Lobster Bag

Turn a bag into a cute lobster with crochet legs and claws!

Posted by Cat Morley

About

This bucket bag from Wool & The Gang is perfect for toting your towels to the beach and every Mermaid needs a friendly sidekick like Sebastian, so I decided to turn mine into a lobster with claws and legs.

Share

You Will Need (5 things)

  • Wool & The Gang Bag making kit, lobster coloured bag or yarn to make your own
  • Matching T-Shirt Yarn
  • Jumbo Crochet Needle
  • Black Yarn
  • Yarn Needle

Steps (23 steps, 180 minutes)

  1. 1

    To start with, you'll need a lobster coloured bag and some matching yarn. You can knit your own, buy one or like me, make one with Wool & The Gang's awesome kit which came with lots of excess t-shirt yarn to make lobster parts with.

  2. 2

    Make up the basic bag using your kit or your own pattern, making sure to save lots of leftover t-shirt yarn to make the embellishments.

  3. 3

    Left Claw

    CO 6
    Row 1 - 14: Knit in stockinette stitch for 3" ending on a purl row.
    Row 15: K1, increase by 1, knit until the last stitch, increase by 1 and knit the last stitch so you have 8 stitches on your needle.
    Row 16: Purl.
    Row 17: K1, increase by 1, knit until the last stitch, increase by 1 and knit the last stitch so you have 10 stitches on your needle.
    K5 stitches
    Row 18: Purl.
    Row 19: K6, K2Tog, K2 Tog, K1.
    Row 20 - part one: K2, turn and then P2 the same two stitches. K2 again, turn and purl the same two stitches again. K2 together and case off.

    Row 20 - part two: Rejoin the yarn and purl the remaining six stitches.
    Row 21: K4, k2 together.
    Row 22: Purl.
    Row 23: K2tog, knit until end of row.
    Row 24: Purl.
    Row 25: K2tog, knit until end of row.
    Cast off

  4. 4

    Your claws should look like this.

  5. 5

    Right Claw

    CO 6
    Row 1 - 14: Knit in stockinette stitch for 3" ending on a purl row.
    Row 15: K1, increase by 1, knit until the last stitch, increase by 1 and knit the last stitch so you have 8 stitches on your needle.
    Row 16: Purl.
    Row 17: K1, increase by 1, knit until the last stitch, increase by 1 and knit the last stitch so you have 10 stitches on your needle.
    K5 stitches
    Row 18: Purl.
    Row 19: K1, K2Tog, K2 Tog, K6.
    Row 20 - part one: Purl the first 6 stitches - turn k2toether and knit 4
    purl 5 stitches turn
    k3, k2tog
    purl 4
    k2, k2tog
    purl2tog, p2 turn
    k2 tog
    cast off

    Row 20 - part two: K2, turn and then P2 the same two stitches. K2 again, turn and purl the same two stitches again. K2 together and case off.

  6. 6

    Thread the yarn in and out of the bag about 2" from the top, starting and ending in the center of the front of the bag with two equal tails.

  7. 7

    Weave in the loose ends, leaving the tail at the top of each claw long.

  8. 8

    Cut a length of t-shirt yarn about 60" long and thread a yarn needle in the middle.

  9. 9

    Use the lose tail at the top to attach the claws to the left and right hand sides of your bag.

  10. 10

    Knot the two tails together.

  11. 11

    Using a jumbo crochet needle, beginning chaining down the tail.

  12. 12

    Chain 10 and then tie off.

  13. 13

    Repeat at the other side.

  14. 14

    Weave in the loose tails.

  15. 15

    Legs (make 10)

    Chain 12, leave a long tail and tie off.

  16. 16

    Now we're going to make two black pom poms for the lobsters eyes. Cut a long tail of black yarn and place to one side. Wrap lots and lots of black yarn tightly around three of your fingers.

  17. 17

    Slip your fingers out of the yarn and slip the yarn tail in their place and tie in knot.

  18. 18

    Cut the outside edge of the yarn with scissors.

  19. 19

    Trim your pom pom to size.

  20. 20

    Make a second pom pom eye and cut another length of black yarn.

  21. 21

    Stitch each pom pom in place on the front of your bag to look like eyes.

  22. 22

    Stitch four of the legs at either side of your bag, using their tails to tie them in place and then stitch the remaining two under the lobster's mouth from earlier.

  23. 23

    Take your bag to the beach!