern or make the bag and sell it for money, you are in violation of the law.

Q: If I have problem viewing this pattern, can you send me a copy?
A: I've never sent a copy of my pattern to anyone. Never was and never will, simply because once I start to do so, lots and lots of people will demand the same thing. If you can't view it in one computer because of blocking, please use a different computer to view my blog. If you can't view it in Explorer, then change you web browser to something else. I use Firefox and it works fine for me.

Q: I'm inspired from this bag and want to make something similar. How can I credit you?
A: If you just make some minor changes such as using a different color of the yarn, yarn type, ribbon type/no ribbon, lining color, strap type, snap type, etc then essentially it's still the same bag under different size/shape/color. However, if your final product looks totally different then you are the sole creative owner of your product. Either way, I would be happy to have some credits toward me (and a link would be very sweet!)

Q: Will there be any more bags like this from you?
A: I'm on the hunt for cute and chic crochet bags so there will be more. I am a bag/purse girl so it's fun to make something that I can wear everyday with my two hands and save money at the same time.

I hope I'm answering most of the concerns. Have fun creating beautiful bags!

Dao