crochet bag Archives - Zeens and Roger

Cotton Granny Tote – Free Crochet Pattern

January 30, 2024February 3, 2024crochet2 Comments

Striped granny tote from Zeens and Roger

Granny Stripe Tote

I am revisiting a granny tote pattern that I initially put together several years ago. You can find my original Hotchpotch granny stripe purse pattern here on my blog. For that colourful version, I created a YouTube crochet tutorial on how to make a small size purse with no written pattern. It always felt weird (possibly lazy!) that I didn’t write the bag pattern at that time so that’s what I’ve done today (six years later!).

Last summer I worked up this new granny stripe bag but it has taken me a few months to sort out the blog post and free crochet pattern so that you can make one too.

Granny stripe bag. Hotchpotch granny tote by Zeens and Roger.

A Strong Bottom for Your Bag

The new granny tote has a couple of changes. Firstly, I ditched the starting chain and replaced it with a Foundation Start.

If you don’t like using foundation stitches to start your crochet, you may wish to use chains instead, which is what I show in the old video tutorial. However, I LOVE foundation stitches to begin projects; they’re awesome. The benefit of a foundation start is that you don’t have to work into a chain (not my fave thing to do), and they have a nice elasticity to them. They are also especially good if you need to work long chains (a foundation start is not in quite so much danger of twisting as a chain is wont to do).

The other great thing about a foundation start is that you can work into both the top and bottom, as I do in this crochet pattern. It is more structurally sound than a flimsy chain too. Hopefully, that is enough to convince you to give it a try!

A Colourful Crochet Bag

No matter which way you look at it, both old and new granny totes are super colourful. For this new cotton version, I went less crazy on colour choices but it still looks fun and fabulous.

I used Paintbox DK cotton (affiliate link) and changed colour every row rather than it being an outrageous stream of clashing colours. As much I am an advocate of the magic knot, I don’t actually enjoy tying hundreds of knots and would rather sew in a handful of ends tbh.

How to Make a Crochet Granny Tote

Oky doky, here’s what you need to crochet your own colourful granny stripe bag (I think the list of tools & materials is actually longer than the bag pattern itself!).

FYI, my granny stripe bag measures approx 36cm / 14 inches across with a depth of 30cm / 11.5 inches.

Crochet Tools you Will Need

Cotton DK (this is a bit finer than acrylic double knit, sturdier to). I used about 18 colours of Paintbox DK. I like the range of colours and it’s non-mercerised. (Mercerised = shiny, and it’s not my favourite).
3mm crochet hook.
Handles of your choice. Try Amazon, Etsy or upcycle by extricating them from an old bag (a tote or similar, not the other kind of old bag).
Fabric for lining. Whilst this is optional, I 99.9% recommend lining a crochet bag.
Magnetic clasp. Another optional item.
Needle and thread. If you have a sewing machine then great. But since you’re only sewing a few inches, you could get away with hand sewing. I quite enjoy hand sewing even though I now need reading glasses to do it. (this is how I discovered that I am the other kind of old bag).
A pointyish needle with an eye that’ll fit the dk cotton (for sewing the handles).

colourful granny tote by zeens and roger

Crochet Granny Tote Pattern

Note, for the set up row, watch the tutorial for how to work a foundation start HERE.
Also note that below I have added two sets of instructions. The first set is for US terms, the second are UK terms.

US Instructions

Set up row: Work 61 fsc, turn.
Rnd 1: Ch3, 2dc in first stitch, *sk 2 sts, 3dc in next st; rep from * to end, ch2, rotate work to continue along the underside, 3dc in first st, rep from * to end, ch2, join with a slip stitch (sl st) to the top of the 3ch, do not turn. [42 clusters around].
Fasten off and cut yarn.
Rnd 2: Join new yarn to 2ch-sp, ch3, 2dc in same sp, 3dc in each sp around, join with a sl st to the top fo the 3ch, do not turn. Fasten off and cut yarn.
Rnd 3: Join new yarn to any sp between clusters, ch3, 2dc in same sp, 3dc in each sp around, join with a sl st to the top of the 3ch, do not turn. Fasten off and cut yarn.
Rnds 4-30: As Row 3.
Rnds 31 – 34: Join new yarn to any st, ch1, hdc in each st around, do not turn.
Fasten off and cut yarn. Sew in ends.

UK Instructions

Set up row: Work 61 UK fdc, turn.
Rnd 1: Ch3, 2tr in first stitch, *miss 2 sts, 3tr in next st; rep from * to end, ch2, rotate work to continue along the underside, 3tr in first st, rep from * to end, ch2, join with a slip stitch (sl st) to the top of the 3ch, do not turn. [42 clusters around].
Fasten off and cut yarn.
Rnd 2: Join new yarn to 2ch-sp, ch3, 2tr in same sp, 3tr in each sp around, join with a sl st to the top fo the 3ch, do not turn. Fasten off and cut yarn.
Rnd 3: Join new yarn to any sp between clusters, ch3, 2tr in same sp, 3tr in each sp around, join with a sl st to the top of the 3ch, do not turn. Fasten off and cut yarn.
Rnds 4-30: As Row 3.
Rnds 31 – 34: Join new yarn to any st, ch1, htr in each st around, do not turn.
Fasten off and cut yarn. Sew in ends.

Lining A Crochet Bag

This is easier than it sounds. You can opt for just a simple pocket sewn up the sides to pop within your granny tote. That will stop anything from falling out of the holes between the granny clusters. It will also provide a bit of anchorage for the handles, which will make your bag last longer. By sewing the handles through the crochet fabric and the lining fabric it’s way more sturdy than solely relying on your precious crochet stitches to bear the weight.

I hope it’s OK but instead of writing specific instructions on how to add a lining here, pop across to my blog post for How to Crochet a Zigzag Bag. That blog post has an explanation of how I lined that chevron tote and I used the same method for this crochet granny stripe bag. There’s even the option to add a magnetic clasp too. I also have a YouTube version for crocheting the chevron tote. For the lining demo, jump to timestamp 30:36.

Take your time with lining your crochet bag, there’s no rush.

Granny stripe tote bag — This is my first Crochet Hotpotch bag

Adding Handles to a Crochet Tote

Once you’ve chosen whether to line your crochet granny tote or not, regardless, you need to add handles. Feel free to crochet some but I like to add leather ones (faux leather in this case). They really are very cheap and you can get them from Amazon or Etsy easily.

Again, I won’t use too many words here to describe this process because I used exactly the same method as I did for my Zig Zag Bag. Feel free to measure where you’re going to place them so they’re equidistant. I usually eyeball first and, if in doubt, get the tape measure out.

Use a decent needle for sewing through the handle’s holes. If it’s too blunt, you’ll have a fight on your hands.

Your Crochet Granny Tote is Finished!

And that’s it! Voila, you have made a colourful crochet bag!! Now it’s time to show off to everyone and galavant around town with your new striped granny tote, yay!

If you have enjoyed making this pattern, then please take a look at my other Free Crochet Patterns right here on my blog.

C2C Geo Crochet Bag Pattern

August 4, 2017August 4, 2017crochet14 Comments

New pattern release!!! Yay! I’ve been working on this one for a while and I wanted to make sure it was perfect. I wish I could make loads of these crochet bags, I love them. Can you tell that I’m a lover of the corner to corner stitch?! I don’t think I’ll ever get it out of my system, there are just so many things you can do with it.

I had a vision of making black and white geometric patterns, somehow I just couldn’t bring myself to go monochrome so ended up trialling lots of colourful designs instead! I couldn’t stop at one design either. This pattern contains three different designs for the main body of the bag and two different strap designs.

The basic C2C pattern is written and there are comprehensive instructions and photographs for construction, including how to add a lining and magnetic clasp. I hope you love it as much as I do. I’ve added it to my collection of Ravelry designs here.

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How to Make a Granny Square Bag. Free Crochet Pattern

March 29, 2017June 26, 2023crafty, crochet, free pattern, sewing, vintage27 Comments

Sudden Crochet Inspiration

I had no idea that I was going to make a bag last week, no idea at all! I was dashing off somewhere and felt I could do with taking a little crochet project with me. Hurriedly, random balls of yarn were grabbed and off out I went. Thus, a granny square bag was made! Yay!

I didn’t have enough yarn to make a blanket, which made me wonder what else I could turn the colourful granny squares into. I considered making a cushion, but what got me really excited was the idea of a crochet bag! It’s a tricky thing to take a picture of, the bright colours shout so loudly that they blew the pics out!

I used leftover Paintbox acrylic aran yarn and, just because I fancied it, joined as I went (I’m fairly sure I used the Attic 24 method).

Make a Crochet Granny Bag

To crochet your own granny square bag, you’ll need a few things. Here they are:

Colourful yarn (I used aran weight but any yarn is fine).
4.5mm hook (if using a different weight make sure to use the right sized hook for the weight of yarn you use).
Bag handles (I recommend searching for “long bag handles” on Ebay or Etsy, that’s what I did!)
Lining fabric (something measuring a couple of inches bigger than your finished crochet piece)
Darning needle for when you’re sewing with yarn and pins, sewing needle and thread for when making up the lining.

The main body of the bag is a bog standard gang of grannies; super quick and easy to do! Rounds of three, joined together in 8 rows of 5 (you’ll either need more rows or more rounds for each square if you’re using DK yarn, check out my tutorial for a double knit version here).

My piece measured 15.5 x 27 inches (40 x 68cm).

How to Place Colours in Crochet

Every now and again it is worth checking to see that the spread of colour is even. I eyeball the colour layout for the granny squares, taking into consideration how colours look when they sit next to each other. I also make sure to know what I’ve got left in stash so that I don’t accidentally run out of a shade half way through. If you take a look at the picture above, you can see that the colours are evenly distriubted.

Adding Handles to a Crochet Bag

Once the main body of the crochet bag is complete, the handle sections need to be shaped. It’s not as tricky as it looks and luckily, accuracy is not paramount. I don’t mind a project that needs a bit of bodging and crochet is usually very forgiving when it comes to bodging! Not that you need to bodge it, I’m just saying!!

UK terms are used (a treble is a US dc)

At one end of the main body, (right side facing) work a strip of granny clusters starting with a ch3 and 1tr in the first st and ending with 2tr on the last stitch of the row. Straddle the square joins with (1tr, tr2tgr, 1tr). You can kind of see what I’ve done on the picture above but I also show you how to add this edge across granny squares (about 2:40 into the vid)
Turn the work. Ch2, 1htr in each stitch along to the end. Turn.
Ch1, slip stitch along approximately 10 stitches (you want the narrow section to be the same width as the handle slot). Ch2, 1htr in each stitch along, missing the last (approx) 10sts. Turn.
Ch2, 1htr in each stitch of last row. To widen the work again, ch13, Turn.
1htr in 3rd ch from hk. 1htr in each st along to the end. Continue by adding 10 more stitches using a chainless foundation half double stitch. This is actually lovely to do, I promise. I have a video that shows you how, it’s here: The Foundationless Start. Skip the first bit of the video (that explains the same technique for a UK dc). Turn.
Ch2, htr all the way along. Turn.
Repeat row 6. Fasten off.
Repeat 1-7 on the other end of the bag.

Next, with right side facing, evenly stitch dc’s (sc’s) all the way down the edge of both lengths. Don’t fasten off yet…

Fold the granny square bag in half and using the yarn still on the hook, slip stitch the sides together. Repeat on the other side.

Tuck the handle bits through the handle holes/slots, then fold down to the inside and pin, ready for sewing closed.

The stitches don’t have to be super neat. If you use matching yarn, you won’t see if you’re making a dog’s dinner of it! Try not to come through to the right side though, or if you do, make the stitches small so they’re not staring at you. Don’t forget the top bits at the ends.

Add Lining to Your Crochet Bag

Next, you need to add the lining. It’s not 100% necessary but I think it looks better and you won’t have your stuff escaping through granny holes!

Fold a length of fabric in half, right sides together. Place the granny square bag on top and mark/draw where you need to sew. Also mark where you want the fold of your top hem to go. Sew down both sides to make the bag cavity. Next, iron the seams nice and flat, at the same time fold down the top hem and press. I went back to the sewing machine and top stitched the hem.

Tuck the lining into you bag, pin it in place and hand sew the top of the lining to the top of the crochet! And there you have it, a crochet bag of your own!

Oh goodness, I think I need a course in how to photograph bright colours!!

I would absolutely love to hear from you if you make one of my designs. If you do, please give me a shout. I’d love it if you said Hi! Don’t forget that I’m on Ravelry, so your makes can be added there. Oh, and I almost forgot Instagram! #zeensandroger

Thank you. X

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A One Skein Crochet Mesh Bag. Free pattern.

May 1, 2016May 23, 2018crochet, free pattern33 Comments

EDIT:: Hold your horses!! Before you read on, you might like me to direct you to the updated version, which is a far more straight forward pattern with pretty much the same results. GO HERE for the written pattern. And go HERE to YouTube for the video tutorial. Ta! x

The first anniversary of my blogging ways today. That went quickly! Yay me! I’ve enjoyed all of it so far. I’ve learned so much and (conversely) haven’t learned anything at all! I wasn’t sure what it would be like and have been pleasantly surprised. I wonder what the following year will bring!?

In celebration of this momentous occasion (and it totally is momentous) I’m sharing a pattern of mine.

I’ve made a couple of mesh bags before but they required more than just one ball of yarn. I didn’t want loads of balls/skeins rolling about everywhere and I didn’t want to spend loads of money. Crochet can be an expensive hobby! This isn’t a tutorial as I didn’t take many pictures of the making process. I forgot. I remembered in time for the handle making stage, so I have some pics of that part. There is also a delightful diagram I’ve spent aaages drawing. It’s there to help with the end of rounds. I found it tricky to word the pattern for those bits!

It’s a deceptively good size bag. When I was making it I was unsure there’d be much point in it but you can actually fit loads in there!

I used Rico Essentials cotton dk in Emerald and a 3mm hook. At the end I had approximately a metre left. Your tension will probs be different to mine and if you’re worried about running out of cotton, you could skip a round or make the handle shorter. This yarn is lovely to use and I want more!!

Crochet Mesh Bag.

The pattern is written in UK terms.

Start with a magic ring (or ch4 and join with a slip stitch).

Round 1: Ch3, 11tr into ring. Join to third ch of initial 3 ch with a slip stitch. Pull the magic ring tight to secure. [12st]

Round 2: Ch3, 1 tr into same stitch. 2 tr into each space. Join to third ch of initial 3 ch with a slip stitch. [24st]

Round 3: Ch3, *2tr in next stitch, 1 tr in next* around, ending with 2tr in last st. [36st]

Round 4: Ch1, 1dc in same st. *ch3, skip 1 stitch, 1dc in next* around until the second to last st (stitch). At this point, ch1 and make a half tr into beginning dc. (Have a look at the diagram to see how to join rounds at the end. Bear in mind that it’s just a section of the round, showing the important bit. Placing a stitch marker on the last stitch of each row from here will help) [18 ch sp].

Round 5: *Ch4, 1dc in next ch sp* around until second to last ch sp. Ch2, 1htr into the top of the last st of the previous round (ie into the top of the htr of previous round).

Round 6: *ch5, 1dc in next ch sp* around until second to last ch sp. Ch2, 1tr into the top of the last st of the previous round.

Round 7: *ch6, 1dc in next ch sp* around until second to last ch sp. Ch3, tr into the top of the last st of the previous round.

Round 8-9: *Ch7, 1dc in next ch sp* around until second to last ch sp. Ch3, 1double tr into the top of the last st of the previous round.

Round 10: Three increases will be made at even intervals in this round. *Ch7, 1dc in next ch sp, ch4, 1 dc in same ch sp. (Ch7, 1dc in next ch sp) x 5. Repeat from * two more times, finishing before the last ch7. Instead, Ch3, 1double tr into the top of the last st of the previous round. [21ch sp]

Round 11-12: *Ch7, 1dc in next ch sp* around until second to last ch sp. Ch3, 1double tr into the top of the last st of the previous round.

Round 13-20: Ch8, 1dc in next ch sp* around until second to last ch sp. Ch4, 1double tr into the top of the last st of the previous round.

Round 21 : Same as round 7.

Round 22 : Same as round 6.

Round 23: ch1, 1dc in same stitch. 4dc in each ch sp, 1 dc in top of each dc of previous round. Ss into first dc.

Round 24-25: Ch1, 1 dc in same space. Dc around. Ss into first dc.

Handle stage now…

Row 1: Ch1, 1dc in same space, 1 dc in next 7st. Ch1, turn. [8]

Row 2: Dc along the next 8 stitches. Ch1, turn. [8] repeat row 2 until desired handle length or when nearing the end of the yarn (I made my handle approx 18″).

Turn your bag inside out. To attach the handle to the other side of the bag, first count how many stitches are around the top of the bag. I had 100 stitches. You want your handles to be in the middle, I counted 42 stitches along from the right side of my handle and the next stitch (see pic below) was where I started to attach the other end of the handle. Make sure there are no twists in your handle!

The hook should be on the right side. If it isn’t, make another row or take one away.

Ch1. Insert hook through first stitch on handle and the chosen stitch on the other side of the bag (see pic below). Yarn over and pull through all loops/stitches. Repeat for the last 7 stitches, leaving out the initial ch1. Fasten off and sew ends in securely. Finished!

Make sure to sew the ends in really well.

This hasn’t been tested and I only made one bag (frogged it a few times in the process) so if you spot something that doesn’t make sense, or I’ve made a mistake, please let me know. This is mostly a way for me to practice pattern writing. I’m not a professional, it took blinkin’ ages and it’s free! Useful feed back here would be gratefully received. Thanks.

Having said that, if it does work, please don’t then publish this pattern without my permission, please don’t pinch the pattern to sell and if you want to make the bags to sell, please give me loads of credit. And I mean loads. And send me a message to say what you’ve been up to. Ta very much!

Thanks very much and thanks for reading!

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