I based this off my Mesh Market Bag pattern, but I made it with crochet cotton and a G hook instead of worsted weight yarn, plus a few other modifications.
This might be one of my favorite bags so far! It’s very strong and can hold a LOT of stuff, but it’s also lightweight and compact so I can keep it in my purse all the time just in case I head to a store and forget to bring my bags.
Also, I’d like to share a big shout out to the 757 Creative ReUse Center, where the beautiful bubble gum pink skein of crochet cotton was just $1. Thanks for keeping crafting affordable and sustainable!
Instructions
Materials
- Crochet cotton
- Size G (or F) crochet hook
Mesh Granny Square
Start
Round 1
Start with 6 single crochets (sc) in a magic ring. Pull ring tight and slip stitch (sl st) into first sc to join.
Follow chart up and counter clockwise.
Chain 5 (ch5) at start of all subsequent rounds = double crochet + chain 2 (dc+ch2).
Round 2
Chain 5 (ch5), equivalent to a double crochet followed by a chain 2 (dc+ch2). Then in the same single crochet, work another dc+ch2.
Work two (2) dc+ch2 into each of the single crochets of the previous round. To join, sl st into ch5 space that started the round.
Round 3
Ch5, then in the same space (the ch5 of the previous round), work another dc+ch2. In each of the next two ch2 spaces of the previous round work one dc+ch2.
*In the next space work two dc+ch2s. In each of the next two ch2 spaces of the previous round work one dc+ch2.*
Repeat from * to * around. To join, sl st into ch5 space that started the round.
Alternative Start
If you don’t want to start with a magic ring, start here instead of Round 1.
Chain 6 (ch6), then slip stitch into first chain to make a circle.
Chain 5 (ch5), which is equivalent to a double crochet followed by a chain 2 (dc+ch2), here and in all subsequent rounds. Then work 11 more dc+ch2 into the circle. Slip stitch into ch5 space that started the round. Continue with Round 3.
Increasing Rounds
Rounds 4 to 16, or until square is desired size. In the pink bag pictured, I actually only did 15 rounds, but it’s easier to work the gathering round decreases if you end on an even number of rounds. I recommend 14 or 16 rounds total. My 14 round bag ends up about 12 inches (30.5 cm) square; 16 rounds about 13 inches (33 cm) square.
For these rounds, a chain 2 space between two double crochets that are worked into the same space of the previous round is a “corner space.” Every round will have 4 corner spaces, the first being the last ch2 of the ch5 that starts the round.
A chain 2 space between two double crochets that are worked into adjacent spaces of the previous round is a “side space.” The number of side spaces will increase by four (4) every round.
For each increasing round, start with a ch5 (equivalent to dc+ch2), then work a dc+ch2 in the same space (to make a corner). Then, in every side space, work one (1) dc+ch2, and in each corner space, work two (2) dc+ch2. To join each round, sl st into the ch5 space that started the round.
Gathering Rounds
Round 1
Ch1 to start. In every corner space work *sc, ch1, sc.* Mark each sc in the corner spaces.
In every side space work *sc, ch1.*
To join, sl st into first sc of the round. Here and in all subsequent rounds, be careful not to work into the slip stitch that joined the previous round or the chain 1 that started the round. Make sure you slip stitch into the sc, not the ch1. Marking your stitches makes this easier!
Round 2
Ch1 to start. In corners work *sc into first sc, sc into ch1 space, sc into second sc.* Each corner will have 3 stitches. Mark the first and third sc.
Along sides, work 1 sc into each ch1 space of the previous round. If you worked 16 rounds, at the end of this round, each side will have 16 stitches.
To join, sl st into first sc of the round.
Round 3
Ch1 to start. In corners, work 1 sc into each sc. Each corner will have 3 stitches. Mark the first and third sc.
Along the sides, single crochet 2 together (sc2tog) across. To sc2tog, insert hook into first stitch, draw up a loop, insert hook into the next stitch and draw up another loop, then yarn over and draw through all the loops on your hook at once.
This will reduce the number of stitches on each side by 50%. If you worked 16 rounds, at the end of this round, each side will have 8 stitches.
To join, sl st into first sc of the round.
Round 4
Ch1 to start. Work 1 sc in each stitch around. Move up stitch markers. To join, sl st into first sc of the round. Again, be careful not to work into the sl st of the previous round or ch1 that started this round.
Handles and Finishing
Round 1
Ch1 to start. Sc into each corner sc of the previous round (3 sc), moving up stitch markers.
*40 foundation single crochet (FSC). Skip all side stitches. Join with a single crochet into first (marked) sc of the next corner. Sc in each of the remaining (2) corner scs. Sc in each sc along side.* Then in each sc of the next corner space (3 sc).
To make the foundation single crochet stitches: Insert hook into the middle of the single crochet you just worked. Make sure you aren’t just going under the top of the sitch, but actually cutting through the middle of the stitch so your hook is going under two parallel strands of yarn. Yarn over and draw the loop through the single crochet. You will have two loops on your hook. Yarn over again and draw through one loop. This is equivalent to a chain and makes the “foundation.” Yarn over again and draw through both loops on your hook to make the “single crochet.”
To make the next stitch, insert your hook into the foundation chain of the stitch you just made. Yarn over and draw up a loop. Yarn over again and draw through 1 loop, which makes another foundation chain. Yarn over again and draw through both loops on your hook. This makes another single crochet stitch, and you’ve now made two stitches. Repeat until handles are desired length.
Watch how to make the foundation single crochet stitch here:
OPTIONAL: Substitute chains for FSC.
When I made the handles for the pink bag, I reinforced the first and last FSCs by working essentially two unfinished FSCs in the same space. This is also optional, but I feel like these joins take most of the strain of the weight of the bag and where things are most likely to break. Fortunately, the bags all seem to be super strong, and I think they will get full before they hit their weight limit, so this extra precaution is probably unnecessary.
Repeat from * to * around. To join, sl st into first sc of the round. Be careful not to work into the sl st of the previous round or ch1 that started the round.
Rounds 2 & 3
Ch1 to start. Sc in each stitch around. To join, sl st into first sc of the round. Do this twice, or more until handles are desired thickness. Cut yarn, pull through last stitch, and weave in ends.
My bag measured about 9″ tall (23 cm) and 11″ wide (28 cm), unstretched. As you can see in the pictures below, it can stretch out quite a bit from that to hold a lot of produce.
Modifications
This pattern is very easy to modify in a number of ways.
As I mentioned earlier, since it’s based off the Mesh Market Bag pattern I originally designed, you can see that changing the yarn and hook size makes a much different bag.
The mesh granny square is also the basis for my other produce bag pattern. Instead of continuing to increase every round, you stop increasing after round 6. You keep working just one dc+ch2 in every space, eliminating corner spaces, to create a tube shaped bag, similar to the plastic produce bags at the store.
You can also change how many increasing rounds you make to make the bag larger or smaller. Everyone is tempted to make the bags bigger, but I think they don’t really need to be because they stretch so much. It’s not much, but every additional round adds that much more weight and uses more yarn, so smaller bags are slightly more efficient.
Finally, you can change the length of the handles by increasing or decreasing the number of foundation single crochet stitches. I think 40 is a good size because it fits over my arm when I’m filling the bag, and gives me enough to tie the bag off and still have usable handles. But +/- 5 or 10 stitches would get the job done, too.
Strong and Stretchy
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