crochet tote bag

 finished bag

  Bags are very important in our day-to-day life. We should have

 different types of bags to carry for different purposes. There are so many different types of materials used in making bags. Cotton fabric, denim, rayon, canvas, polypropylene even leaves of plants like jute, Musa, and plants of genus Pandanus. In early Sri Lanka, they use more eco-friendly natural materials for bag making. For ladies small bags made out of pandanus and havan leaves are famous.

Gunny bags made out of jute fiber are used to carry huge loads. They were available in every size. To carry a huge amount of harvests like paddy wheat, potatoes produced in cultivating fields farmers use these. Nowadays most bags are made out of synthetic materials like polypropylene.

As ladies and housewives, we always need to carry a somewhat big bag like a tote bag with us. So, when we come to crochet we have both selections natural and synthetic. If we need a natural product we can use cotton yarn. If we use acrylic yarn it will be a synthetic product. A crochet bag gives a unique appearance to a woman as an accessory because it is a handmade one with a beautiful design. Here is an easy pattern for a crochet tote bag.

Now let’s do our project in making the crochet bag. You can use yarn as your preference. But cotton yarns are easily entangled with dirt and difficult to wash away and take time to dry.

First, we have to think of the size of our bag. I have shown the bottom of the bag here to show you how to get the measurement. Herewith my yarn I have taken the length of the foundation chain as 13” and its ended up with a width equal to 15” or 38cms.

Frist make a long chain by counting and measuring it to see it has the needed length. Then get the nearest number of multiple of 7. That is the final number of chains should be divided by 7. Further, it should be an even number, that is should be divided by 2 also. For example 168 chains, 182 chains, 196 chains, etc.

Actually, the thickness of the yarn also affects the size. If you want a big bag you can use thick yarn and then you can have somewhat less number of chains. If the yarn is thin you have to make more chains to get a large-sized bag.

 Now you have the foundation chain. 

Round1: Make 3 dc into the third chain from the hook. Then make I double crochet (dc) to each of the remaining chains except the last chain, into the last chain make 6 dcs. Then work on the backside of the foundation chain. Make 1 dc into each of the chains and into the last chain make 3 dcs. Then join the first chain with a slip stitch.

 2:  Chain 2, make 2dc to each of the next 3 stitches. Then

 make 1 dc along each of the next dcs until you come to the set of

 6dc stitches. Then make 2dc into each of the 6 dc. Then make 1dc

 along each of the next stitches until you come to the set of 3dc

 stitches. Make 2dc into each of the 3 dcs. Join the first dc with a

 slip stitch.

 3: Chain 2. Make *2dc,1dc* alternately 6 times to each of the next 6 stitches. Then make 1 dc along each of the next dcs. Then make *2dc,1dc* into each of the set of 12 dc. Then make 1 dc along each of the next dcs until you come to the 3 sets of 2dcs. Into each of these 6 dc make *2dc,1dc* alternately. Then join to the 1^st dc made.

 4: Chain 2, make 1dc (into the back loop) around and join with a slip stitch to the first dc made.

 5 and 6: ch 2 make 1dc around and join with a slip stitch to the first dc made.

Now the base/bottom of the bag is made.

     Pattern

Base/bottom 

                                                     For the pattern, we use two double crochet together stitch. (2dctog.)

How to do 2dc.tog. stitch: This is done into the V stitch of the previous row.

Yarn over insert the hook into the V stitch and pull up the yarn now

 you have 3 loops on the hook. Pull up the yarn and release 2

 loops.  Now you have 2 loops on the hook. Again yarn over, insert

 the hook and pull up the yarn and release 2 loops. Now you have 3

 loops on the hook. Pull through all three loops.

We should do it 4 times into the space of V stitch. In between each 2dc tog. stitch there should be 1 chain.

7: Make 5 chains and make 1 dc into the same stitch. Chain 5 skip 6dc. Dc in the next stitch, chain 2 dc in the same stitch. (V stitch) *Ch5, skip 6, (dc, ch2, dc )* repeat. From * to * around. Join with a slip stitch to the 3^rd chain of the 5 chains made at the beginning of the round.

 8: Make a slip stitch into the next chain 2 space. Ch 1 and make 2dc tog. stitch in the same stitch. Then make a dc in the middle (3^rd dc) of the skipped dcs. In to the next space of chain two(V stitch) make *Chain 1 2dc tog. stitch * repeat this 4 times. Then ch1, dc in the 3^rd skipped dc. *ch1, dc in the 3^rd skipped dc, ch1, (2 dc together x4) in the V stitch * Repeat around.  Now you have reached the 2 dc together stitch made at the beginning. Now add (chain 1, (2 dc together) 3 times to the same space. Join with a slip stitch to the first 2dc tog. stitch made at the beginning.

 9: Make a slip stitch into the next chain 1 space and then into the dc. Chain 5, dc in the same stitch, chain 5, skip the next (2 dc together x4) group. In to the next dc below, make * (dc chain 2 dc), ch 5, skip the next (2 dc together x4)   group*. Repeat from *to*around. Join with a slip stitch to the 3^rd chain of the beginning 5 chains.

10: Make a slip stitch into the next chain 2 space. Make a 2 dc together stitch in the same space. Chain 1, make a dc in the ch1 space at the middle of the 4, 2dc together group. Chain 1, into the V stitch  2 dc together x4.  * ch1,dc in the middle of the 4, 2dc together group, Chain 1, into the V stitch  2 dc together x4* Repeat around until you reach the V stitch with one 2dc together. Into this V stitch make *ch1, 2dctog.*3times. Join with a slip stitch to the first 2dc tog. stitch.

From Round 11, you can repeat round 9 and round 10 alternately to get the needed height.

                                      Top part and handles.

Now we have the final round which is similar to round 10. This is with an uneven upper edge and as the top, we have to make it even. To do this start from where you finished the last round.

 Make ch1 and single crochet in the top of dc 2 tog. stitch. Half double crochet in the next ch 1 space, dc, and ch 1 space. * 1 Sc in each of next 4 (dc 2tog.stitches.) (Do not make 1sc into the ch1 space between dc2tog.stitches.)  Hdc in the next ch 1 space, dc, and ch1 space* Repeat from * to *around.  Sc in the last three dc2 tog. stiches. Join with a sc to the first single crochet you made.

Next 4 rounds : Ch1 sc in each stitch around. Join with a slip stitch to the 1^st sc you made. Fasten off.

                                               Handles

Now we can make handles. These handles are not separately attached but continue with the top part.  

 Keep the bag on a flat surface and first select the places you are going to start the handles. From each side of the bag measure equal distance and mark it on both sides of the bag with stitch markers or simply with a piece of another colour yarn. Otherwise, you can count an equal number of 2dctog. groups from either side. (I have counted 6 groups from either side and marked them.) Now join the yarn to the marked stitch of one side and make a chain with a length of 19” or as your liking. (I have crocheted a shoulder bag to keep my hands free. So, handles should be rather long).

To avoid the twisting of this long chain, make 1 single crochet to the 2^nd chain from the hook and 1sc to each of the chains remaining. (Working backwardly along the chain). Then again make 1 sc into each of the sc along. Then join the free end of the long chain to the next marking of the same side of the bag. From there you should make single crochets until you reach the next marker of the other side of the bag.

Then start to make the long chain of 19” (2nd handle) and strengthen it by two rows of single crochets. Then join to the next mark of the same side. Then make single crochets along the top edge until you reach the attached point of the first handle. Work 1sc to each of the sc along with the handle. From there, make single crochets along the top edge, along with the 2^nd handle, and again the top edge. Likewise, make many rows and stop when you get the desired handle width. 

 You can attach a bunch of flowers to decorate the bag. In the next post, I will explain to you the crocheting of a flower.