I do get crafty on occasion and I finally finished my first Fat Bottom Bag from the Happy Hooker book!! The original pattern calls for either hard or crocheted handles and I opted to go with crocheted handles instead of the plastic ones. I’ll be more likely to use it this way since hard purse handles bug me.

Here is my umbrella modeling:

I used a different flower pattern – it’s loosely based on this one by Stitch diva: http://www.stitchdiva.com/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=FREE003 Even though, I like the flower in the book, the one I’ve linked to works up really quickly and is super fluffy.

I have come to love the herringbone half double crochet stitch that makes up the purse – it’s soooo simple and turns out a really cool texture. The stitch is easier than you think. As the name implies, it’s a modified double crochet. A Stitch A Day has a really clear tutorial for the maneuver.