Tardis Bag Strap

Welcome back to some more Dr. Who fun!  We made the bag part of the Tardis Bag last Tuesday, so today I'm going to show you how I made the Tardis Bag Strap.   The top of the strap was made using a quasi-tapestry crochet technique where I carried the yarn across the back of the piece.  This makes the wrong side Uh-huh-huh-huh-gleeee (that's 'really super ugly' to those of you who don't speak Jaime gibberish)!  So that's why we've got second piece to cover the ugliness up.  And it makes the strap stronger and less prone to stretch all out of shape.

This is my first attempt at charts.  I made my charts going from the top down (row numbers down the sides), but on my large strap charts I also numbered the stitches across the top. Please don't let this confuse you.   I'm not going to re-do them, since this is a free pattern, but I would love to know, was I supposed to do the chart from the bottom up?  I made mine go from top down, because my blog posts scroll from the top down, and I thought it would be inconvenient and more confusing if I made them go from the bottom up.  But now I don't know.

I made 3 different straps.  I made a big strap for the LCB version that looks exactly like the Tardis, and I made a thinner strap that looks a little less authentic, but is more appropriately sized for the smaller purse-sized bag in both a shoulder bag size and a longer crossbody size.  If you want, you can ditch the charts and just make a plain black strap for either of the bags, and I think they would still look really cool.

**IMPORTANT:  All charts are worked in single crochet.  Carry the yarn on the back of the piece, since we're going to cover all the loose threads up.  You can cut the white yarn between charts to keep the white from pulling weirdly on the piece from the back.  It's going to look wonky up close, so if you are working on the strap and think that it's turning out horrible, go get an iced tea, and take a break from it.  When you come back, look at it from across the room.  It will look much better.**

Tardis LCB Strap - front
approx 35" long
Supplies:
Worsted weight yarn in Black and White (I used Red Heart Super Saver 100% acrylic in black and white)
Size G hook
Yarn needle
Scissors

using Black ch 14
R1: sc in 2nd ch from hook, sc in each ch space across (13 st)
R2-3: ch 1, sc in each st across (13 st)
R4-32: work LCB CHART A (13 st)
R33-35: using black, ch 1, sc in each st across (13 st)
R36-56: work LCB CHART B (13 st)
R57-59: using black, ch 1, sc in each st across (13 st)
R60-82: work LCB CHART C (13 st)
R83-85: using black, ch 1, sc in each st across (13 st)
Fasten off.  Weave in ends.

LCB CHART A

LCB CHART B

LCB CHART C

Tardis LCB Strap - Back

Using Black, ch 14

R1: sc in 2nd ch from hook, sc in each ch space across (14 st)

R2-85: ch 1, sc in each st across (14 st)

Fasten off.  Weave in ends.

Finishing strap:

Match front and back pieces with wrong sides together (to cover up all the loose threads!).  Pin in place. 

Using Black yarn, sc the 2 straps together along one of the long sides, using 1 stitch for each row.  Fasten off.  Repeat along the other long side.  

Center the strap along the top sides of the Main Bag (use the side seam as a guideline for centering the strap). Whipstitch the edge of the strap to the edge of the bag.  Repeat on the other side. Weave in ends.

Tardis Bag (Purse-Sized) Shoulder Strap- Front 

approx 35" long
Supplies:
Worsted weight yarn in Black and White (I used Red Heart Super Saver 100% acrylic in black and white)
Size G hook
Yarn needle
Scissors

using Black ch 6
R1: sc in 2nd ch from hook, sc in each ch space across (5 st)
R2-5: ch 1, sc in each st across (5 st)
R6-31: work CHART A (5 st)
R32-36: using black, ch 1, sc in each st across (5 st)
R37-57: work CHART B (5 st)
R58-62: using black, ch 1, sc in each st across (5 st)
R63-77: work CHART C (5 st)
R78-82: using black, ch 1, sc in each st across (5 st)
R83-95: work CHART D (5 st)
R96-100: using black, ch 1, sc in each st across (5 st)
Fasten off.  Weave in ends.

CHART A

CHART B

CHART C

CHART D

Tardis Bag (Purse-Sized) Shoulder Strap - Back

Using Black, ch 6

R1: sc in 2nd ch from hook, sc in each ch space across (5 st)

R2-100: ch 1, sc in each st across (5 st)

Fasten off.  Weave in ends.

Finishing strap:

Match front and back pieces with wrong sides together (to cover up all the loose threads!).  Pin in place. 

Using Black yarn, sc the 2 straps together along one of the long sides, using 1 stitch for each row.  Fasten off.  Repeat along the other long side.  

Center the strap along the top sides of the Main Bag (use the side seam as a guideline for centering the strap). Whipstitch the edge of the strap to the edge of the bag.  Repeat on the other side. Weave in ends.

Tardis Bag (Purse-Sized) Crossbody Strap - Front

approx 45" long
Supplies:
Worsted weight yarn in Black and White (I used Red Heart Super Saver 100% acrylic in black and white)
Size G hook
Yarn needle
Scissors


using Black ch 6
R1: sc in 2nd ch from hook, sc in each ch space across (5 st)
R2-30: ch 1, sc in each st across (5 st)
R31-51: work CHART A (5 st)
R52-56: using black, ch 1, sc in each st across (5 st)
R57-77: work CHART B (5 st)
R78-82: using black, ch 1, sc in each st across (5 st)
R83-97: work CHART C (5 st)
R98-102: using black, ch 1, sc in each st across (5 st)
R103-115: work CHART D (5 st)
R116-145: using black, ch 1, sc in each st across (5 st)
Fasten off.  Weave in ends.

Tardis Bag (Purse-Sized) Crossbody Strap - Back

Using Black, ch 6

R1: sc in 2nd ch from hook, sc in each ch space across (5 st)

R2-145: ch 1, sc in each st across (5 st)

Fasten off.  Weave in ends.

Finishing strap:

Match front and back pieces with wrong sides together (to cover up all the loose threads!).  Pin in place. 

Using Black yarn, sc the 2 straps together along one of the long sides, using 1 stitch for each row.  Fasten off.  Repeat along the other long side.  

Center the strap along the top sides of the Main Bag (use the side seam as a guideline for centering the strap). Whipstitch the edge of the strap to the edge of the bag.  Repeat on the other side. Weave in ends.

Okay, so for those of you who are making the unlined button-closure versions, you are now done!  Yippee!  For the rest of you, you fabric-lining darlings, I will see you on Saturday!  Bring a lining fabric (I'm going to use white cotton!) and your knit pickers.  

xoxo