Crochet Beach Bag
At the very beginning of April, I had an email from Hobbycraft asking if I’d be interested in designing a crochet project for them. It was really exciting to be asked and really exciting to learn that I could pick any materials from the stuff they sold in their stores!
Caron Cakes took my fancy, it’s self-striping yarn, which is an acrylic/wool mix aran. In self-striping yarn, all the colour changes are done for me! Yay! The brief was “Summer”, and what’s more summery than a crochet beach bag?!
This satisfying crochet pattern pretty much uses two entire yarn “cakes,” including yarn for the pompoms. Honestly, it’s a super easy crochet beach bag and pretty fast to work up, too.
Hobbycraft is asking lots of IGers to come up with crochet patterns at the moment. I think it’s a lovely idea to include crafters who are already connecting in a virtual community. There are some fabulous patterns available, and they’ve all been designed by us, the crochet community!
If you are new to crochet, it might be helpful to know that I put together a video tutorial for a small, kid’s crochet granny bag that starts in the same way. I chat more about the differences between this large crochet beach bag and the small granny stripe bag HERE.
Beach Bag Crochet Pattern
What You Need To Crochet a Beach Bag
- Caron Cakes, aran, 350m/383yds/200g. 2 cakes in Rainbow Sprinkles.
- 4.5mm (US 7) crochet hook
- Pompom maker/s – optional
How Big Is This Crochet Beach Bag? The Measurements
Bag Width: 33cm / 13 inches
Bag Height: 33cm / 13 inches
Strap Length: 55cm / 21.5 inches
Beach Bag Pattern Notes
- This crochet pattern is written in UK terms.
- The pompoms are made first (in two sizes). Pull yarn from the centre and outside of both cakes because, if you’re lucky, this gives more of a mix of different colours.
- I also made the handles first so I could manipulate/wangle the mix of colours in them.
- Tension isn’t critical for this project, but a bigger hook size might mean you go over the required yarn amount.
- The beach bag is crocheted from the bottom and worked up. The handles and pompoms are made separately and stitched on at the end.
Written Crochet Pattern For a Granny Beach Bag
Main Bag Section
Ch4 and join with a sl st to form a circle.
Round 1: Ch4 (counts as 1tr and 1ch). *1tr into ring, ch1; rep from * 11 times, join with sl st to the 3rd ch of initial 4ch, sl st into ch sp. [12 spokes]
Round 2: Ch3 (counts as a tr here & throughout), 2tr into ch sp, ch1, *3tr in next ch sp, ch1; rep from * around, join with sl st to top of ch3, sl st across next 2tr and into ch sp. [12 clusters of 3tr]
Round 3: Repeat Round 2.
Round 4: Ch3, 3tr into ch sp, ch1, *4tr in ch sp, ch1; rep from * around, join with a sl st to the top of initial ch3, ss in next tr and in middle of first 4tr cluster (between 2nd and 3rd tr sts). [12 clusters of 4tr]
Round 5: Ch3, 2tr in middle of 4tr cluster, 3 tr in next ch sp, *3tr in middle of cluster, 3tr in ch sp; rep from * around, join with a sl st to top of ch3, sl st across next 2tr and into ch sp. [24 clusters of 3]
Round 6: Ch3, 2tr, *3tr in next sp between clusters; rep from * around, join with a sl st to top of initial ch3, sl st across next 2tr and into sp.
Round 7: Repeat Round 2
Rounds 8 – 9: Repeat Round 4
Round 10: Repeat Round 5 [48 clusters]
Rounds 11 – 36: Repeat Round 6
Round 37: Ch3, 1tr in each st around. Fasten off and sew in ends.
Bag Handles (Make 2)
Chain 101
Row 1: 1dc in 2nd ch from hook (for a neater finish, work through the back “bumps” of the chain), turn. [100 sts]
Row 2: Ch3, 1tr in same st, miss 2 sts, *3tr in next, miss 2 st; rep from * to last st, 2tr in last st, turn.
Row 3: Ch3, *3tr between clusters; rep from * to last st, 1tr in top of 3ch, turn.
Row 4: Ch1, dc to end. Fasten off and sew in ends.
How to attach the bag handles: Lay the beach bag out flat and measure across the top (approx 58cm – don’t worry too much if a couple of cm out).
Mark 12cm in from each side, and pin handles to the inside of the bag (on both sides).
Sew to the main body of the bag using plenty of stitches.
Once you have finished your crochet beach bag, attach pompoms! A few simple stitches will do. I use a darning needle and just weave the pompom ties in and out around the handles.
Whilst I think the Caron Cakes yarn looks fab in this crochet granny stripe beach bag, I would love to try making a bag in cotton yarn too. I am a huge fan of cotton for bags. It’s strong, sturdy and doesn’t warp or stretch too much. Let me know if you try it!
Seeing as this project came about because of the Instagram community, don’t forget to get in touch with me there: @zeensandroger
And don’t forget to explore my blog a bit more! You’ll find more free crochet patterns, and I have a few posts all about the best crochet tips and tricks. Cheers! x
very pretty and summery. Super project.
Thanks very much!!🤗
Looks beautiful
Thank you very much 😄
Lovely beach bag Rosina- and yes, it’s certainly nice to be asked to design something! And no, I really can’t spot any mistake at all!!!
Well done 🙂 xxx
Haha! Thank you! (Psst, it’s inside out but don’t tell anyone!!)😵
You’d never know!!! 😉 🙂
Looks great, i have seen those ‘cakes’yet to try, don’t you just love hobbycraft. I used to love it there when I lived in the Uk. I braved the motorway to get there !
Haha! I’ve never actually been in one 😱 I’m sure if I went to one you’d never get me to leave. There’s not one near here though!
Really !! I lived in Shrewsbury and used to drive to Telford to the one there. I hate the motorway but was willing to do it to get there and spend the morning there on my own ….bliss #happydays
Maybe I should do the same. I think it’s about 45 mins away (I know, not that far!). Dangerous though…
I used to say. I’ll spend max 20 haha big fat lie ….. do it do it and I can live through you 😉 although I recently found out they deliver now to Ireland …. oh so dangerous
Love those pompoms!! Mine always turn out terrible! This is a perfect project for Caron Cakes. I’ve made sweaters from it and the spot where the color changes is a little abrupt but I love how soft this yarn is! 😀
It’s my first Caron cakes project. It’d make a very snuggle jumper. But yeah, the colour changes didn’t bother me too much on the bag but I bet they would on the front of a jumper!
I saw this on an email I got from hobbycraft. Well done and the beach bag looks super summery. Well done.
Oh that’s awesome. I didn’t know that it was in an email! Thanks ever so much. X
What a gorgeous bag! I love the self striping yarn, I need to go and check it out because I love stripy projects but I hate sewing in ends!
Thank you! Exactly, no ends. That’s good yarn!! 😀
Now I know what my next crochet project is!
Love it!
Thank you very much!
Gorgeous! And well done for being asked to design for them too! 😊
Thank you! It was lovely to be asked! 🙂
Inside out? Nope, I’d never notice! Lovely project and the self striping yarn makes it look far more intricate than it is.
Haha, oh good! I now find myself needing more self striping in my life. And some gradient stuff wouldn’t go amiss!
Beautiful colours! Lovely bag 🙂
Thank you! 🙂
This is extraordinary! So so pretty. The colours are so lovely!! 😍I am adding this to the list of the things I have to crochet. 💜
Hurray! I’m so glad you like it! Thank you. X
Looking for this pattern
So glad you found it!
These colours are beautiful! Very Summer-y 🙂
It was hard to choose which shade to get! 😀