Designing a pattern for a Mochila bag.

1 What program should I use?

We recommend you to use the program Easybeadpatterns (EB). You can use other programs, but
when using for instance an embroidery crossstich program , you will not have a circle (rosette) option
for the bottom. Beside that, the crosstiches are sqaures, while the crochet stitches are more oblong,
like the beads used in EB.
Here is the link: http://www.easybeadpatterns.com/ (The program can only be downloaded and
used on a computer or laptop. It doesn’t work on a phone or tablet).

Here you can find the user guide: http://easybeadpatterns.com/userguide.pdf

Notes:
 For the bottom choose the option ‘Rosette’.
 For the side choose the option ‘Loom’
 In the option Rosette do not make any changes in the amount of columns. The program will
freeze!
 The bead/stitch in the middle of the rosette does not count as a row. So if you need 20 rows,
you have to choose for 21 rows in the program.
 In the Rosette each row increases with 8 stitches, except for row 22, which has 16 increases.
 If you want to increase 10 or 12 stitches each row, because you find difficulites to keep the
bottom flat with 8, than read the explanation in the File ‘Mochila technique’ how to do that
and what that means to your design.

2 Where do I start?

There are three options:

1) Search for a pattern on the internet. There are a lot of embroidery, beading and other
patterns that can be found, for instance on pinterest (see the links in the pinned message). If
you find one you like, mostly you can use it. But there are several things you have to keep in
mind. Which I will explain below.
2) Import a picture/photo in EB and make it fit to the sizes you want (I wasn’t very succesfull
trying this, but some others did).
3) Design a pattern completely by yourself. By being inspired by pictures you like or just out of
the bleu. This is a very exciting proces.

3 Can I use embroidery patterns?

Yes you can, but they should be worked on a bit. The stitches we use for the Mochila bags are more
oblong caused by the use of carried threads. Embroidery patterns gives squared stitches. That means
that when you use them, your work will lengthen as you can see in this example (this pattern is
already made suitable fot crocheting a Mochila):

©Annemieke Ruijper (Facebook group Mochila bags, crochet. For personal use only!)
4 How high and wide are the stitches?

The size of the stitches and rows depends on how you crochet, which yarn/hook you use and how
many threads you carry along.
With the yarn/hook sizes we recommend, two rows x 3 stitches meassures about 1 square cm. (0.39
square inch).

5 Sizes of the bags:

The bottom of an average bag meassures about 16-22 cm ( 7-9 inch)

The side is about 24-35 cm ( 9.5-14 inch) high.
The side should meassure about 1.5 times the diameter of the bottom.
Example:
With a bottom of 20 cm (8 inch), your side should be about 1.5 x 20cm (8 inch) = 30 cm (12 inch)
(Note: some likes the side a bit shorter).

6 How do I count how many rows and stitches I need for the side?

If you found a pattern or picture you like, you must find the part of it which repeats.

 For instance in this pattern…….

…..this is the part that repeats.

The repeating part is 12 stitches wide and 10 stitches high.

 The width:
This must be a multiple of 12 stitches.
For instance: 17x12= 204 stitches. You repeat the pattern 17 times on de side.
 The height:
This must be a multiple of 10 stitches. You must also think about what you want to do with the rows
above the button holes. If you want them to be part of the pattern, you must count with them. If
you want those rows to be different, f.i. one colour, you have to reserve at least 5 rows for that part.
So if you want your bag to be 50 rows, you have to repeat this pattern 5 times in the height.

©Annemieke Ruijper (Facebook group Mochila bags, crochet. For personal use only!)
  Another example:

 The height:
When you want to use an embroidery crossstich pattern like this butterfly, you have to work a bit
more on it as shown in 3.. The stitches we use are more oblong than embroidery stitches. So if you
draw this pattern in EB, you must delete some of the horizontal rows and/or add vertical rows, untill
you think it will be oké. It needs a bit of exercise to see when that will be. If you do not do that, your
pattern will stretch out to much, and you will have a long skinny butterfly.
 The width:
The pattern is 26 stitches wide. When you want your side to be 200 stitches, you should divide the
pattern equal on the 200 stitches. 200:26 = 7.7.
So theoratical you could crochet this pattern 7 times. But you might like it if you have some space
between the butterflies. If you want to crochet the butterfly 6 times, you will need 6 x 26 = 156
stitches for them. The rest of the stitches (200-156=44) you can divide between the six butterflies.
44:6= 7.3. You crochet 4 time 7 stitches. and 2 times 8 stitches between the butterflies.

Tip: start crocheting in a part where there is no pattern, so you hardly see the changing of the rows.

7 How many stitches and rows do I need on the bottom?

At the bottom you should finish with the same amount of stitches as you need for the side.
How many rows you have to crochet to reach that amount, depends on how many increase you
make. In this table that is shown.

Rows 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
Increases
8 120 128 136 144 152 160 168 176 184 192 200 208 216 224
10 150 160 170 180 190 200 210 220 230 240
12 180 192 204 216 228 240

©Annemieke Ruijper (Facebook group Mochila bags, crochet. For personal use only!)
If you do not finish with the exact amount of stitches you need, you can add some extra in your last
row of the bottom, or decrease some in the first row of the side.

8 Some other designing tips:

 When you use vertical lines, you can best make them at least 2, ot better 3 stitches wide. Lines
from 1 stitch wil not look as straight lines. This is also important when you want to use letters in
you pattern.
 When you draw oblique lines, make them 3 stitches wide and let them overlay 2.

©Annemieke Ruijper (Facebook group Mochila bags, crochet. For personal use only!)