The URL for this page is: http://crafts.sleepingbaby.net/crochet_print.html

Materials:

• One crochet hook, size G
• Approx. 8 oz cotton yarn
  • (two 4-oz skeins, or half of a one-pound cone, or three 3-oz skeins... you get the idea)
  • I did the Maka sling in $1.99/lb acrylic yarn, because cotton seemed very expensive given that it was my first project. However, cheap acrylic doesn't feel nearly as nice as cotton does; it also seems to stretch more, which is not nice when you're making a pouch sling. If you get a more expensive acrylic, this may not be a problem.
  • Cotton will stretch some, but if it stretches too much, your pouch won't fit.
  • Keep in mind, too, that you can always unravel your creation if it doesn't work out, so no yarn is actually wasted.
• Time: highly variable! I worked on this pouch on car trips to Boston, or while the kids were sleeping and I was watching a movie. I think it probably took about 5 hours of actual time, but I did it over a couple of weeks. It's a nice brain-free, hands-busy activity, anyway.

Pouch portion:

Beginning ring : chain (ch) 4 stitches (st), then join with slipstitch to form a circle.

Row 1: Ch 3 st (counts as first double crochet (dc)), then make 11 double crochets in the ring (that is, when you're pulling the yarn through, instead of going through a stitch in the chain, you go through the hole in the middle). Join to the first dc with a slipstitch (sl). 12 total stitches.

Row 2: Ch 3 st (counts as first dc, and will for the rest of the pattern), turn, make one dc in that space, then make 2 dcs in each space, for 24 total stitches. (In other words, make 2 dcs in every space besides the first.) Join to first dc with sl.

Row 3: Ch 3 st, turn, dc in that space, make a single dc in the next space, two in the one after that. Continue around doing one dc and then two, for a total of 36 stitches. (In other words, make 2 dcs in every other space.) Join to first dc with sl.

Row 4: Ch 3 st, turn, dc in that space, make 1 dc in each of the next two spaces, then two in the one after that. Continue around doing one, one, and two dcs, for a total of 48 stitches. (Make 2 dcs in every third space.) Join to first dc with sl.

Row 5: Ch 3 st, turn, dc in that space, make one dc in each of the next 3 spaces, then make two in the fourth (2 dcs in every 4th space.) Join to first dc with sl. 60 total stitches.

Row 6: Ch 3 st, turn, dc in that space, make one dc in each of the next 4 spaces, then make two in the fifth (2 dcs in every 5th space). Join to first dc with sl. 72 total stitches.

Row 7: Ch 3 st, turn, dc in the NEXT space, and work evenly -- dc in every space, no doubles. Join to first dc with sl. 72 total stitches.

Row 8: Ch 3 st, turn, dc in the next space, and work evenly as above. Join to first dc with sl. 72 total stitches. (These repeats give the pouch its shaping.)

Row 9: Ch 3 st, turn, dc in that space, make one dc in each of the next 5 spaces, then two dcs in the 6th. (2 dcs in every 6th stitch.) Join to first dc with sl. 84 total stitches.

Row 10: Ch 3 st, turn, dc in the next space, and work evenly (dc in every space, no doubles). Join to first dc with sl. 84 total stitches.

Row 11: Ch 3 st, turn, dc in the same space, make one dc in each of the next 5 spaces, then two dcs in the 6th (2 dcs in every 6th stitch). Join to first dc with sl. 96 total stitches.

Row 12: Ch 3 st, turn, dc in the next space, and work evenly (dc in every space, no doubles). Join to first dc with sl. 96 total stitches.

Row 13: Ch 3 st, turn, dc in the next space, work evenly (dc in every space, no doubles). Join to first dc with sl. 96 stitches.

Row 14: Ch 3 st, turn, dc in the same space, one dc in each of the next 8 spaces, then two dcs in the 9th. (2 dcs in every 9th stitch.) Join to first dc with sl. Roughly 104 stitches (I lost count! Luckily it's not that important...)

Row 15: Ch 3 st, turn, dc in the next space, work evenly (dc in every space, no doubles). Join to first dc with sl. 104ish stitches.

Row 16: Ch 3 st, turn, dc in the next space, work evenly (dc in every space, no doubles). Join to first dc with sl. 104ish stitches.

Row 17: Ch 3 st, dc in the next space, work evenly (dc in every space, no doubles). Join to first dc with sl. 104ish stitches.

Row 18: Ch 3 st, turn, dc in the same space, one dc in each of the next 8 spaces, then two dcs in the 9th. (2 dcs in every 9th stitch.) Join to first dc with sl. Roughly 112 stitches (?).

Row 19: Ch 3 st, turn, dc in the next space, work evenly (dc in every space, no doubles). Join to first dc with sl. 112ish stitches.

Row 20: Ch 3 st, turn, dc in the next space, work evenly (dc in every space, no doubles). Join to first dc with sl. 112ish stitches.

Row 21: Ch 3 st, turn, dc in the next space, work evenly (dc in every space, no doubles). Join to first dc with sl. 112ish stitches.

Note: if the pouch appears to be too small or too large, add or remove rows to your liking. Eyeball it as you go, using the baby for reference, if applicable :)

Strap:

I made this all one piece instead of two joined at the shoulder. This does mean that it decreases from the pouch up to the shoulder, then increases some, then decreases, then increases again. If you wanted to, you could stop at the shoulder, end off the yarn, and start again from the other side of the pouch portion, working up to the shoulder to join it (as in the Maka pattern). Personally, I prefer the look of the single piece, plus it's one less place I have to slipstitch.

The strap length will vary depending on your size. I would suggest, rather than counting rows, just holding the carrier up to you as you crochet. Keep in mind that your work will stretch rather a lot -- the first time you put the carrier on, it should be *very* tight, since your baby's weight will stretch it immediately.

Caren, a visitor to the site, suggested these directions for the strap:

(Optional: slip stitch 13. This puts the "seam" where the rows join on the side of the pouch, rather than off center.)

Row 1: Ch 3, Do NOT turn, Dc 29 in spaces below.

Row 2: Ch 3, turn, work decrease in next two spaces, dc in next 25 spaces, work decrease in last 2 spaces.

Row 3: Ch 3, turn, work decrease in next 2 spaces, dc in next 23 spaces, work decrease in last 2 spaces."

And so on until you define a row of 12 stitches total, then repeat until about up to your armpit when you "try on" the pouch, holding the beginning ring at waist-level on your side.

Then you can restart your count for the "shoulder" section of the sling:

Shoulder row 1: Ch 3, turn, dc in next 4 spaces, increase in next two spaces, dc in 5 remaining spaces.

Row 2: Ch 3, turn, dc in next 5 spaces, increase in next 2 spaces, dc in 6 remaining spaces.

And so on until the shoulder is complete (I kept increasing until it was 30 stiches wide) and then give one row of plain old 30 dc across, and repeat until desired length is acheived.

She also has a method for joining the last row of the back to the body of the carrier: Ch 3, making final chain through the appropriate space at the top back of the body (you can find that space by laying the sling flat and eyeballing it, or counting 26 from the edge of the front strap). Work each dc of the final row like this: yo, insert hook in space on back strap, yo, pull up, yo, pull through first 2 loops, (two loops remain on hook,) insert hook in corresponding space on body, yo, pull through space and both loops.