Who else loves to crochet bags? I have a fun and free crochet bag pattern for you today, made with a fun stitch and bulky yarn. The Henrietta Tote is a great winter accessory to add to your wardrobe. This two tone bag is inspired by totes with leather bases and straps. Do you ever see a purse and think to yourself, how can I make this a crochet bag? I do all the time! That’s how the Henrietta Tote was born.
Lately I’ve really been wanting to use the herringbone single crochet stitch. It has such a gorgeous texture that is perfect for winter. If you’ve never used this stitch, don’t worry! A full video tutorial of the herringbone single crochet is below.
The Yarn
For this project, I wanted to use a sturdy bulky weight yarn. My friends at WeCrochet have a great selection, so after some browsing I chose Brava Bulky. It’s a 100% acrylic yarn that has a lot of spring to it. It’s easy to work with, and the bulky weight works up so quickly! One of my favorite things about this yarn is that it comes in a ton of colors! I chose Brindle for the bag base and handles, and Mulberry for the body of the tote. It would also look stunning in a neutral palette or a bold bright. The options are really endless and only limited by your imagination!
The Stitch
Herringbone single crochet is really a simple stitch once you get the hang of it! I’ve included a full video tutorial below of the stitch.
RS: Sc 1, insert the hook, right to left, through the leftmost vertical bar of the previous sc, insert into the next st and pull up a loop, yarn over and pull through all three loops on the hook.
WS: Working from back to front, sc 1, insert the hook through the leftmost vertical bar on the backside of work from right to left, insert the hook into the next st from back to front, yarn over, pull up a loop (keep your working yarn in the front of your work), yarn over and pull through all three loops on the hook.
The Pattern
The full free pattern is available below, but you can also find an ad free, low cost PDF in my Ravelry and Etsy shops! You can also pin this post for later!
Materials
WeCrochet Brava Bulky, Brindle – 2 balls, Mulberry – 2 balls, or comparable bulky (5) weight yarn
H (5 mm) crochet hook
I (5.5 mm) crochet hook, or size needed to get gauge.
Locking stitch marker
Gauge:
9 hsc x 5 rows = 2”
Pattern Notes:
- The base of the bag is worked in continuous rounds.
- Body of the bag is worked in joined and turned rounds.
- Straps are made separately and sewn onto the bag.
- Herringbone single crochet is a two row repeat.
- Mark the beginning of each round with a stitch marker, and move it each subsequent round.
Abbreviations (US Terms):
mc magic circle
ch chain
sc single crochet
hsc herringbone single crochet
2tog two together (decrease)
slst slip stitch
st(s) stitch(es)
RS right side
WS wrong side
* * repeat instructions between asterisks as many times as directed
Base:
With Brindle, and H hook, mc.
Round 1: Sc 6 in mc, mark last st with sm. <6> sc
Round 2: 2sc in each st around. <12> sc
Round 3: *Sc 1, 2sc in next*, repeat from * to * around. <18> sc
Round 4: *Sc 2, 2sc in next*, repeat from * to * around. <24> sc
Round 5: *Sc 3, 2sc in next*, repeat from * to * around. <30> sc
Round 6: *Sc 4, 2sc in next*, repeat from * to * around. <36> sc
Round 7: *Sc 5, 2sc in next*, repeat from * to * around. <42> sc
Round 8: *Sc 6, 2sc in next*, repeat from * to * around. <48> sc
Round 9: *Sc 7, 2sc in next*, repeat from * to * around. <54> sc
Round 10: *Sc 8, 2sc in next*, repeat from * to * around. <60> sc
Round 11: *Sc 9, 2sc in next*, repeat from * to * around. <66> sc
Round 12: *Sc 10, 2sc in next*, repeat from * to * around. <72> sc
Round 13: *Sc 11, 2sc in next*, repeat from * to * around. <78> sc
Round 14: *Sc 12, 2sc in next*, repeat from * to * around. <84> sc
Round 15: *Sc 13, 2sc in next*, repeat from * to * around. <90> sc
Round 16: *Sc 14, 2sc in next*, repeat from * to * around. <96> sc
Round 17: *Sc 15, 2sc in next*, repeat from * to * around. <102> sc
Round 18: *Sc 16, 2sc in next*, repeat from * to * around. <108> sc
Round 19: *Sc 17, 2sc in next*, repeat from * to * around. <114> sc
Round 20: *Sc 18, 2sc in next*, repeat from * to * around. <120> sc
Round 21: Sc in each st around. <120> sc
Body:
With I hook.
Round 1: RS Hsc in each st around, join with a slst to first st, ch 1, turn. <120 hsc>
Round 2: WS Hsc in each st around, join with a slst to first st, ch 1, turn. <120 hsc>
Rounds 3 – 4: Repeat rounds 1 – 2. <120 hsc>
Cut Brindle, attach Mulberry.
Rounds 5 – 24: Repeat rounds 1 – 2. <120 hsc>
Round 25: *Sc 8, sc2tog*, repeat from * to * around, join with a slst to first st, ch 1, turn. <108 sc>
Round 26: Sc in each st around, join with a slst to first st.
Break yarn and weave in ends.
Straps (make 2):
With Brindle and H hook, ch 7.
Row 1: Sc in 2nd ch from hook and each ch across, ch 1, turn.
Rows 2 – 129: Sc in each st across, ch 1, turn.
Row 130: Sc in each st across, break yarn leaving a yarn tail.
Assembly
Attach straps to body of bag, using locking stitch markers. The ends should align with the color change row. Sew on using your long tail of yarn, working all around the base of the strap.
Weave in all ends.
