Cotton Cakes Knotted Strap Bag

This light and summery crochet bag pattern would be perfect to use as a market bag or to just throw a few notebooks and necessities into. The airy stitch makes it very breathable and soft to the touch. A great project for a self-striping yarn, or any other multi-colored variety.

The length of the strap is easy to adjust, as well as the width or height of the bag itself. Instructions for adapting are in the pattern, so it is easy to personalize to your preferences!

The Origin of This Pattern

This crochet bag pattern came about strictly because I was dying to do something with this yarn! I’ve had it for several years now and have tried starting several projects with it, but none of them felt right.

I thought the self-striping and the texture of this yarn would lend well to a bag pattern. And, since I’ve been stuck on this particular stitch that I’ve been using lately, I of course had to use it again in this pattern.

If you find you really enjoy this stitch, you might enjoy these other patterns that use it as well: Spring’s Arrival Scarf, Spring’s Arrival Headband, Mossy Cobblestone Cowl, Mossy Cobblestone Beanie, and the Crochet Soap Saver.

The finishing touch on the bag was the knotted strap. I always have a hard time deciding on what method I want to use for my straps. It can be a little awkward to find just the right design. I love the look of a knotted headband, so I thought I’d see if I could incorporate that design into a bag. It took a few tries to get the construction right, but I am happy with the end result!

The Yarn For This Pattern

This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive compensation (at no additional cost to you) if you make a purchase using these links.

Caron Cotton Cakes are absolutely one of my favorite yarns to use! They have a nice structure that creates really nice stitch definition, but they are also incredibly soft and squishy! It is really fun to work with and creates a great finished product.

And if that is enough reason to love this yarn, they also come in absolutely beautiful color combos! It’s so hard to pick just one!

The Pattern

If  you would like to purchase an inexpensive, ad-free pdf version of this crochet bag pattern, you can find it here at my Etsy shop. (scroll down for the full free pattern)

Add this crochet bag pattern to your Ravelry favorites HERE.

Materials:

~ Size 4 Yarn, 530 yards (I used Caron Cotton Cakes in Morning Dew)
~ US I/9 / 5.5 mm Crochet Hook
~ Yarn Needle
~ Scissors

Gauge:

4” x 4” = 8 stitch clusters as completed in the pattern x 9 rows

The easiest way to check your gauge as you go is to see if the width of your project is roughly 12” after the first two rows. If not, you may want to adjust your hook size accordingly.

Sizing:

Bag is 12” wide and 13 ½” tall (not including straps)

Stitches & Abbreviations Used:

(ch) chain
(sl st) slip stitch
(fsc) foundation single crochet
(dc) double crochet
(yo) yarn over
(sk) skip

Pattern Notes:

Beginning chain of each row does not count as a stitch.

I tend to crochet tightly. So be sure to check your gauge and if you are crocheting more loosely you can move to a smaller hook (or larger if you crochet even more tightly). Some people find they even need to go down two hook sizes to meet my gauge.

The edges of your work will not be perfectly straight. They will have a little bit of “bumpiness” to them. If you have large gaps, then something is probably incorrect, but if there is a little bit of wave, that is ok.

In an effort to break up some of the row instructions so that they are not one long paragraph that is hard to follow, I will insert a line break for each sub-step. This will make the directions look a bit like a long list.

You may find it helpful to mark the first dc of your row, as it can be hard to locate when you come back around.

Pattern:

Panels 1 & 2:

Note: Rows 1 – 31 will be repeated twice, to create two panels that will be sewn together.

Row 1: Fsc 49.

If you prefer not to use foundation stitches, you can chain 50. Sc in the second chain from the hook and in each chain across. (49)

This number gave me a bag 12” inches wide. If you prefer a different width, you can adjust the number of fsc. Just be sure to end at an odd number. Also, if your width is vastly different than this, you may need to adjust your hook size to match gauge.

Row 2: Ch 2. Turn. Dc in the same stitch. Ch 1.

Insert hook into the same stitch again. Yo and pull through. (Pull enough through so that the tension is loose. This will allow the loop to stretch across the space created by the upcoming skipped stitch.)

Skip the next stitch (you still have two loops on your hook).

*Dc in the next stitch. Note: As you complete your dc, since you have an extra loop on your hook, on your final yo and pull through, you will pull through 3 loops (rather than the usual last 2 of a dc).

Ch 1. Insert hook into the same stitch again.

Yo and pull through (again, the goal is to have loose tension on this loop).

Skip the next stitch (you still have two loops on your hook)*.

Repeat from * to * across.

At the end of the row your last step will be to place one last dc in the last stitch. (49) (see photos below for visuals for this row)

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Row 3: Ch 2. Turn. Dc in the same stitch. Ch 1.

Insert hook into the same stitch again. Yo and pull through.

Skip the next stitch.

*Dc in the next stitch.

Ch 1. Insert hook into the same stitch again.

Yo and pull through.

Skip the next stitch.*

Repeat from * to * across.

At the end of the row your last step will be to place one last dc in the last stitch. (49)

Note: If you’re unsure what stitch your dc should be going into for rows 3+, it should go in the dc from the previous row. This is the “more loose” stitch, which looks like it stretches across the gap between dc. The ch 1 will be skipped, which will probably be the tighter stitch in your row. See photos below for additional help.

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Also, it can be difficult to decipher where to place the last dc of the row (the dc from the previous row can be hard to find). If you find yourself struggling to know where to place your last stitch of the row, the video tutorial link below can be helpful. It might also help to mark the first dc of your row so that it is easy to find when you come back.

You can find a video tutorial for this stitch pattern here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5WeHqkerP0&t

Rows 4 – 31: Repeat row 3. (49)

At this point my panel was 12” wide and 13.5” tall. You can add or remove rows here if you want to adjust the height.

Finish off and weave in your ends.

Repeat rows 1 – 31 for the second panel.

Straps/ Handle:

Row 1: Ch 2. Dc in the first chain (second chain from the hook). Ch 1. Insert hook into the same chain. Yo and pull up a loop. Dc in the same chain.

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Row 2: Ch 2. Turn. Dc in the same stitch. Ch 1. Insert hook in the same stitch. Yo and pull up a loop. Dc in the same stitch. Ch 1. Insert hook in the same stitch. Yo and pull up a loop. Dc one last time in the same stitch. (5)

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Row 3: Ch 2. Turn. Dc in the same stitch. *Ch 1. Insert hook in the same stitch. Yo and pull up a loop. Sk the next stitch. Dc in the next stitch.* Repeat from * to * one more time. (5)

Row 4: Ch 2. Turn. Dc in the same stitch. *Ch 1. Insert hook in the same stitch. Yo and pull up a loop. Sk the next stitch. Dc in the next stitch.* Repeat from * to * one more time. Ch 1. Insert hook in the same stitch. Yo and pull up a loop. Dc in the same stitch again. (7)

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Row 5: Ch 2. Turn. Dc in the same stitch. *Ch 1. Insert hook in the same stitch. Yo and pull up a loop. Sk the next stitch. Dc in the next stitch.* Repeat from * to * two more times. (7)

Row 6: Ch 2. Turn. Dc in the same stitch. *Ch 1. Insert hook in the same stitch. Yo and pull up a loop. Sk the next stitch. Dc in the next stitch.* Repeat from * to * two more times. Ch 1. Insert hook in the same stitch. Yo and pull up a loop. Dc in the same stitch again. (9)

Row 7: Ch 2. Turn. Dc in the same stitch. *Ch 1. Insert hook in the same stitch. Yo and pull up a loop. Sk the next stitch. Dc in the next stitch.* Repeat from * to * three more times. (9)

Rows 8 – 144: Repeat row 7. (9)

At this point my strap was 69 inches long.

Row 145: Ch 2. Turn. Instead of placing a dc in the same stitch, skip the next two stitches (dc and chain). Dc in the next stitch. *Ch 1. Insert hook in the same stitch. Yo and pull up a loop. Sk the next stitch. Dc in the next stitch.* Repeat from * to * two more times. (7, not counting chain 2 at the beginning of the row).

Row 146: Ch 2. Turn. Dc in the same stitch. *Ch 1. Insert hook in the same stitch. Yo and pull up a loop. Sk the next stitch. Dc in the next stitch.* Repeat from * to * two more times. (7)

Row 147: Ch 2. Turn. Instead of placing a dc in the same stitch, skip the next two stitches (dc and chain). Dc in the next stitch. *Ch 1. Insert hook in the same stitch. Yo and pull up a loop. Sk the next stitch. Dc in the next stitch.* Repeat from * to * one more time. (5, not counting chain 2 at the beginning of the row).

Row 148: Ch 2. Turn. Dc in the same stitch. *Ch 1. Insert hook in the same stitch. Yo and pull up a loop. Sk the next stitch. Dc in the next stitch.* Repeat from * to * one more time. (5)

Row 149: Ch 2. Turn. Instead of placing a dc in the same stitch, skip the next two stitches (dc and chain). Dc in the next stitch. Ch 1. Insert hook in the same stitch. Yo and pull up a loop. Sk the next stitch. Dc in the next stitch. (3, not counting chain 2 at the beginning of the row).

Row 150: Ch 2. Turn. Dc in the same stitch. Ch 1. Sl st to the last stitch of the row. (3)

Finish off and weave in ends.

Putting the panels together:

Lay the two panels on top of each other. Starting at one of the bottom corners, sc the two panels together along the bottom edge. When you get to the opposite corner, finish off, leaving a long tail. Use the tail and a yarn needle to whip stitch up the adjacent side.

Stop when you reach 3” from the top edge. Leave a 1 ½ ” opening and then whip stitch the remaining 1.5” to the top of the bag. This will leave an opening for the straps (see photo). Finish off and weave in ends. Using another piece of yarn and yarn needle, whip stitch the edges on the opposing side together as well. Leave the same 1 ½ ” opening.

If you don’t want to cut your yarn when creating the gap, you can discreetly weave the yarn down through one edge of the panel until you reach the end of the 1.5” gap, and then begin stitching the sides together again.

When finished, turn the bag inside out to hide seams.

Attaching the strap:

Fold the strap in half. Thread one end of the strap through one of the side openings, so that the center of the strap rests at the side opening. Carry the two ends of the strap to the opposite 1.5” opening. Put both ends through the opening. The top end should be about 3” through the opening and the back end should be about 8” (or more) through. Use the 8” end to tie a knot around both ends of the strap (see photos and video link if needed). If desired, sew the straps in place with some extra yarn.

You can find a video tutorial for this attaching the straps here:
https://youtu.be/akqNqY4Dl40

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Note: Feel free to sell finished products made with this pattern. If finished products are posted online, please include a reference/credit to this pattern, including a link. Do not distribute or claim the pattern as your own, or alter and use my photos to market your finished products.

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