Batua Bags

Batuas are traditional bags from India. These small pretty bags were initially used to keep paan, mouth freshening condiments wrapped in beetal leaves used to color the lips red. As people became educated and everything Western acquired the sheen of being cultured, batuas lost their charm and became old-fashioned.

History has come a full circle with batuas again becoming a rage. Today they are extremely versatile and make the ultimate style statement. Batua, the term refers to a delicate feminine bag ideal for keeping trinkets or a lipstick and mobile phone to parties.

Used in small to medium sizes they can be made in colors to match with outfits. Thin silken yarns help make soft graceful bags. Thin yarns also give the freedom to include beautiful designs when crocheting a batua. Medium weight yarns are good to make batuas with some bod. Such yarns call for using simple dc and trebles. Multi-colored batuas can be made by using different colors of the same yarn. Add tassels and beads to add to the charm.

Easy to make, all you do is make a circular base of the desired size. Keeping it about 4-5 inches in diameter makes a good batua. Pick up the sticthes from last round of the base and continue to crochet them to form a cylindrical shape. Add a row of mesh followed by a decorative edging. Use the yarn to make two simple chain drawstrings. Insert one from one side the way it is done in casual pyjamas. Use the other drawstring same way but from the opposite end.

To make the bag hold its shape when used, cut a circular piece of hardboard or plywood a tad smaller than the base of the bag. Cover it with a layer of thin sponge and the material used for lining, usually a soft fabric in the same color as the yarn. Stitch lining fabric along the edge of the base to form a bag similar to the crocheted bag. Insert the lining along with the hardboard base in the crocheted bag. Fold the lining fabric and stitch it just below mesh row of the batua. Pull drawstrings to close the bag!!

What To Do With Left Over Yarn

A hobby leaves lot of tidbits. Same goes for crochet with one being left with several types of yarn not enough to make a good sized bad. I use such leftover yarn to make coin bags among other things. Depending on the yarn left, a bag suitable for gifting little trinkets can be made.

Coin bags are also good for experimentation and trying out new patterns or stiches. Recently, at an exhibition, I saw these fantastic beaded crocheted bags. Done in beautiful colors and contrasting small beads, I also wanted to make something like them. While I wanted to try my hand at making those heavily beaded bags, I did not want to unravel the sample on not getting the desired effect. A simple solution to the problem - coin bags ! One gets to experiment with new techniques without letting the hard work go waste... The two red bags with blue and green drawstrings were made like this.

Another use for left over yarn, aside from making the all time favorite granny squares, is to make flowers. Frankly speaking, I am not an expert at making flowers though I would like to learn more kinds. Anyway, once you have a bunch of flowers, you can

use them to jazz up pretty much anything - a girl's dress, towels, cushion covers, beadspreads, throws, table mats, jar covers made of fabric, and the list goes on....

Left over yarn is ideal for making spirals, the method for which I read in a crochet book I bought a few months ago. The spirals are really easy to make and can be used for various purposes depending on the type of yarn. When made with silken yarn, they can be used as dainty tassels, which among other things are apt for adding glamour to a simple bob pin. The same spiral can be used to make a choker to go with any party dress. Bigger yarns made from rough thicker yarns form an ideal hanging for container plants. What's best about these spirals is the fact they use very little amount of yarn, so you end up using even the really small lengths of left over crochet yarn.

This article would be incomplete without a mention about friendship bands, which can be made easily. Crochetd friendship bands remind me of an interesting story of a neighbor who put up an exhibition of crochetd bags a few years ago. Just like any exhibition, all participants here too were required to pay a certain amount of money to book the stall. And, you know how people displaying their handicrafts are nervous about being able to at least recover the booking amount, my neighbor too was a bit apprehensive. She had a good collection of bags alongwith a quite a few stacks of left over yarn. Realizing that friendship day was soon after the exhibition, she made friendship bands of the left overs. Needless to mention, they sold like hotcakes and my friendly neighbor profited from their sale!

Favorite Bag

Hi,

The picture shows one of my favorite bags. Many may find it simple, but for me it has a lot of memories attached. I started it when I was expecting my li'l one (a girl!) :-) I was very confused about its sling and wanted to make something striking. Anyway, I had completed the bag minus the sling when my daughter was born. After the initial hectic days, I picked it up again and made the two color sling.

Usually I gift the bags I crochet or put them up in an exhibition, but this one I've kept it for myself :-)

More next time...

Hi

A big hello to all crocheters and those interested in crocheting !!

Am beginning to blog from today. Hope it all goes well. But I guess there isn't really too much right or wrong in blogging especially if it's about a hobby like crocheting.

Anyway, I'll soon post pictures of my crochet creations and share some with you.

bye