Birthday dice bag - free pattern

Just a buffer post today because I had side effects of my second COVID vaccine shot until yesterday, so I had to catch up on two days of work and didn’t have a chance to write. I’ll stick this on Ravelry when I have a chance.

I’ve made a few of these bags as birthday gifts, hence the name. It’s a fairly simple pattern, made with two colors of Aunt Lydia’s Crochet Thread (or any other size 10 crochet thread).

The version here is in French Rose and White. What surprised me was that neither color overpowers the other; each stitch mixes the colors together so you have to look closely to see the individual colors, while at a distance it's sort of blended together. Other versions I made have greater differences in hue and value between the colors, which make the colors more distinct and less blended-together (Burgundy and French Rose are really distinct but also really pretty); I did a version that was Wood Violet and Mint Green, which was much more blended than this one is.

The bags hold a couple sets of dice easily, but it can easily be made bigger so it can carry more dice — I did the burgundy/pink one that way. You might want to add a few more rounds if you're making it wider, because that way it continues to taper when you close the drawstring. 

I don't use patterns very much, and although I'm trying to write down what I do more precisely, I often write things like "make a 6 round continuous circle in hdc that starts with 8 stitches" and "work around until it's long enough". Of course, even if (and that's a big if) I can understand it later, nobody else does with the same clarity I do. 

However, I tried to translate it into a pattern that can actually be followed, sort of. I didn’t take step by step pictures or anything, but it’s pretty straightforward. 

Originally, the pattern notes looked like this:

All in hdc: make a 6 round circle (continuous, start with 8st in ring, until working 4st between increases), then work even until it's big enough (12 rounds ish), then alternate ch-2 spaces and hdc around, work sc around, rsc around, add drawstring. 

I like it better in the written out version. If you make it, let me know in the comments!

The nicer version of the pattern (US crochet terms) 

Use a G/4.00mm hook and two strands of size 10 crochet thread held together (you'll need less than a ball in total, but exactly how much depends on your bag's height). 

Gauge doesn't really matter; if you need a bigger base add another round of increases, if you need it taller then work more rounds of height. 

You don't really need to block it either. It's in continuous rounds until the edging, meaning don't join (until the last couple rounds) and don't turn (ever) after the end of a round. 

Rnd 1: ch 3, 8 hdc in first chain. (8 stitches).

Rnd 2: 2hdc in each stitch around. (16 stitches).

Rnd 3: *hdc in next stitch, 2 hdc in next stitch* 8 times (24 stitches).

Rnd 4: *hdc in next 2 stitches, 2 hdc in next stitch* 8 times (32 stitches).

Rnd 5: *hdc in next 3 stitches, 2 hdc in next stitch* 8 times (40 stitches).

Rnd 6: *hdc in next 4 stitches, 2 hdc in next stitch* 8 times (48 stitches).

Rnd 7: hdc around. 

Repeat round 7 until bag is an appropriate height to fit your dice; I worked about 12 rounds even. 

Round X-2, work *ch 2, skip next 2 stitches, hdc in next stitch* around, but instead of the last hdc, work a slip stitch into last stitch of previous round. 

Round X-1: Ch 1, sc in same stitch, *2 sc in next ch-2 space, sc in next hdc* around, ending with a slip stitch in first sc (replacing the sc in the hdc). 

Final round: Ch 1, reverse sc (also known as crab stitch) around. Sl st into first stitch and finish off. 

Weave a ribbon through the holes and tie it to use as a drawstring, possibly slipping a pony bead over the two ends of the ribbon if you want a way to hold it closed.