BAGS are not just a necessity, they are also a fashionable accessory, a must-have staple in this modern era. They come in an abundance of styles, shapes and sizes for each occasion.
One crochet lover is turning her passion into a business, crafting elegant crochet bags with refined knots that look simply stylish. Her bags have a sophisticated look, and are so detailed that they can even pass for one manufactured by a famous bag brand.
The bags are actually hand-knitted by 44-year-old Lo Shuk Fui under her label Crotchet My Hobby. She patiently knits each knot to create bags in different styles including totes, crossbody bags, bucket bags and many more.
The bags are made with Hamanaka brand hand-knitted yarn (from the Eco Andaria series) from Japan.
This environment-friendly yarn is thin, light and has a smooth texture as it is made from wood pulp, whioch is normally used for paper. This makes each bag soft, flexible and light to carry.
Stylish and simple
Gone are the days when crochet bags only came in oversized and undesirable shapes, which were largely only suitable to bring to the beach. Now, modern crocheters have breathed new life into these bags by upgrading them to suit today’s urban and trendy consumer.
“My bags have a basic and simple design, and are lightweight and versatile for daily wear and all other occasions,” said Lo.
While the designs are fashionable and chic, the colours are also attractive. Her bags come in a selection of pretty colours along with handcrafted leather straps, and are tanned with natural vegetable dye, locally.
“The colours are more earth toned and sometimes in a contrasting colour to the top quality tanned leather straps,” said Lo.
Previously, Lo had been knitting everything from Amigurumi dolls to clothes as a hobby. Then, she had an idea to explore knitting bags instead.
“Basically, I have been making everything but hats, and bags [suddenly] became popular. Hence, I spend most of my time creating bags,” said Lo.
Endless possibilities
For Lo, there is no restriction or limitation when comes to crafting the design, shape and style of the bags.
“Bags are easy to match with anybody, without having to worry about the size and fitting of their garments,” said Lo.
Besides, she finds bags make a good gift to give to others, especially women, as most women love her unique bags.
“When comes to crafting bags, I can crotchet [different] shape and sizes which I like and want, without the need to worry if it fits,” said Lo.
Lo spends about six to eight hours knitting a medium-sized bag, applying simple and basic repetitive stitching techniques, which is actually a difficult and labour-intensive task.
“The consistency of thestitches is the most challenging part of crocheting the bag,” explained Lo. “Consistency in the shape and size of each knot or stitch is important to ensure that the bag has a balanced shape.
“Apart from that, each and every new design, shape, size is also challenging due to the differences in stitch count.”
Love for crotchet
Her passion for crochet was sparked when she was still young.
“Crochet has no boundaries. I can create anything, anywhere. Crochet and knitting are very convenient, all I need is a needle and yarn only,” said Lo, who is passionate about her knitting hobby.
“I started when I was still in secondary school. I was given a knitting needle and some yarn by my aunt. I then picked up crotchet not long after, despite my lack of knowledge and tools, and access to quality yarns,” said Lo.
For Lo, crocheting has been a very therapeutic exercise.
“Trial and errors are common. It’s not easy as one requires both skill and patience, but I still enjoy doing it as I believe the challenges you go through help you learn more,” added Lo.
The price of each bag ranges from RM250 to RM700 for a custom-made design, depending on the size, pattern and material.
