Project introduction
This crochet project takes its cue from the Netflix series Wednesday, specifically the gothic window in the dorm room that Wednesday and Enid share. That architectural detail becomes a cute yet macabre round bag. Crocheted items appear throughout the show, from black and white checkered sweater vests to lace collars and snoods, but this design looks to the set rather than the wardrobe. The pattern began with Nine Inspired and now lives with Littlejohn’s Yarn, shared with permission.
The designer offers an ad-free, large print, printable PDF, and the free version appears further down the page. A Head Turner Bundle gathers 33 patterns, and the pattern can also be added to a Ravelry queue.
PATTERN Ophelia Round Bag
Materials
Worsted weight (number 4) yarn is the base. The samples used Lily Sugar ‘n’ Cream in Black, Cascade Yarns Pacific in White, and Premier Home Cotton in Rainbow. The source does not state substitution rules.
A 4 mm crochet hook and stitch markers round out the list. The markers are used during assembly to hold placement on the front and back panels.
Skill Level
The pattern is rated Intermediate. It is written in US terminology, and the color changes plus the surface crochet lines call for some prior practice.
Finished Measurements
The bag measures 11 x 11 inches (28 x 28 cm), a figure that covers the body only and excludes the strap.
Abbreviations
- ch = chain
- st = stitch
- sl st = slip stitch
- sc = single crochet
- hdc = half double crochet
Special Techniques
Three techniques carry the design: Changing Colors, Working in Turned Rounds, and Surface Crochet for the window panes.
Notes
When you switch colors, leave the old strand unfastened. Let it hang off the back of the project and pick it up again later, which cuts down on the number of ends to weave in.
Front of Bag
The front panel is worked in turned rounds, beginning with a magic circle or a chain two. Black, white, and rainbow yarns alternate across the rounds, and the stitch count grows from 10 to 120 before a final round of single crochet.
Black starts the center, then white and rainbow take over in turn, with slip stitches joining each round before the work is turned. The result reads as a textured, striped circle that echoes the leaded glass of the window. Keeping the color order straight makes the repeating increases easier to follow.
Back of Bag
The back panel follows the same turned-round construction and the same increase from 10 to 120 stitches, but it stays in black from start to finish, closing with a round of single crochet.
The designer notes that the back can come out a little larger than the front because the black yarn is slightly thicker and stiffer. The pieces still join without trouble, and a bit of black may show behind the front. Slightly mismatched circles are not a problem.
Adding the Window Panes
Surface crochet draws the window. Ten lines run from the edge to the center, following the increase points, and further lines connect across at rounds such as the fourth, sixth, eighth, and tenth.
The instructions give a start and stop point for each line. Some lines are fastened off, while others carry on across rounds. Even spacing is what gives the finished window its geometric look.
Crossbody Strap
Strap length is set by the height of the person the bag is for. Under 5 feet 2 inches (1.57 meters): chain 220. Between 5 feet 2 inches (1.57 meters) and 5 feet 8 inches (1.72 meters): chain 236. Over 5 feet 8 inches (1.72 meters): chain 257. Join the chain into a loop without twisting it.
The strap is worked in rows of half double crochet. Joining the loop can be delayed until the first row is complete, which makes twisting less likely, and the starting tail can close the gap afterward.
Assembly
Lay the front panel face up with the rainbow half to the left and the white half to the right, then place two stitch markers. Single crochet through both the front panel and the strap from the left marker to the right marker, then fasten off. The back panel is joined the same way.
Move the markers to the back side and attach yarn at the left marker. Single crochet through the back panel and the strap to the right marker, then fasten off. This closes the two circles around the strap to form the pouch. The Original designer’s pattern and instructions provide further visual guidance for this step.
