A Pattern: Little Brass Ring Purse

I had one lone six-inch diameter brass ring and wasn't sure what to do with it. This little purse uses the bottom of the ring as a frame for a little tote, and the top of the ring as the handle. I made it to hang on the handlebars of a teen-aged girl's bike, so she could carry her cellphone and a few dollars when she took bike rides. Her keys easily clip to the handle.

Materials: Brass ring, any worsted weight yarn except cotton (it must stretch over the ring tightly), size G Hook, large-eye yarn needle, velcro or magnetic snap fastener, any embellishments of your choice.

The bag is made up of two crocheted semi-circles, as shown at left. The semi-circles must be as near to the diameter of the ring as possible (here, six inches across)

Directions:

Chain 3, work 3 sc in 2nd ch from end.

Row 1: 2 sc in each stitch, turn. (6 st.)

Row 2: 2 sc in each stitch, turn. (12 st.)

Row 3: *sc in next 3 st., 2 sc in next stitch* three times (inc. of 3), turn

Row 4: *sc in next 4 st., 2 sc in next stitch* three times (inc. of 3), turn

Row 5: *sc in next 5 st., 2 sc in next stitch* three times, turn

Continue in this manner, increasing three stitches evenly in each row (you should have a fabric that looks like three pie wedges)

When piece is the desired size (mine is 12 rows), make another identical piece.

Next, holding wrong sides together, chain pieces together around the rounded edge, leaving top open. Insert ring and check fit. The join should look tidy and finished.

Remove ring and, as shown below, work three rows of sc around top of purse, decreasing one stitch at each end of each side (4 st dec in each row). Break off yarn, leaving a 20" tail.

As shown in the last picture below, inset ring into purse, thread tail onto a yarn needle, and work a running stitch just inside the ring, making a tunnel for the ring and keeping it secure in the purse. If you stitch into the hole of each stitch in turn, the stitching should be almost invisible.

I embellished this with vintage buttons my mother collected during the '30s and '40s. You can sew on a crocheted flower, or do some embroidery, or just make the semi-circles in multicolors.

Finish with a magnetic snap or a velcro fastener.

Another view of the finished purse. The purse can easily be carried around the wrist, and holds a cellphone, some money, a comb, and other small items.