Colourful Wayuu Bags to Crochet

Inspired by the vibrant bags made by the Wayuu tribe, these tapestry crochet projects are bursting with colour! The book starts with Rianne's techniques for colourwork, carrying the yarn and creating the bases of the bags, illustrated with colourful step-by-step photographs. Then we're onto the ten projects, beginning with a simple hourglass pattern designed for people taking their first steps into tapestry crochet. After that you can move onto floral designs, geometric patterns, stripes and a fun flamingo bag. * Inside Crochet, Issue 113 * Recently received this book to review and have been constantly picking it up and gone through the techniques shown, very impressed with written instructions and pictures to ensure easy understanding. Great the way the author also gives the problem solving hints as well. Now have the cotton ready to try out the first project! -- Helen Wootton * Customer review * Love this book it's a pleasure to use, the patterns are great, it's well written and very easy to follow all the aspects of the bag making process. -- Maggie Bacon * Customer review * I love this book. I have never crocheted over a bundle of yarns before and the step by step instructions and the photos that illustrate the techniques are brilliant. The author briefly explains the origin of wayuu crochet and then explains several techniques before you even see the patterns. The book has a beginner pattern and also more advanced patterns. Further on in the book the different techniques for braiding handles and drawstrings are explained. I particularly liked the section about using a kumihimo disc as I bought one a while back that I havent yet used. This is an excellent book that explains each step in depth so that even a beginner crocheter could follow it. I cant wait to get started on my first project. -- Joanne Gardner * Customer review * Crochet bags with a difference. -- Julie DeeDee Banks * Customer review * Until recently I had barely seen any Wayuu bags. This beautiful book has ten examples to crochet. US terms are used but UK terms are noted. The instructions are clearly worded and the pictures and explanations of techniques are very precise throughout. Included in the book is an amazing section on making the shoulder straps for the bags using ply split braiding. It's fascinating. The only problem I have is deciding which design to crochet first. Highly recommended for more experienced crocheters. -- Faye Mulhern * Customer review * I adore the projects to crochet. I love the Wayuu bags, the projects have easy to follow patterns with step by step photographs to help you along the way. I recently started to crochet and would say this isn't a book for beginners, like me, however, I am going to aspire to make some of the projects when I have mastered the different stitches. A great book full of lovely projects. -- Sally Mitton * Customer review * The colourful, geometric-patterned bags of the Wayuu people, who are native to Colombia and Venezuela, provided the inspiration for the 10 projects in Rianne de Graaf's new book. Start your journey of mochilas (Spanish for "backpack") with the Small Hourglass Bag designed with beginners in mind. Full-colour photos guide you step-by-step through the basic tapestry-crochet technique. Learn how to finish your bag with a woven shoulder strap and kumihimo-bread drawstring. Rianne also provides troubleshooting tips and advice on selecting cotton yarn and the appropriate size of hook. * Interweave Crochet * I feel envious of Rianne! Imagine discovering an exotic form of crochet made by a tribe in South America - and which few people have heard of, let alone written about! She first saw Wayuu bags on Pinterest a few years ago, became enthused and wrote this book. The Wayuu tribe live in Venezuela and Colombia on the shores of the Caribbean. Their homes are basic huts, they sleep in hammocks, and they use mochila bags for storing their fe

Rianne de Graaf discovered the colourful world of crocheted mochilas in 2013 and has specialized in making these wonderful creations ever since. Crochet is not her only passion - Rianne also finds it very satisfying to pass on her knowledge to other people, so in 2014 she began running workshops on making mochila bags. One thing led to another and her company, RiannesHaaksels, was officially launched in 2015 in the form of a webshop. It was only a matter of time before she wrote her first book. You can find her on Facebook and Instagram as RiannesHaaksels and her website can be visited at www.rianneshaaksels.nl

Foreword 5 Techniques 6 Troubleshooting 13 Materials used 15 Crocheting the base 17 Spaces for the cord 20 Fastening off the bag 21 Wayuu Mochila Patterns 22 Hourglass 22 Large Flower 28 Azulejo Tiles 32 Diamonds 36 Little Flowers 40 Plain and sparkly stripes 45 Cross 50 Flamingo 55 Traditional 59 Maze 65 Making the shoulder strap 69 Making the drawstring 92