Episode 4 - The first three rows of a half hex motif.  Make 4 half hexes.  

Visit planetjune.com for a magic circle tutorial (for right and left handers).

See the chart below.

Episode 3 - How to join a corner hex.

The two corner hexes are 3 and 17 in the chart below.

Episode 2 - How to crochet row 4 of a hex motif and how to join as you go.

Here's the chart for Row 4.  You definitely need to watch the video if you aren't familiar with joining as you go.

This is the tricky part - making a 3-D object assembly chart.  Here is the clean chart so if someone has questions, I can direct them to a numbered hex.

Black numbers are full hexes.  Red numbers are half-hexes.  Half-hexes will be covered in a later episode.

You don't have to attach your hexes in this order.  Connect them up however you'd like.  I do suggest that you lay your hexes on the floor and arrange them before you start assembling your tote.

Be sure to move one edge's hexes to the other edge before you settle on the final placement (meaning, move 24, 25, & 26 over to the left edge -- and 7 & 14 to the other side's bottom edge) to make sure there are no color conflicts.

Or, you can just put them in a pile and connect them one at a time by pulling the next one out.  It 's a granny hex tote, not brain surgery.  You don't have to over-think it. :)

Here is the ridiculously overly-noted chart. :)

Red lines are the side and bottom folds.  

The colored painted lines are where hexes match up.  The colors don't mean anything in particular.  I used different colors so you could see what matches up where: pink to pink - blue to blue - green to green - and gold to gold.

The blue stars under Hex 3 and Hex 17 are where the bottom corners are.  I will cover this in the next episode, but for those of you that want to attempt this ...

Hex 3 and Hex 17 are folded in half and the bottom edge is not attached to anything when you crochet Row 4 (as you can see since there is no colored painted line along the bottom edge).

I had trouble attaching the corner hexes, so don't feel bad if you have to wait for the video to get it.  It's tricky.

Episode 1 - The first three rows of a hex motif. Make 26 to start The Hex Tote.

After all the wonderful name suggestions (OMG, Bagasaurus Hex?!  So amazing), I settled on a simple "The Hex" as the name.  And since it's a tote ... The Hex Tote.

Here are tutorials for some of the techniques mentioned in this post:

• magic circle (for right and left handers)
• weaving in the last end

For my bag, I used Lily brand Sugar 'n Cream worsted weight cotton yarn.  I used what I had on hand, which is why the colors aren't used equally.  I'm not sure how much yarn it takes, but the nice thing about granny motifs is that if you have to pick up more yarn later, the dye lot doesn't matter since the same color is never touching itself.

I used a 3.75mm hook so the stitches would be super dense.  I didn't want a lot of the lining peeking through my motifs.

You can make this bag with any size/type yarn and any size hook you'd like, there are no rules.  Let me know if you have any more initial questions.

These are the straps I designed for the secret hex bag.  Below are charts, written instructions, and a video.  Plus a bonus alternate two-row version.  Yay!

My suggestion is that you look at the chart, watch the video, and go for it.  If you absolutely must, read the written directions, but they are super-wordy even though the straps are pretty simple to make.




Granny Strap Written Directions
Row 1: Make an odd number of foundation single crochet (fsc)  stitches.  

Stop making that face ... it's easy!  If you don't believe me, click through to my tutorial and read all the comments that say how happy everyone is that they finally learned to do fsc.  You can do it.  Trust me!!!  My tutorial has a video and step-by-step photos.  And, you can ALWAYS email me.  I bet you'll have it mastered in 10 minutes, tops.

Row 2: Make two single crochet (sc) stitches in the top of the third fsc, chain 1, * skip 1 fsc, 2 sc in next fsc , chain 1 repeat from *  until you get to the last fsc.  In the last fsc make 2 sc (in the top of the fsc), chain 2, 2 sc (in the side/end of the fsc), chain 2, 2 sc (in the bottom of the fsc making sure to catch center bar of fsc so there is no yarn between the 2 sc in the top of the fsc and the 2 sc in the bottom of the fsc), chain 1. Along the bottom of the fsc row * skip 1 fsc, 2 sc in next fsc , chain 1 repeat from *  until you get to the last fsc. In the last fsc make 2 sc, chain 2, 2 sc, chain 2, 2 sc, chain 1. Skip an fsc, 2sc in next fsc, slip stitch to top of first sc of Row 2, pull a loop through the last stitch, cut yarn and pull end through, and tie a square knot on the back of the strap with the beginning and ending yarn ends.

Row 3: In the chain space to the left of the start of row 2, make 2 sc, chain 1, * skip 1 fsc, 2 sc in next fsc , chain 1 repeat from *  until you get to the 2 chain corner.  In the 2 chain corner make 4 sc, chain 1, in the next 2 chain corner, make 4 sc, chain 1. Along the bottom edge * skip 1 fsc, 2 sc in next fsc , chain 1 repeat from *  until you get to the 2 chain corner.  In the 2 chain corner make 4 sc, chain 1, in the next 2 chain corner, make 4 sc, chain 1.  Make 2 sc over the slip stitch that completed Row2 trying to hide the knot, if you can, slip stitch to top of first sc of Row 3, pull a loop through the last stitch, cut yarn and pull end through, and tie a square knot on the back of the strap with the beginning and ending yarn ends.

Finishing: Weave in yarn ends.




ALTERNATE TWO-ROW VERSION OF GRANNY STRAP

Here is a two-row version I used on the phone cozy I made.




Row 1: Make an odd number of foundation single crochet (fsc)  stitches.

Row 2: Start with top of third fsc, make one *single crochet, chain one, skip an fsc, repeat from * until you get to then last fsc.  In the last fsc, sc, chain 1, sc, chain 1, 1 sc to work around the end of the fsc row.  Along the bottom of the sc (be sure to catch the center piece of yarn) chain 1, skip one fsc, *single crochet, chain one, skip an fsc, repeat from * until you get to then last fsc. In the last fsc, sc, chain 1, sc, chain 1, 1 sc to work around the end of the fsc row.  Slip stitch to the first sc.

Feedback welcome and encouraged!
Let me know if you have any questions or anything is confusing.

Episode 5 covers handles of the Starling Handbag.

Here are all of the Starling Crochet-A-Long videos.

Here is the foundation single crochet bridge tutorial.

This is the last video!  Big thanks to karin @ madebyk for telling me about the video software (Movie Maker.  Free!) that I used to edit together and add titles and music to this video.  See what I mean about the sparkles in my theme song?

I also learned how to better make videos now that I can edit parts together and add transitions between bits so you can see fsc 1,2,3 (nice fade) 23,24, 25.  The actual recording time for this one was MUCH shorter.  The software was super easy to use and made putting the whole thing together so fast.

Now I just need a camera that doesn't make me sound like I lisp.  :)

When you're done I have a tutorial for sewing a fabric lining and sewing that lining into your bag.

Episode 4 covers side rows of the Starling Handbag.

Here are all of the Starling Crochet-A-Long videos.

OK, I've got to get on the ball this weekend and record AT LEAST the next one ... but hopefully I get them all finished up.  There can't be that many more that needs to be done ... starting the handles, crocheting the handles, and finishing the handles are the only steps left.  Think I can fit that into 5-6 minutes?

Episode 3 covers the bottom row3 and beyond of the Starling Handbag. Be thankful I hadn't lined up any jokes for this one. ;)

Here are all of the Starling Crochet-A-Long videos.

Episode 2 covers the bottom row 2 of the Starling Handbag.

Here are all of the Starling Crochet-A-Long videos. Ta da!

Episode 1 covers the foundation row and the first row of the Starling Handbag.

Download the Starling Handbag crochet pattern for free.

Learn foundation single crochet (video and photo tutorial).

Here are all of the Starling Crochet-A-Long videos.

I just rediscovered these videos!  I made a TON of them in December.  Many end right in the middle of the hot crochet action with my phone ringing, expletives (usually in German), or the camera turning off because the batteries ran out.  

I thought *all* the videos were in a state of not-so-usefulness, but there are four that are A-OKish.  In this one I make a couple goofy jokes, laugh dumb, my camera makes me sound like a lisper, and I have major stitch marker issues right at the end, but otherwise, it's golden (->>bling<<-).

The upside is that I can publish one a week for the next 4 weeks, which gives me time to make the rest of the videos showing the final steps of making a Starling Handbag.  A race against myself!  Get ready ... get set ... Go!

I hope you enjoy the theme song Andrew wrote for me!  FYI, you can't hear the sparkles at the end of the theme song that I refer to because the camera is about 10 feet from the computer.  Once I get a video editing software (recommendations for the PC, anyone?), you'll hear the sparkles ... oh, yes you will.

Gah!  I just noticed that I called it a Video Tutorial in the snazzy title cards.  I like Video Crochet-A-Long better.  Do you think anyone will notice.  Nah ...