If you haven’t heard already, I am excited to share that byBarnet (me!!) now has an exclusive range of handmade crochet handbags at Pam Millan Studios in Currie, Edinburgh.

Pam’s studio has become a firm favourite of mine in the last year and I cannot recommend highly enough taking a trip up to Currie to visit. Not only is her range so well thought out and exciting to look through, it’s a proper community hub…plus pretty much has pockets and you know I love a pocket!! Pam and her team, the fabulous Alan, Kerry and Jenni are so supportive and helpful that you really do get that 121 service that is missing in most other shops. There’s so much more I can say but I must move on to the bags!!

Pam has been a champion for supporting other small businesses and currently has a number of other makers in her store including Fox by The Shore and Julie Hyslop aka Julie the Jeweller…and now me!

So with no further ado, here are the first three bags appearing exclusively in the byBarnet at Pam Millan Studios collection:

Lizzy is a vintage style slouch clutch with a Doctor’s Bag closure, also known as a Gladstone bag.

She’s named Lizzy after the first female doctor in the UK, Elizabeth Garrett Anderson because if there’s ever an opportunity to sing the praises of forgotten women pioneers, I say seize it! :)

Lizzy holds a lot but still manages to look neat and compact, she works equally well teamed with jeans and trainers or with one of Pam’s amazing new summer dresses!

With a base of off white, the traditional granny square designs are available in two colour combinations so far, Summer Brights and Forest Greens. Summer Brights is filled with a modern spring/summer pallate of oranges, bold blues, bright greens and vibrant pinks which will work well as a bright and fun addition to more neutral outfits or a coordinated tie-in to an outfit in the colours of the squares. Forest Greens is more muted in contrast with a beautiful selection of lush shades of green.

Made from 100% cotton yarn which will help keep it’s shape, lined with cotton fabric.

Size: Height: 20 cm Width: 21 cm Length: 36 cm

Pattern: https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/ManzanaDesign

Bailey is a casual, medium sized slouch bag that is both practical in use and contemproary in design. The overall shape and bunching of the pieces at the handle make it a very tactile bag, one you’ll want to reach out and touch.

Why Bailey? - when I look at the bag it seems the perfect bag to grab as you head out to meet friends for coffee so I picked a coffee-connected name!

With a simple but bold geometrical pattern in the most gorgeous forest green, Bailey has that retro touch with her gorgous bamboo handles.

Made from 100% cotton yarn which will help keep it’s shape, lined with cotton fabric.

Size: Height: 33 cm Width: 40 cm Length: 36 cm

Pattern: https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/CrochetKnittingIdeas

Last but by no means least, meet Ellie. Ellie is an oversized bag full of texture and warmth.

Inspried by the bright sunshine colour I choose Ellie as her name as it’s short for Eleanor which means shining light.

Ellie features lots of textured stitches - clusters and spike stitches which, along with her bold mustard colour is sure to catch the eye! A little bundle of sunshine wherever you go.

Made from 100% cotton yarn which will help keep it’s shape, unlined, with claps closure.

Size: Height: 26 cm Width: 46 cm Depth: 17cm

Pattern: https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/iswoolish