Who needs to buy bags when you can crochet yourself a fantastic net shopping bag? Do you have pretty left-over bits of wool or incomplete knitting projects, which you don't want to finish? Then undo them and give them a new life! Our expert Evi has written some fantastic crochet instructions for you.

You need:

Materials: Left-over cotton yarn, yardage: approx. 120 m/50 g
Needles: Prym 1530 crochet hook, gauge 3.5 mm
Accessories: wool needle, scissors, stitch markers

Size: approx. 30 x 40 cm

Instructions:

1st row 8 chain stitch. Close into a circle with a slip stitch into the first slip stitch.

2nd row Crochet 11 double crochet into the ring. End the round with a slip stitch into the first stitch.

3rd row Crochet 2 double crochet into each double crochet. Close the round with a slip stitch.

4th row Crochet one treble crochet into each double crochet. Close the round with a slip stitch. Mark the start of the round with a stitch marker. You should now have 22 stitches in this round. All the following chain spaces also have 22 spaces per round.

5th row 5 chain stitch. Crochet 1 treble crochet into the space between the first row of treble crochet. Repeat (3 chain stitch 1 treble crochet) to the end of the row. End with a slip stitch into the second chain stitch.

6th row 5 chain stitch. Work 1 treble crochet into the chain space of the previous row. Repeat (5 chain stitch, 1 treble crochet into the next space) to the end of the row. End with a slip stitch into the second chain stitch.

7th row 6 chain stitch. Crochet the 1st treble crochet into the chain space of the previous row. Repeat (6 chain stitch, 1 treble crochet into the next chain space) to the end of the row. End with a slip stitch into the second chain stitch. Crochet a further slip stitch into the next chain stitch.

8th row 7 chain stitch. Work 1 treble crochet into the chain space of the previous row. Repeat (7 chain stitch, 1 treble crochet into the next chain space) to the end of the row. End with a slip stitch into the second chain stitch. Crochet a further slip stitch into the next chain stitch.

8th row Repeat 11 times until work measures approx. 30 cm.

Next row: Work 5 double crochet into each chain space.

Next row: Work one double crochet into each stitch.

Next row: Handle: 25 double crochet, 40 chain stitch, leave 30 stitches, 1 slip stitch into the 31st stitch. A further 25 double crochet, 40 chain stitch, leave 30 stitches, 1 slip stitch into the 31st stitch, 25 double crochet. Close the round with a slip stitch.

Work 2 rows of double crochet into all stitches. Sew up all the threads.