Lottie & Albert

Make your crochet a statement part of your outfit and personalise it with pompoms in your colour palette. See you at the market, or park, or beach…

Worked with Aran yarn held double, this cotton bag grows quickly. With the option of adding cardboard to a channel around the edge, the bag is also sturdy and keeps it's shape!

Materials

Wooden bag handles, 18cm – I used these.

5 balls of Women’s InstituteCotton Aran Yarn in Cream, 100g/160m

7mm crochet hook

Length of thick cardboard approx. 90cm (L) x 8cm (W) – I cut up a cardboard box!

Assorted pompom makers and acrylic yarn scraps for pompoms

Finished bag size

Approx. 40cm (W) x 24cm (H – without handles) x 9cm (D)

Gauge

10cm square = 12sts x 11rows in rows of dc with yarn held double, though gauge is not essential

Abbreviations

ch chain

dc double crochet (US single crochet)

inc increase – work two double crochet in one stitch

st(s) stitch(es)

ss slip stitch

Stitch descriptions

Slip stitch: Insert hook into stitch, yarn over and pull up a loop, pull this loop through first loop on hook

Double crochet: Insert hook into stitch, yarn over and pull up a loop, yarn over and pull through both loops

Bag pattern – MAKE 2

Foundation row

Using a 7mm crochet hook and the yarn held double, make 24dc around the bottom bar of the bag handle, turn. (24 sts)

Row 1

Chain 1 (does not count as a stitch throughout pattern), 6dc, inc, dc until 7 sts remain, inc, 6dc. (26 sts)

Rows 2-13

Repeat row 1. (50 sts at end of row 13)

Row 14

2ss, 6dc, inc, 6dc, inc, sc until 16 stitches remain, inc, 6dc, inc, 6dc, leave last two stitches unworked, turn. (50 sts not including slip stitches)

Row 15-26

Repeat row 14, do not count slip stitches from previous row as stitches. Cut and fasten off yarn. (50 sts)

Row 27

Turn your work 90 degrees clockwise, as shown in picture.

Reattach yarn to the first slip stitch of row 14, and ss in each of the 2ss. Next, dc in the unworked dc stitches from row 15, ss in 2ss from row 16, dc in unworked dc stitches from row 17. Continue in this way, working ss in the slip stitches, and dc in the unworked double crochets until you reach the bottom of the bag at row 26. Work one dc in each stitch around the bottom until you get to the other side, work back up the bag in the same way you worked down the opposite side. Stop when you have worked the last of the unworked stitches for row 14. Cut and fasten off yarn. (102 stiches)

This will neaten off the edges of the bag panels ready for joining with side panels.

Side panel 1

Having made two bag panels, using a 7mm crochet hook and two strands of yarn held double, choose one panel and place it wrong side up (you can choose which is wrong and which is right). Reattach the yarn to one end of Row 27 in the back loop only.

Row 1

Ch1 (does not count as a stitch) and, working in the back loop only, make one dc in each stitch, turn. (102).

Rows 2-8

Repeat row 1. (102)

Row 9

Take second bag panel and place it right sides together with the one you are working on. Ss in the front loop only of each stitch from second bag panel row 27. At the end of the row, cut and fasten off yarn. Your two bag panels should now be joined by a side panel.

Side panel 2

We are now going to make a second side panel to sit on top of the first. This will create a channel through which we will slide the strip of cardboard to stiffen the bag.

Reattach the yarn to one end of Row 27 in an unworked loop.

Row 1

Ch1 (does not count as a stitch) and, working in the unworked loops only, make one dc in each stitch, turn. (102).

Rows 2-8

Repeat row 1. (102)

Row 9

Ss in the unworked loop only of each stitch from the second bag panel along row 27. At the end of the row, cut and fasten off yarn. Your two bag panels should now be joined by two side panels.

Turn your bag right sides out. Now slide the cardboard in between the two side panels. To close the tops of the side panel channels, whip stitch using a tapestry needle and one strand of yarn, or slip stitch using your crochet hook. Repeat on both sides.