One of the surprising challenges of crocheting is finding things to crochet. I’d already made hats, scarves, the odd cosy, even a top — but I was suffering from “knitter’s block.”
Suggestions such as flowers, plushies, lipstick holder didn’t strike my fancy so everyday I stare wistfully at my rolls of yarn at a loss for what to make. Inspiration came in the form of a Macramé wool bundle I stumbled upon at The Range. I had no idea what I would make with it, but I bought it anyway, one of the side effects of starting to crochet is an obsession to buy yarn.
Once home and at a loss of what to make with my new acquisition, suggestions included wall hangings, coasters and bags. Of course bags, then I stumbled upon a this beautiful laptop case from and article on crochet news. Beginner friendly. Free pattern. Perfect.
Except the Etsy link to the pattern didn’t work. Bummer. Not to be deterred, if only I could figure out what stitch it was. So, I popped the picture into ChatGPT and bingo! Grit Stitch. Straight to YouTube to find out how to make a grit stitch and found this video. Now all I needed was how to make a laptop sleeve, but again chat GPT was on hand to suggest a long straight rectangle and sewn at the side.
So here is my attempt at recreating this sleeve
Here’s a step by step breakdown of how I tacked this project
- Chain: Make an even number of loops (I used 32 + 1 turning chain)
- Foundation row: SC in each loop
- Grit stitch row: SC + DC in same loop, skip one, repeat. End row with just a SC
- Turning chains: Add 1 turning chain at the end of each row
- Colour changes: Carry the yarn up the side to avoid loose strands (this video tutorial helped!)
- Finish: Final row, SC then slip stitch. Fold rectangle and stitch sides together
- Optional fixes: Case too loose? Add a strap + button for a snug fit
And voila, I had a laptop case. Turned out beautiful don’t you think? In hindsight I should probably have used a different yarn for this. The case weighs as much as the laptop.
