Cute Amigurumi Garden Bowl - Basket Toy Carrier

So I got everyone made and tucked into the bowl to fly to Sue in Wheatland, WY and it occurred to me that not all of us like to put our veggies in bowls on the table. some of us like to pretend to shop and we need a basket or a market bag to put our supplies in.

This cute little bag serves as a great storage device, and an additional toy. Little shoppers can even help mom at the store or farmer's market with a little bag like this one.

So even here on the blog... a little something extra from me to you.

Supplies
Worsted weight yarn in tan, beige or brown - or any color you love. I used Fair Isle Yarn Liberty in Walnut
5.5mm crochet hook
yarn or darning needle
scissors
stitch marker

Abbreviations
CH = Chain
DC = Double Crochet
HDC = Half Double Crochet
INC = Increase
DEC = Decrease
MR = Magic Ring
SL ST = Slip Stitch
SK = Skip the number of stitches indicated by the pattern
F/O = Finish Off

Notes
You can greatly vary the size of your market bag based on the number of items your little shopper might be purchasing. This bag is a small handbag or basket sized container, and can be grown by adding additional bottom rows at the same incremental growth as in the pattern, or by adding additional height by continuing past the five rows specified in this pattern.

Market Basket Toy Carrier
You are working in the round, a stitch marker can be very helpful
Round 1: CH 3 (CH 3 is always 1st DC in each round) then 9 DC in MR (10) - draw tight and sew in your end after Round 2 - SL ST into top of CH 3
Round 2: CH 3 then DC in same space, then INC in each around (20) - SL ST into top of CH 3
Round 3: CH 3 then INC and repeat around (30) - SL ST into top of CH 3
Round 4: CH 3 then  DC then INC and repeat around (40) - SL ST into top of CH 3
Round 5: CH 3 then 2 DC then INC and repeat around (50) - SL ST into top of CH 3
Round 6: CH 3 then 3 DC then INC and repeat around (60) - SL ST into top of CH 3

Rounds 7-10: CH 4 (is first DC with CH) then for the rest of this round DC then CH in each around (60) - at last stitch of Round 7 do NOT SL ST... you will work a HDC then CH in the space of your first CH 4 space and then continue to work around in the spaces created by the CH between DC in the row before.

Round 11: The only change is to eliminate the CH between each DC. Work DC in each around. (60)
Rounds 12-13: DC in each around. (60) On the last stitch of Round 13 do not yarn over for a DC, instead SK the final stitch and SL ST into the next one to flatten the rim after working in spirals
You will now begin the strap:
Row 1: HDC in the top of the next 6 DC, not between them. Turn, CH 2
Rows 2-20: DC in top of 2nd stitch from hook and continue across (6). Turn and CH 2. At the end of the last row leave a long tail for sewing and F/O. Sew your strap to the opposite side of the basket. I folded it in half quite unscientifically and guesstimated the halfway point.

Now you can store your veggies and fruits and any other foods you find along the way, and you have a bag to go shopping with as well!

TTFN! And Happy Birthday Vicki! I didn't forget... even if it looks like I did!