A small crochet pouch with a beaded shell — perfect for storing wire headphones, earbuds, or other small objects

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Ravelry designer’s page – Leyla Alieva

Materials

• Yarn: Drops Paris (100% cotton, 75m  (82 yards) per 50g (1.76 ounces) – Aran weight) — approx. 25gr
• Hooks: for beaded top part – 3.5mm/US E or smaller, depending on your bead size, for all other pieces – 4mm/US G, or larger, to ensure that the bottom fits the top
• Pony beads: 60 beads. Pony beads are usually sold at children craft shops, the are typically 9mm in diameter, with a 4mm hole and 6 mm thick
• Notions: yarn needle, scissors

Abbreviations

Abbreviation	Meaning
ch	chain
sc	single crochet
bsc	beaded single crochet (see Special Stitches)
sl st	slip stitch
ML	magic loop
st(s)	stitch(es)
rep	repeat

Special Stitches

Beaded Single Crochet (bsc): With one loop on the hook (from finishing the previous st), place a bead onto the hook. Insert hook into the stitch from the previous row/round and pull up a loop — you now have three things on the hook: a loop, the bead, and another loop. Yarn over and pull through all three (both loops and the bead). The bead is locked on the front face of the fabric. Short video

Magic Loop (ML): Form an adjustable loop with your yarn, work the required stitches into the loop, then pull the tail to close

Gauge

The most difficult part of this pattern in making the top and bottom fit together, as adding beads to just one part changes the gauge significantly. The beaded (top part) should have very tight stitches, while the bottom should be quite relaxed.

If you are still having a hard time fitting the bottom to the top, you may consider adding one more round.

Another solution is using thinner yarn for the top, and thicker yarn for the bottom.

The finished pouch measures approximately 10–11cm across at its widest point.

Notes

• The legs and head are worked in continuous spiral rounds (do not join at end of round).
• The shell top and bottom are worked in joined rounds (join each round with a sl st, ch 1 to begin next round). You can work them in the spiral as well –  in this case the last round will have quite a jog at the end, but the won’t be a visible seam between the beads across the top part.
• The turtle is assembled by sewing the top and bottom shells together, with the legs and head sandwiched in between.
• Short video showing how each type of closure is working

Pattern

SHELL TOP (beaded)

Use 3.5mm hook.

Ch 4, join with sl st to form a ring.

• Round 1: Ch 1, [bsc, sc] 4 times. Join with sl st. (8 sts — 4 bsc, 4 sc)
• Round 2: Ch 1, [bsc, sc] in each st around. Join with sl st. (16 sts — 8 bsc, 8 sc)
• Round 3: Ch 1, [(bsc, sc) in next st, bsc in next st, (sc, bsc) in next st, sc in next st] 4 times. Join with sl st. (24 sts – 12 bsc, 12 sc)
• Round 4: Ch 1, [(bsc, sc) in next st, bsc in next st, sc in next st] 8 times. Join with sl st. (32 sts-  16 bsc, 16 sc)
• Round 5: Ch 1, [(bsc, sc) in next st, bsc in next st, sc in next st, bsc in next st, (sc, bsc) in next st, sc in next st, bsc in next st, sc in next st] 4 times. Join with sl st. (40 sts – 20 bsc, 20 sc)
• Round 6: Ch 1, [2 sc in next st, sc in next 4 sts] 8 times. Join with sl st. Ch 5, join with sl st into the same sl st used to join Round 6. (48 sts)

Fasten off and weave in ends.

SHELL BOTTOM (plain)

Use 4mm hook.

Ch 4, join with sl st to form a ring.

• Round 1: Ch 1, sc 8 times. Join with sl st. (8 sts)
• Round 2: Ch 1, 2 sc in each st around. Join with sl st. (16 sts)
• Round 3: Ch 1, [2 sc in next st, sc in next st] 8 times. Join with sl st. (24 sts)
• Round 4: Ch 1, [2 sc in next st, sc in next 2 sts] 8 times. Join with sl st. (32 sts)
• Round 5: Ch 1, [2 sc in next st, sc in next 3 sts] 8 times. Join with sl st. (40 sts)
• Round 6: Ch 1, [2 sc in next st, sc in next 4 sts] 8 times. Join with sl st. Ch 20, join with sl st into the same sl st used to join Round 6. (48 sts)

Fasten off and weave in ends.

LEGS (make 4)

Use 4mm hook.

Make a ML.

• Round 1: 4 sc into loop. Pull loop closed. (4 sts)
• Round 2: [2 sc in next st, sc in next st] twice. (6 sts)
• Rounds 3–4: Sc in each st around. (6 sts each round)

Fasten off and weave in ends. Do not stuff.

HEAD

Use 4mm hook.

Make a ML.

• Round 1: 6 sc into loop. Pull loop closed. (6 sts)
• Round 2: [2 sc in next st, sc in next st] 3 times. (9 sts)
• Round 3: Sc in each st around. (9 sts)
• Round 4: [Sc2tog, sc in next st] 3 times. (6 sts)
• Round 5: [Sc2tog] 3 times. (3 sts)

Fasten off and weave in ends. Do not stuff.

Assembly

The 20 beads on Round 5 of the shell top serve as placement guides throughout assembly. The ch-5 loop marks the centre back and counts as the midpoint — 10 beads to its right and 10 beads to its left.

Step 1 — Prepare: Hold the shell top (beaded side up) and shell bottom (plain side up) together, wrong sides facing. Thread a new piece of yarn onto a yarn needle for sewing.

Step 2 — Start sewing: Begin sewing 2 beads to the right of the ch-5 loop, working anticlockwise. Sew through the outermost round of both shells together.

Step 3 — Position the legs and the head: As you sew anticlockwise, place the legs in the seam at the following positions:

• Back right leg: between beads 3 and 4 (counting right from the ch-5 loop)
• Front right leg: between beads 7 and 8
• The head: Place the head in the seam at the front centre, aligned with bead 10 on both the right and left halves — directly opposite the ch-5 closure loop.
• Front left leg: between beads 7 and 8 on the left side (mirroring the right)
• Back left leg: between beads 3 and 4 on the left side

Step 4 — Leave the opening: Stop sewing 2 beads to the left of the ch-5 loop, leaving the back section open between your start and end points (approximately 4 beads wide).

Step 5 — Fasten off and weave in ends.

The ch-20 loop goes into the ch-5 loop to close the pouch.

Finishing

Weave in all remaining ends. To close the pouch, thread the ch-20 loop through the ch-5 loop To open, slip the large loop back out.