Owl Rite Bag/Coin Purse/Key Ring and the 1-2-3 Hat Standard

Say hello to Mr. Owl Rite Money Bags.

Since I tend to make most things I always try to plan and execute all crafted Christmas gifts way ahead of the game. There’s nothing worse than trying to wrap up a gift hours before it needs to be wrapped. Hence, I am happiest when all my Christmas crafted gifts are completed in October. November is doable but I’m feeling the pinch. When I’m still working on gifts in December I get a bit cranky and feeling like my head is going to explode.

I have a family member who is an owl fanatic. I have her main gift done but was looking for some little extras and saw a cute crocheted owl key chain/coin purse. I didn’t download the pattern but I read it. It’s quite basic. Starting with a base of 6 sc it uses the 1-2-3 hat standard start. I’ve made hundreds and hundreds of hats over the years. I’m not sure if I can say thousands and thousands but definitely hundreds and hundreds. So it starts out like a mini hat and then when you have it to the height you want you just continue only working half the stitches with steady decreases for the flap. Pretty basic.

I think what’s so cute about it is the stripes and those little tufts on the ears. I don’t remember if the original owl I saw had the tufts. All the little stuffed key chain holder owls I saw had the tufts and I’ve seen that often before. I also used the crab stitch around the eyes to give it that finished edge. The eyes are just basic 6 sc inside magic loop and 2 sc in each sc then the crab stitch and a button sewed in the center. I like the wobbly look so didn’t match them exactly in positioning the buttons. A few running stitches with orange creates the beak.

I attached a clasp and will add a key ring once I find them. I have a whole bag of those buggers and I just saw them a few weeks ago but can't remember where I stumbled across them. Things get put away in a nice secure location... you know how it is. Or I pull supplies out of a place I normally store them and instead of putting them back in that illogical but memorable place I store them somewhere nice and secure... Hopefully not to never be seen again though.

This is how we end up with too many supplies. Right? You can't find something you need and know you had so you go buy another super-sized bag of key rings and use one for a project and then find the other super-sized bag of key rings that was in the box of supplies for the soft-sculpted Christmas ornaments in progress five years ago instead of in the box of beading supplies. Now you've got two bags of key rings and you put them away in a nice secure location...

I just find these cuter than cute and quite adorable. I wouldn’t use them for a coin purse since the coins could easily slide out the corners. It's quite snug and secure but not for coins. If you wanted to add a zipper then it could function to hold coins. Some cash or lipstick or something would fit in there nicely. Don’t worry, the family member won’t see this and ruin her Christmas surprise. If she somehow does she will just be excited and impatient for Christmas to arrive.

Oh, the 1-2-3 hat standard is that when you start a hat it’s standard to work 2 st in every st in second row, then work a stitch and work 2 st in next stitch then work 2 st and work 2 st in next stitch across, then work 3 st and work 2 st in next stitch then start working 1 for 1 after the 3 st between double st row. So, for a hat that starts with 12 dc the next row would have 24 then the third row would have 36 and on and on. For a tight pattern or thin yarn you can work rows with 4 or 5 stitches between the doubled stitches before going to the straight rows but I seldom have to do that. I can do another post with more detail.