Colourful Wayuu Bags to Crochet

Foreword 5
Techniques 6
Troubleshooting 13
Materials used 15
Crocheting the base 17
Spaces for the cord 20
Fastening off the bag 21
Wayuu Mochila Patterns 22
Hourglass 22
Large Flower 28
Azulejo Tiles 32
Diamonds 36
Little Flowers 40
Plain and sparkly stripes 45
Cross 50
Flamingo 55
Traditional 59
Maze 65
Making the shoulder strap 69
Making the drawstring 92

About Rianne de Graaf

Rianne de Graaf discovered the colourful world of crocheted mochila bags in 2013 and has specialized in making these wonderful creations ever since.

Crochet is not her only passion - Rianne also finds it very satisfying to pass on her knowledge to other people, so in 2014 she began running workshops on making mochila bags. One thing led to another and her company, RiannesHaaksels, was officially launched in 2015 in the form of a webshop. It was only a matter of time before she wrote her first book.

You can find her on Facebook and Instagram as RiannesHaaksels and her website can be visited at www.rianneshaaksels.nl

Customer review

Crochet bags with a difference.

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Customer review

I adore the projects to crochet. I love the Wayuu bags, the projects have easy to follow patterns with step by step photographs to help you along the way. I recently started to crochet and would say this isn't a book for beginners, like me, however, I am going to aspire to make some of the projects when I have mastered the different stitches. A great book full of lovely projects. 

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Customer review

I love this book. I have never crocheted over a bundle of yarns before and the step by step instructions and the photos that illustrate the techniques are brilliant. The author briefly explains the origin of wayuu crochet and then explains several techniques before you even see the patterns. The book has a beginner pattern and also more advanced patterns. Further on in the book the different techniques for braiding handles and drawstrings are explained. I particularly liked the section about using a kumihimo disc as I bought one a while back that I havent yet used. This is an excellent book that explains each step in depth so that even a beginner crocheter could follow it. I cant wait to get started on my first project. 

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Customer review

Love this book it's a pleasure to use, the patterns are great, it's well written and very easy to follow all the aspects of the bag making process.

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Customer review

Recently received this book to review and have been constantly picking it up and gone through the techniques shown, very impressed with written instructions and pictures to ensure easy understanding. Great the way the author also gives the problem solving hints as well. Now have the cotton ready to try out the first project!

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Customer review

Until recently I had barely seen any Wayuu bags. This beautiful book has ten examples to crochet. US terms are used but UK terms are noted. The instructions are clearly worded and the pictures and explanations of techniques are very precise throughout. Included in the book is an amazing section on making the shoulder straps for the bags using ply split braiding. It's fascinating. The only problem I have is deciding which design to crochet first. Highly recommended for more experienced crocheters. 

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Interweave Crochet

The colourful, geometric-patterned bags of the Wayuu people, who are native to Colombia and Venezuela, provided the inspiration for the 10 projects in Rianne de Graaf's new book. Start your journey of mochilas (Spanish for "backpack") with the Small Hourglass Bag designed with beginners in mind. Full-colour photos guide you step-by-step through the basic tapestry-crochet technique. Learn how to finish your bag with a woven shoulder strap and kumihimo-bread drawstring. Rianne also provides troubleshooting tips and advice on selecting cotton yarn and the appropriate size of hook.

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Slipknot, The Knitting & Crochet Guild Magazine

I feel envious of Rianne! Imagine discovering an exotic form of crochet made by a tribe in South America - and which few people have heard of, let alone written about! She first saw Wayuu bags on Pinterest a few years ago, became enthused and wrote this book. The Wayuu tribe live in Venezuela and Colombia on the shores of the Caribbean. Their homes are basic huts, they sleep in hammocks, and they use mochila bags for storing their few possessions. Mochila is the general word for a shoulder bag made in tapestry crochet, and Wayuu is a sort of trademark for the bags made by this tribe - which can sell for £100! But it does take them 3 weeks to complete one.

These are sturdy duffle bags made in vibrant colours and striking geometrical patterns. They are worked in tapestry crochet, in dc over 4-6 strands of 4ply cotton. These carrying yarns lie along the top of the work, and colour changes are made by bringing a new one forward as the working yarn and letting the current one join the other strands.

The bags are finished off with a patterned shoulder strap and drawstring, and sometimes big tassels and pompoms. Traditionally the strap would be crocheted, or woven on a back-strap loom, but Rianne adds an international touch by using ply-split braiding, which originated in North West India, and was used as a neck decoration for camels! The drawstring is made from Kumihimo braid from Japan! Detailed instructions and several designs are given for both. But simple crochet can be used instead.

Rianne gives all the basic instructions for the tapestry crochet, including coloured charts for the designs, and step-by-step photos. She has lots of hints and explanations in her very readable style. There are 10 detailed patterns for bags, attractively photographed. This is quite a tricky technique; it must be said. The simple dc needs 'modelling', and patience is needed to handle the colour changes neatly, and not get all those balls in a tangle. The bag is worked in a spiral, so how to avoid a step at the beginning of a round? We are taught the art of 'staggering' to cope with this. I made a coaster for practice and am looking forward to making my own Wayuu mochila bag soon.

If you like a challenge and are intrigued by new crochet techniques, I would recommend Wayuu Bags to Crochet - as far as I know, it is currently the only book on the subject.

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Inside Crochet, Issue 113

Inspired by the vibrant bags made by the Wayuu tribe, these tapestry crochet projects are bursting with colour! The book starts with Rianne's techniques for colourwork, carrying the yarn and creating the bases of the bags, illustrated with colourful step-by-step photographs. Then we're onto the ten projects, beginning with a simple hourglass pattern designed for people taking their first steps into tapestry crochet. After that you can move onto floral designs, geometric patterns, stripes and a fun flamingo bag.