If you’re like me, you care about the planet, and you try to do your part. You’re trying to cut down on waste, and hate using plastic bags.
And if you’re like me, you’ve also found yourself in the situation where you’re out, and you suddenly remember you need to grab something from the store. You rush in, grab what you need, make it to the check out, and then… “Drat and bother, I forgot my shopping bags, AGAIN!”
And the existential crisis begins. “Do I really care about the environment if I can remember one gosh darn bag?” “A real environmentalist would put it all back and try again later.” “Can I just carry it all?”
It’s not pretty.
Fortunately, I’ve come up with a solution! One that works for me, at least. I started crocheting these super strong, super compact, super stretchy shopping bags, and I’m sharing the pattern with everyone!
In the summer, I put one of these puppies in every one of my purses, so no matter which one I grab, I’ve always got extra capacity. In the winter, when I tend not to carry a purse and just shove everything in my all my coat pockets instead, I shove one of these in, too. Heading out the door it’s right there in my count: “shirt, pants, keys, wallet, phone, squishy bag.”
They take up so little space, and I feel like Mary Poppins when everything fits! It’s a very flexible pattern, and you can make beautiful bags in all shapes and sizes.
They also double as great gift bags! Just wrap you gift in some tissue paper and you don’t even need tape to wrap it.
Crochet Chart and Instructions
As of Dec 2019 I haven’t had the time yet to make a digital chart or a video tutorial, but I’m hoping to be able to in a few months.
For now we have a hand drawn chart, step by step photos of the first couple rounds, and text instructions.
Materials
For most of my bags I use #10 crochet cotton (which is considered a lace or 0 weight yarn) and a size G hook (4.5 mm). For yarn that’s slightly heavier I use an H hook.
Foundation Row
The pattern starts with a row of foundation single crochets FSC. In the chart above, I show 10, but it can be as many as you want, depending on how large or small you want your bag. In the photo tutorial here, my foundation row is 12 FSC.
Don’t know how to FSC? Don’t worry it’s not that difficult. Here’s a few resources to walk you through it:
- Fiber Flux Video Tutorial – Shows how to start the FSC with chains, as I do to start this row. This is where I learned the stitch.
- Handy Finch Market Bag Video Tutorial – FSC starting in the middle of the pattern. This will come in handy later if you want to add handles to this bag
- Handy Finch Flower Stitch Granny Square – Also starting in the middle of the pattern, but step by step photos instead of a video.
- Scroll to the “Handles and Finishing” section below and watch the videos there.
Round 1
For all rounds, chain 5 (ch 5) is equivalent to one double crochet followed by chain 2 (dc+ch2). Dc+ch2 is the basic stitch in this pattern, as it is in my Crochet Produce Bag Pattern and Simple Mesh Market Bag Pattern.
I will break it down further below, but the basic concept for this round is the same no matter how many FSC you start with. The FSCs on each end of the foundation row will each have 3 dc+ch2 stitches, while all the FSC stitches in between have 1 dc+ch2 stitches on each side.
Every round starts with a chain 5 (which counts as the first dc+ch2 in the end FSC) and ends with a slip stitch into that first chain 5.
So, to start Round 1, chain 5, then work two dc+ch5 into the same FSC space.
*Then in the next FSC space, work just one dc+ch2.*
Repeat from * to * across the row, until you get to the very last FSC stitch.
In the last FSC space, work 3 dc+ch2. Then in the next space, go back to working just 1 dc+ch2.
Repeat *1 dc+ch2 in the net FSC space* across the whole side. Then slip stitch into the chain 5 that started the round. (I tend to be sloppy and work into the whole space; if you want to be more precise, you can work the slip stitch into the 3rd chain).
At the end of the round, the number of stitches you should have (counting the first ch 5 as a dc+ch2) = (number of stitches you started with * 2) + 2. In this case it’s (12 * 2) + 2 = 24 +2 = 26.
Round 2
Start with ch 5, then *in the next ch 2 space, work 1 dc+ch2.* Repeat from * to * around. To finish the round, slip stitch into the first ch 5. (Again, I tend toward sloppiness and work into the whole space, but you can work into the 3rd chain).
Round 3 – Desired Length
Repeat Round 2 until the bag is as long as you want it. For the red and white bag below, which also started with 12 FSC, I worked 17 rounds after the foundation row.
Handles and Finishing
As you can see, the sky’s the limit for the variety of handles you can use to finish off the bags. It’s your preference – for a cross body strap, I’d go longer and wider; for one shoulder, shorter; for a gift bag style, I’d do two smaller handles.
For the red and white bag, I finished off after the last slip stitch, then joined up on the side in the red to make a handle in the same mesh style. It was a series of double crochets and chain 2s, while turning for the rows on a chain 5. For the sparkley black bag I worked a row of FSC and then fleshed it out with a few sc rows.
For the green gift bag style I made two handles, very similar to the way I finish the produce bags, and knotted them to close the bag.
At this time I do not have instructions for each variety of handle. In the future I may do a video if there’s interest, but in the meantime I encourage you to experiment.
Here are a couple of the videos I made for the produce bag pattern handles, but the principle is the same and should get you rolling:
Printables
Printer friendly PDF instructions for this pattern coming soon!
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