Ever felt like groping a bag snatcher? Here is your chance, grasp it now! The good news is he doesn’t run away and doesn’t mind you robbing him blind. Are you confused yet? Let me give you a hint. When you get to know him he turns out to be very helpful in the kitchen, and even tidies up after you. Not to forget that he is a site for sore eyes. Who wouldn’t want to have him! So come and snatch him away.
Alright you probably found me out by now. It’s a new light on an old concept. A plastic bag keeper.

· Yarn: Schachenmayr nomotta, cantania, weight 50gr/1.756 oz , length app.125m/136.75 yds, material 100% cotton, for needle sizes 2.5-3.5mm.
· MC: 105 natur (white), 2 balls
· CC1: 173 hellblau (bleu), 3 balls
· CC2: 218 biskuit (yellow), 2 balls
· CC3: 162 kaffee (brown), 3 balls
· CC5: Elastic cord (brand Dunkoord Elastiek) 1.4mm diameter, length 4m/4.376 yds
· US G or H / 4.5mm crochet hook
· Yarn needle
· Stitch marker (optional)

11.81 inch/30 cm x 6.5 inch/16.5 cm x 22.83 inch/58 cm.

Gauge: 16 sc/22 rows = 4 inches in single crochet.

Please note that gauge isn’t very important in this project. As long as your stitches are firm. If they are too loose your bag snatcher will take on the bulky form of the plastic bags in it.

However, if you decide to change the number of stitches, because you want your project in a different size or because you’re working with a different yarn weight, then take a number of stitches dividable through 3. After increasing be sure to have a number of stitches dividable through 2.

Rows and rounds
This project contains only one row to start of working in the round. Hereafter I use the term round.

Changing colors
Cluster 1
Sc in each sc (color A) until you are ready to start the last round of color A. Sc the first stitch of the new round but instead of continuing with the next sc ad one turning chain (t-ch, remember not to crochet in your t-ch’s or you’ll be adding stitches). Continue to sc in each sc till last sc of the last round.
This elevates the stitch just enough so that when you are at the end of the last row as little as possible discrepancy between color A and color B remains.

Cluster 2
Change colors (color B). Insert your hook in the first sc of the round of color B. Yarn over and pull through. You now have two loops of color A on your hook. Now fasten color B at the back of your work to color A. Using color B yarn over and pull trough the two loops (in color A), at a t-ch (remember not to crochet in your t-ch’s). Continue with the spike stitches as indicated in the tables.

Spike stitch
The first round of a new color is done in spike stitch. These rounds are notated in a table. In the first column of the table contains the cumulative number of stitches. Read the table for left to right and per row. The numbers represent the number of rounds you need to go down to insert your hook. To keep the counting easy let's call a sc no 1, one round below a sc is no 2 etc.

Schematic overview from bottom-up
12 rounds 5.0cm/1.97inch MC Natur (white) Bottom
17 rounds 7.0cm/2.76inch CC1 Hellblau (bleu) Body
8 rounds 3.0cm/1.18inch CC2 Kaffee (brown) Body
10 rounds 4.5cm/1.77inch CC3 Biskuit (yellow) Body
13 rounds 6.0cm/2.36inch CC2 Kaffee (brown) Body
6 rounds 2.0cm/0.79inch MC Natur (White) Body
12 rounds 5.0cm/2.76inch CC1 Hellblau (bleu) Body
6 rounds 2.0cm/0.79inch CC3 Biskuit (yellow) Body
7 rounds 3.5cm/1.38inch CC2 Kaffee (brown) Body
12 rounds 5.0cm/1.97inch MC Natur (white) Top

Bottom
With MC, ch 37 (this includes 1 turning chain)

Row 1: sc 36. Instead of turning join begin and end of your work by sc in the first sc at an t-ch.
(Join the bottom of your work with a slipstitch using the tail end of your work. Fasten off and weave in the yarn ends).

Round 1: sc in each sc.

Round 2 to 4: repeat round 1 three times.

Round 5: start increasing by sc in the first sc, *2 sc in second sc, sc*. Repeat this till end of the round (54 stitches)

Round 6: sc in each sc

Round 7 and 8: repeat round 5 and 6, but make one increase less. (80 stitches)

Round 9 and 11: continue in sc till end of round.

Round 12: cluster1.

Body
With CC1
round 1: cluster 2.

16 4 sc 7 sc 2 sc 3 sc 5 sc 6 sc 4 sc 7 sc
32 2 sc 3 sc 4 sc 2 sc 5 sc 3 sc 4 sc 2 sc
48 6 sc 3 sc 2 sc 4 sc 6 sc 4 sc 3 sc 6 sc
64 3 sc 2 sc 4 sc 2 sc 7 sc 5 sc 3 sc 2 sc
80 5 sc 3 sc 6 sc 3 sc 4 sc 2 sc 5 sc 3 sc

Round 2 to 16: sc till end of round.
Round 17: cluster 1, continue in sc till end of round.

With CC2
Round 1: cluster 2, start directly with the spike stitches alternated with sc as indicated below.

16 14 sc 10 sc 5 sc 12 sc 5 sc 16 sc 10 sc 6 sc
32 4 sc 8 sc 11 sc 5 sc 13 sc 9 sc 5 sc 16 sc
48 3 sc 8 sc 11 sc 7 sc 3 sc 13 sc 10 sc 4 sc
64 6 sc 9 sc 4 sc 8 sc 16 sc 3 sc 8 sc 11 sc
80 5 sc 7 sc 12 sc 4 sc 7 sc 16 sc 4 sc 8 sc

Round 2 to 7: sc till end of round.
Round 8: cluster 1.

With CC3
Round 1: cluster 2.

16 5 sc 6 sc 4 sc 3 sc 6 sc 3 sc 4 sc 5 sc
32 6 sc 4 sc 2 sc 4 sc 6 sc 4 sc 3 sc 5 sc
48 3 sc 4 sc 3 sc 6 sc 4 sc 5 sc 3 sc 4 sc
64 6 sc 4 sc 2 sc 5 sc 3 sc 4 sc 5 sc 6 sc
80 4 sc 3 sc 5 sc 3 sc 4 sc 6 sc 4 sc 5 sc

Round 2 to 9: sc till end of round.
Round 10: cluster 1.

With CC2
Round 1: cluster 2.

16 2 sc 5 sc 4 sc 8 sc 5 sc 3 sc 6 sc 7 sc
32 8 sc 5 sc 3 sc 5 sc 6 sc 4 sc 3 sc 6 sc
48 7 sc 4 sc 3 sc 4 sc 5 sc 7 sc 6 sc 5 sc
64 4 sc 3 sc 2 sc 3 sc 4 sc 5 sc 6 sc 7 sc
80 4 sc 5 sc 3 sc 6 sc 3 sc 5 sc 8 sc 6 sc

Round 2 to 11: sc to end of round.
Round 13: cluster 1.

With MC
Round 1: cluster 2.

6 7 sc 3 sc 9 sc 5 sc 11 sc 9 sc 3 sc 7 sc
32 11 sc 2 sc 5 sc 8 sc 9 sc 5 sc 11 sc 8 sc
48 4 sc 6 sc 4 sc 11 sc 8 sc 4 Sc 6 sc 8 sc
64 11 sc 4 sc 8 sc 11 sc 8 sc 11 sc 8 sc 4 sc
80 7 sc 11 sc 4 sc 8 sc 4 sc 5 sc 8 Sc 11 sc

Round 2 to 5: sc till end of round.
Round 6: cluster 1.

With CC1
Round 1: cluster 2.

16 3 sc 4 sc 3 sc 4 sc 2 sc 3 sc 4 sc 3 sc
32 2 sc 3 sc 4 sc 2 sc 3 sc 2 sc 4 sc 3 sc
48 4 sc 3 sc 2 sc 3 sc 4 sc 3 sc 2 sc 3 sc
64 4 sc 3 sc 4 sc 2 sc 3 sc 4 sc 2 sc 3 sc
80 4 sc 3 sc 4 sc 3 sc 4 sc 3 sc 2 sc 3 sc

Round 2 to 11: sc till end of round.
Round 12: cluster 1.

With CC3
Round 1: cluster 2.

16 10 sc 5 sc 8 sc 5 sc 3 sc 7 sc 10 sc 3 sc
32 6 sc 8 sc 10 sc 6 sc 3 sc 6 sc 8 sc 4 sc
48 3 sc 7 sc 9 sc 7 sc 10 sc 8 sc 6 sc 10 sc
64 8 sc 7 sc 8 sc 3 sc 6 sc 9 sc 10 sc 7 sc
80 3 sc 7 sc 8 sc 10 sc 6 sc 7 sc 8 sc 5 sc

Round 2 to 5: sc till end of round.
Round 6: cluster 1.

With CC2
Round 1: cluster 2.

16 3 sc 5 sc 3 sc 4 sc 2 sc 5 sc 3 sc 3 sc
32 2 sc 5 sc 4 sc 3 sc 4 sc 5 sc 3 sc 4 sc
48 5 sc 4 sc 3 sc 4 sc 2 sc 5 sc 4 sc 5 sc
64 4 sc 2 sc 5 sc 4 sc 3 sc 4 sc 3 sc 2 sc
80 3 sc 4 sc 5 sc 4 sc 5 sc 3 sc 2 sc 4 sc

Round 2 to 7: sc till 4 stitches before end of round. Chain 10, count 8 stitches, fasten with sc, work the chain back in sl (insert in but of the chain). Finish the round in sc.

Round 8: cluster 1

With MC
Round 1: cluster 2.

16 8 sc 6 sc 3 sc 5 sc 3 sc 6 sc 4 sc 5 sc
32 8 sc 4 sc 6 sc 8 sc 4 sc 5 sc 6 sc 5 sc
48 3 sc 8 sc 4 sc 7 sc 5 sc 3 sc 5 sc 3 sc
64 6 sc 2 sc 4 sc 8 sc 3 sc 5 sc 8 sc 3 sc
80 4 sc 8 sc 3 sc 4 sc 6 sc 8 sc 5 sc 3 sc

Round 2 to 4: sc till end of round.
Round 5: *sc, decrease with sc decrease (make 1 sc out of 2 sc)*, repeat section between the* till end of round.
Round 6: sc till end of round.
Round 7: sc, *sc, decrease with sc decrease*, repeat section between * till end of round (there should be 36 stitches left).
Round 8 to 12: continue in sc till end of round.

Finishing Instructions
The elastic ring
With CC4 (elastic cord).
Here you have to be a bit flexible yourself.
Make an adjustable ring with a diameter a bit lager than the opening of your bag. Make 26 sc around the ring. Don’t pull the tail end to close the ring. Place the ring around the opening. Continue with making the loops around the opening of the bag to keep the elastic ring in place.

The loops
With MC
Make 3 slipstitches, make a 3 deep spike stitch over the adjustable elastic ring, 3 sl st, repeat till end see table and picture below. Pull on the ends of the elastic cord to join the beginning and end of the ring. Join with sl. Fasten off and weave in the yarn ends.

17 sl sl 4 sl sl 4 sl sl 4 sl sl 4 sl sl 4 sl sl
34 sl sl 4 sl sl 4 sl sl 4 sl sl 4 sl sl 4 sl sl
37 sl sl 4
Repeat this for the bottom opening of your bag.

Finishing
Fasten off and weave in the yarn ends in the inside of the bag and you’re done. Now you can start reusing your plastic bags in style.