Nimbus Handbag | Easy Puff Stitch Bag Pattern

This easy puff stitch bag is a cute little statement piece! It’s large enough to fit over your shoulder, but not so big as to be a kitchen sink bag! The rows of puffy texture are reminiscent of the trendy cloud bags that are popular right now.

It works up super quickly in a size 5, chunky weight yarn. I would classify it as an advanced beginner pattern. It is mostly crocheted with single crochet and puff stitches.

What yarn is best for the Nimbus Handbag?

I specifically chose to use Caron Colorama Lacy for this bag because of it’s unique coloring. It is a weight 5 yarn, which means it is on the chunkier side. This meant it would add good depth and definition to the puff stitches. But the coloring is what really makes it special.

Colorama is a ribbon style yarn and it appears that the outer edges are stitched with a lighter color string that the inside layer of the ribbon. The effect is a sort of shimmery accent. It emphasizes the dimension of the yarn and has an elegant feel.

That being said, any size 5 yarn would work well for this pattern. My testers used quite a variety of chunky yarns and they all turned out very nicely. The Bernat Maker in particular has very nice stitch definition.

The Pattern

If you would like to purchase an inexpensive, ad-free printable pdf version of this easy puff stitch bag pattern, you can find it here at my Etsy shop.

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Materials:

• 258 Yards Caron Colorama Lacy weight 5 bulky (85% acrylic/ 15% nylon, 8oz/227g, 361yds/330m) Color: Aloe
• US K/ 6.5 mm Crochet Hook
• Yarn Needle
• Scissors
• Stitch Marker

Gauge:

After round 6, project should be approximately 12” wide and 3” tall

Finished Size:

12” wide x 8.5” tall (not including handles)

Abbreviation Key:

(yo) yarn over
(sk) skip
(st/ sts) stitch/ stitches
(ch) chain
(sl st) slip stitch
(sc) single crochet
Special Stitch: Puff Stitch
< > number of stitches in the round/ row
** [ ] Repeat instructions between asterisks or brackets as many times as directed

How to Crochet the Puff Stitch:

Yo. Insert hook. Yo and pull through the st. Yo. Insert hook in same st. Yo and pull up a loop. You will have 5 loops on your hook. Yo. Insert hook in same st. Yo and pull up a loop. You will have 7 loops on your hook. Yo and pull through all 7 loops on your hook. Ch 1 to finish off the st (this counts as part of the st).

When stitching or joining into a puff stitch, you will stitch into the ‘eye’ of the puff stitch. This is the small circle created by the final yarn over and pull through.

Pattern Notes:

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.

Chain at the start of a round does not count as a stitch.

Photos are included in the instructions for key points that are the most difficult. There are not photos for every step, so be sure to read the instructions carefully and refer to the photos for additional assistance. Any text on the photos is a repeat of what is in the written instructions to help you reference what step the photo relates to.

Pattern:

Round 1: Ch 25. Sc in 2nd ch from hook and next 22 chains. 4 Sc in last ch. Continue to crochet back down the other side of the starting chain. Sc in next 22 chains. 3 sc in last ch. Join with sl st to very first sc. <52>

Round 2: Ch 2. Puff in same st. Sk next st. [Puff in next st. Sk next st.] 11 times. [2 puff in next st. Sk next st.] 2 times. [Puff in next st. Sk next st.] 11 times. 2 puff in next st. Sk next st. 1 puff in same st as first puff. Join to first puff st (be sure to join into the eye of the puff stitch – see photo in stitch directions at beginning of pattern). <30 puffs>

Round 3: Ch 2. [Puff in space between puff sts. Sk Puff] 12 times. [2 puffs in next space between sts. Sk puff] 2 times. [Puff in next space between sts. Sk Puff] 13 times [2 puffs in next space between sts. Sk puff] 2 times. 1 last puff in join st. Join with sl st to eye of first puff. <34 puff>

Round 4: Ch 2. [Puff in space between sts. Sk puff] 13 times. [2 puffs in next space between sts. Sk puff] 2 times. [Puff in next space between sts. Sk puff] 15 times. [2 puffs in next space between sts. Sk puff] 2 times. Puff in next space between sts. Sk puff. 1 last puff in join st. Join with sl st to eye of first puff. <38 puff>

Round 5: Ch 2. [Puff in next space between sts. Sk puff] all around. Place final puff in join st. Join with sl st to eye of first puff. <38>

Rounds 6 – 12: Repeat Round 5.

Round 13: Ch 1. Sc in each space between sts and in each puff stitch around, starting with the puff you just chained out of and ending in the join stitch of previous round. Join with sl st to first sc. <76>

Rounds 14: Ch 1. Sc in each st around. Join with sl st to first sc. <76>

Rounds 15 – 20: Repeat Round 14.

Finish off and weave in ends.

Handle:

From final join, count to the right 22 stitches (not including join). Attach yarn.

Row 1: Ch 1. Sc in each of next 8 sts. <8>

Row 2: Ch 1. Turn. Sc in each st across. <8>

Rows 3 – 46 (or approximately 14”): Repeat Row 2.

From either the left or right side of strap, count 31 stitches around to the other side. Align the other end of the strap with stitches 31-38. Finish off the strap leaving a long tail. With the tail and a yarn needle whip stitch the strap to stitches 31-38 (make sure strap is not twisted). Tie off and weave in ends.

Count 10 stitches up the handle (from the purse body) Hold the edges of the handle together and using yarn needle and a long piece of yarn, whip stitch the long edges together until you get to the same stitch on the opposing side. Finish off and weave in ends.

PIN IT FOR LATER: