Behind the Stitches: How a Top Spun Off into the Tria Purse

Have you ever started a project with one plan in mind, only for it to completely spin off in a new direction? That’s pretty much the story of the Tria Purse Crochet Pattern.

I was already working on a crochet top pattern, but I really wanted to offer a smaller, quicker project for anyone who loved the motifs but didn't want to make a full garment. The only catch? I opened our tester group chat way too early!

Instead of waiting until I had a smaller pattern written out, I dropped a picture of the motif into our group chat and asked if anyone wanted to test it and help brainstorm small project ideas.

How the Bag Came to Be

I initially had a larger bag in mind, maybe built around a canvas base. But as soon as the testers saw the motif, Arlene Bort suggested a purse, and Linda Kvarnström chimed in with, "Or a clutch!"

That got me thinking: setting these triangular motifs against a plain background to avoid lining would be perfect for a smaller bag.

While I was still working out the layout, Linda took the idea and ran with it. She picked up a bag-making kit with a faux leather bottom and straps, then made a whole stack of test motifs in different color combinations to see what worked. In the end, she landed on a clean monochrome look with darker background motifs.

Images: Linda Kvarnström

While she was working through her color choices, I finalized the background triangles and the join-as-you-go method, setting the purse structure at four main motifs.

Images: Natalia Kononova, Linda Kvarnström

Practical Solutions & DIY Hardware

Linda actually finished her prototype while I was still writing up the pattern. Her bag turned out great with the leather kit, but I wanted to make sure the pattern didn't depend on specialized hardware that might be hard to find.

Images: Linda Kvarnström

To solve the base structure, I cut a plastic reinforcement piece from a clean milk jug and sandwiched it between two crocheted bottom layers. It gave the purse a firm base using something easily available.

This is a short version of the video from the pattern:

Finding matching hardware ended up being a fun, creative effort for everyone:

• Lauren Wolf checked local thrift shops for straps and dug through her button collection until she found one that matched her strap perfectly.

• Handmade Closures: To keep things accessible, I included a design for a crocheted cover over a simple wooden bead.

• Linda's Solution: Since Linda didn't have a wooden bead on hand, she crocheted the bead cover and stuffed it with stuffing instead (another idea for stuuffing: leftover yarn tails).

Images: Lauren Wolf, Natalia Kononova

A Community Process

Everyone brought something different to the table. Paulina Smith Maraboli adapted the idea to make a drawstring bag, using a round bottom and plain side motifs without the flower details.

Images: Paulina Smith Maraboli

Usually, testing is straightforward: I write the full pattern, send out the draft, and testers work through the instructions to check for mistakes. But occasionally, we have a test where everyone collaborates on the ideas while I write the pattern alongside them as we go. Once the draft was fully written, Linda Toering and Monica Bianchini tested the finalized pattern to make sure the instructions were clear and ready to release.

Thank you to volunteers Monica Bianchini, Linda Kvarnström, Paulina Smith Maraboli, Linda Toering, and Lauren Wolf for their tremendous help testing and editing this pattern!

Images: Monica Bianchini, Linda Toering

I hope you enjoy reading about how Tria Purse came together! Feel free to grab this pattern with 20% off subscriber discount when it's published (subscribe via the form at the top of this page).

Happy crocheting!

Natalia