Hello! This is Kathy Olivarez, the designer behind Kathy’s Crochet Closet. I am so excited to be on the Clover Blog today with a new crochet design: the Summer Slice Drawstring Bag!
I love drawstring bags. They are so practical to carry (especially in the summer), and so fun to make. And if they are cute and colorful, even better! The colors of this bag were inspired by the citrus colors of summer and the spike stitch stripes just seem to fade into each other. The simple drawstring doubles as a crossbody strap and the tassels at the ends of the drawstrings are the perfect finishing touch!
The hooks I used for this project are my favorite Clover Amour hooks in size 7 and K. These hooks feel great in your hand and your yarn will glide so smoothly! The yarn I used for the bag is Omega Sinfonia, a size 3 mercerized cotton.
The finished measurements of your bag will be approximately 10” high and 9.5” wide. If you choose to use a size 4 yarn, you will want to go up a hook size and your bag will be slightly larger.
Let’s get started!
Difficulty level: Easy (between beginner and intermediate)
Materials:
- Light/DK weight (size 3) mercerized cotton yarn: Omega Sinfonia used in project (1 skein each of #863 Camel (Camello), #816 Teal (Azul Nordico), #819 Light Olive (Olivo Intense), #869 Gold (Oro), and #842 Cinnamon (Canela)
- Amour Crochet Hook 7 (4.5mm) Art. No 1046/7
- Amour Crochet Hook K (6.5mm) Art. No 1053/K
- Quick Locking Stitch Markers (Medium) Art. No 3031
- Darning Needle Set Art. No 339
- Patchwork Scissors Mini Art. No 493/CW
Light/DK weight (size 3) mercerized cotton yarn: Omega Sinfonia used in project
Gauge: With size 7 hook, 10 rows of 9 sc = 2”
Stitches:
- cc join – color change join (see Stitch Notes)
- ch – chain
- chs – chains
- sc – single crochet
- sl st – slip stitch
- spike st – spike stitch (see Stitch Notes)
- st – stitch
- sts – stitches
Pattern Notes:
- Use a stitch marker to mark first stitch in round and move marker up as you work each round.
- Rounds 4-5 are worked in joined rounds. Round 4 has an extra slip stitch after the joining stitch.
- Join with slip stitch as indicated unless otherwise stated.
- Rounds 6-61 are worked in joined, turned rounds. Remaining rounds are not turned.
- Color changes are worked in the joining slip stitch at the end of a round (see Stitch Notes).
Stitch Notes:
Color Change Join (cc join): Drop old color to wrong side, insert hook in indicated stitch and yarn over with new color, pull through work and loop on hook.
Spike Stitch (spike st): Insert hook into next stitch (2 rounds below the current round), yarn over, pull up a loop that is the same height as your current row, yarn over, pull through both loops on hook.
Pattern Stitches: these three rounds will be referred to by their letter name in the pattern.
Round A – Ch 1, sc in first st, spike st in next st (2 rounds below, see Stitch Notes), *sc in next st, spike st in next st, repeat from * around, join to first st, turn. (40 sc, 40 spike st)
Round B – Ch 1, sc in first st and in each st around, join to first st, turn. (80 sc)
Round C – Ch 1, spike st in first st, sc in next st, * spike st in next st, sc in next st, repeat from * around, join to first st, turn. (40 spike st, 40 sc)
Bag Instructions:
Starting chain: With Camel and size 7 hook, ch 33.
Rnd 1: 2 sc in second ch from hook (place stitch marker in first st, see Pattern Notes), sc in next 30 chs, 4 sc in last ch, now working on opposite side of starting chain, sc in next 30 chs, 2 sc in last ch. (68 sc)
Rnd 2: Sc in first st, 2 sc in next st, sc in next 30 sts, 2 sc in next st, sc in next 2 sts, 2 sc in next st, sc in next 30 sts, 2 sc in next st, sc in last st. (72 sc)
Rnd 3: Sc in first st, 2 sc in next st, sc in next 32 sts, 2 sc in next st, sc in next 2 sts, 2 sc in next st, sc in next 32 sts, 2 sc in next st, sc in last st. (76 sc)
Rnd 4: Sc in first st, 2 sc in next st, sc in next 34 sts, 2 sc in next st, sc in next 2 sts, 2 sc in next st, sc in next 34 sts, 2 sc in next st, sc in last st, join (see Pattern Notes) to first st, sl st in next st (see Pattern Notes). (80 sc)
Rnd 5: Ch 1, sc in each st around, cc join (see Stitch Notes) to first st with Teal. (80 sc)
Rnds 6-7: Ch 1, sc in each st around, join to first st, turn.
Rnd 8: Work Round A (see Pattern Stitches).
Rnd 9: Ch 1, sc in each st around, cc join to first st with Light Olive, turn.
Rnds 10-61: These rounds are worked in the colors and Pattern Stitches as indicated (changing colors in the last joining stitch of the previous color):
- Rounds 10-15: Light Olive – C, B, A, B, C, B
- Rounds 16-19: Gold – A, B, C, B
- Rounds 20-23: Cinnamon – A, B, C, B
- Rounds 24-27: Teal – A, B, C, B
- Rounds 28-33: Gold – A, B, C, B, A, B
- Rounds 34-37: Light Olive – C, B, A, B
- Rounds 38-41: Cinnamon – C, B, A, B
- Rounds 42-45: Gold – C, B, A, B
- Rounds 46- 51: Teal – C, B, A, B, C, B
- Rounds 52-55: Light Olive – A, B, C, B
- Rounds 56-59: Gold – A, B, C, B
- Rounds 60-61: Cinnamon – A, B
Rnd 62: Continuing with Cinnamon, ch 1, spike st in first st, sc in next st, * spike st in next st, sc in next st, repeat from * around, join to first st, do not turn. (40 spike st, 40 sc)
Rnd 63: Ch 1, sc in each st around, cc join to first st with Camel. (80 sc)
Rnd 64: Ch 1, sc in each st around, join to first st.
Rnd 65: The drawstring holes are created in this round. Ch 1, sc in first 5 sts, ch 1, skip a st, sc in next 4 sts, ch 1, skip a st, sc in next 4 sts, ch 1, skip a st, sc in next 8 sts, ch 1, skip a st, sc in next 4 sts, ch 1, skip a st, sc in next 4 sts, ch 1, skip a st, sc in next 10 sts, ch 1, skip a st, sc in next 4 sts, ch 1, skip a st, sc in next 4 sts, ch 1, skip a st, sc in next 8 sts, ch 1, skip a st, sc in next 4 sts, ch 1, skip a st, sc in next 4 sts, ch 1, skip a st, sc in last 5 sts, join to first st. (68 sc and 12 ch-1 spaces)
Rnd 66: Ch 1, sc in each st and ch-1 space around, join to first st. (80 sc)
Rnds 67-69: Ch 1, sc in each st around, join to first st. Fasten off after round 69. Weave in ends with darning needle.
Drawstring/Strap
- Cut four 9-yard lengths of Camel and roll each length into a ball.
- With size K hook and holding four strands together, make a slip knot leaving 6” inch yarn tails.
- Ch 210, tightly. Check your work every 10 stitches or so to make sure the 4 strands are working evenly.
- The finished chain should measure about 1 yard and 26 inches unstretched.
- Fasten off leaving 6” yarn tails.
- Weave the drawstring through the holes in the bag as shown, beginning and ending in the two holes at the center front.
- The strap is formed by the drawstring coming up through the two center holes on the back of the bag.
- Knot the two ends of the drawstring/strap in an overhand knot in the front of the bag, leaving the ends about 6” or 7” long.
- Cinch the top of the bag by pulling on the strap.
Tassels
- Cut fifteen 6” lengths of Camel yarn.
- Center the yarn lengths at the bottom of a drawstring end and use the 4 yarn tails (2 in each hand) to make a tight knot around the center of the yarn bundle.
- Fold down the yarn to make a tassel shape.
- Using a 12-14” length of a contrasting color of yarn, wrap yarn tightly around tassel about ½” down from the top of the tassel.
- Thread the end of the wrapped yarn through darning needle and secure end of yarn by pushing the needle down through the center of the tassel. Repeat with the other yarn tail. Trim ends of yarn tails with scissors.
- Trim the ends of the tassel evenly with scissors.
- Repeat for the second tassel on the other drawstring end.
I hope your bag turns out great!
If you have any questions, you can connect with me on Instagram, Facebook or Pinterest. And if you’d like an ad-free PDF of this pattern, you can find it at a low cost on Etsy and Ravelry. Be sure to tag kathyscrochetcloset and Clover USA when you share your Summer Slice Drawstring Bag on social media!
Happy crocheting!
