Crochet Backpack

I've always loved those cute gym bags you can get at shoe stores. You know, the small ones with the drawstring? They were my everyday favorite thing growing up, and when I stumbled across Lion Brand's Backpack, I had to make it! I just happened so have some spare Lion Brand Jiffy yarn laying around the house, and coincidentally, it was "Grass green" just as the pattern called for. So I made this bag to work up my spare yarn. It only took me about 2 hours and its so cute! I was slightly tricked by its assembly, and it worked out fine. The eyelet row on Lion Brand's pattern IS correct. I had some doubt at first but the corrected pattern is there. Also, I did not like the strap for this bag. It's an 80" long chain stitch which every crocheter knows: is very stretchy. Stretchy straps have been a pet peeve of mine from my previous bags. So what I did was chain stitch 80" long, and then ran an 80" long single piece of Jiffy yarn through the chain stitch with a blunt eye needle. So now the chain stitch will only stretch as far as the Jiffy will stretch (which, is barely nothing at all. Single strands of yarn barely stretch). That was my solution and the bag is perfect!!! It holds a lot too! I followed Lion Brand's pattern exactly, crochet hook and all.