Tapestry crochet, also called Jaquard, Fair Isle or Mosaic, is a fascinating technique with extraordinary design possibilities. It turns up in many places around the world. Guatemalan handbags, Rasta and West African hats, and Israeli yarmulkes (made in Palestine) are all worked in tapestry crochet. Carol Ventura has explored it extensively, and produced several good books on the subject.

It is most often done in single crochet, using two contrasting strands that are traded off to make the color changes. At any time, one is visible, and the other is the core or foundation.
The pattern instructions here are not step-by-step. They assume a working knowledge of single crochet, starting from a ring or from a chain, as well as increases and decreases. All the bags are worked in-the-round, spiralling rather than stepping up. Short back-and-forth rows are used only for one kind of strap.

There are general directions for the four bags shown to the left.

CONTENTS
Pages 2 – 5: Basic tapestry crochet information, mostly the same as in the earlier pattern – Tapestry Crochet Basics, and a Simple Pattern.
Pages 6 – 9: General instructions follow for making Tapestry Crochet bags & pouches, with four examples.
Pages 10 – 11: Some additional graphed designs, and a sheet of blank graph paper to work up your own (start by making a copy, so that you always have a fresh one).
Pages 12 – 13: A description of the method used to hand-paint the yarn used in these bags. Other than the commercially dyed black (Dragon Tale 4/2), all the yarn has been dyed in this way.

There are graphs, but not directions, for the bags shown to the right.