An alternative to plastic: string bags

There's been an awful lot of guilt-tripping about plastic bags. (I thought as long as we recycled them we could avoid guilt, but evidently not.) I remembered the net bags I bought in Russia (then, the Soviet Union) in 1972 and hauled them out of the closet. These netted bags were called syetki and came in all different sizes.

I actually used mine quite often back then so they're pretty worn out. I decided to make new ones. I developed this recipe, trial and error, I think it's a perfect size - it's actually very hard to tell what size it is till you put things in it because the chain stitching is so stretchy. The first one I made was so big it dragged on the ground when I filled it. These make great gifts - everybody who saw one wanted it.

So here's the pattern I developed; I've made it out of cotton thread (available at Walmart in a big ball), out of buttonhold thread, and, now, out of a wonderful red nylon line, string, or yarn (?) called Serilon (100% CF nylon). I just looked it up here: it's made by ÖZEN İPLİK and I bought it just outside the grand bazaar in Istanbul. Even though there are miles of line on each spool, I like the stuff so much I already wish I had more.

So anyway, while I was nervously waiting for all my various late planes yesterday I crocheted three of these bags, which are extremely strong and light.

Melinama's pattern for crocheted string bags:
(use cotton yarn, buttonhole thread or Serilon 20)

1. Chain 7 and slip stitch into a circle;
   
2. Eighteen double crochet into the circle;
   
3. {Double crochet (dc) and chain one} into each of the 18 dc of the previous row;
   
4. {dc, chain one} TWICE into each of the holes made by the chain stitches of the previous row (you now have 36 dcs and 36 chains);
   
5. {single crochet (sc), chain three} into each of the 36 holes in previous row;
   
6. {sc, chain four} into each hole for 14 rows;
   
7. {dc, chain two} into each hole for 2 rows;
   
8. {two dcs in each hole} for nine holes only! then:
   
9. chain 30, turn around, and slip attach in two stitches to other end of the nine holes you just put two double crochets into;
   
10. turn around one more time and {double crochet into two chains, skip one} 20 times. You now have 20 double crochets on the handle;
    
11. {dc, chain two} into nine holes only;
    
12. repeat steps 8-11 and you should be back where you started;
    
13. dc into each of the 20 dcs of the handle;
    
14. {dc, chain two} into nine holes;
    
15. repeat steps 13-14, slip chain into a couple more stitches, and you're done.

One bag should take 2-3 hours depending on your speed and anxiety level. Be sure not to collapse (tighten) the stitches too much.

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