Garden Party Bag

Created by Kathy’s Crochet Closet

www.kathyscrochetcloset.etsy.com

Hello! This is Kathy Olivarez, the designer behind Kathy’s Crochet Closet. I am so happy to be back on the Clover Blog today with a new crochet design: the Garden Party Bag!

Whether they are vintage style or boho style, bags with wooden handles are new again! I have noticed lots of retro handbags this season and I was inspired to create a modern take on a vintage look with the Garden Party Bag. It’s the perfect bag for a special summer event or a lunch with friends.

The bag is created from the top down by attaching the yarn to the round handles first, and then crocheting the bag from there. The openwork stitches and raised dots give an elegant look to the bag and an easy slip stitch seam finishes the bottom of the bag.

The hook I used for this project is my favorite Clover Amour hook in size G/4mm. I can crochet all day with these comfortable Amour hooks!  The yarn I used is Lion Brand 24/7 Cotton, a size 4 mercerized cotton yarn. The finished bag will measure approximately 10” high (excluding handles) by 10” wide.

Let’s get started!

Difficulty level: Easy (between beginner and intermediate)

 

Materials:

• Lion Brand 24/7 Cotton, medium weight (size 4), mercerized cotton yarn:  2 skeins Lilac or Bay Leaf
• Amour Crochet Hook G (4.0mm) Art. No 1045G
• Round Bag Handles – approx. 5.5 inches diameter; Panda Hall Wooden Purse Handles, Amazon.com
• Darning Needle Set Art. N0 339
• Patchwork Scissors Mini Art. No 493/CW

 

Abbreviations:

ch – chain

dc – double crochet

sc – single crochet

sc2tog – single crochet two together

sl st – slip stitch

st – stitch

sts – stitches

tr – treble crochet

 

Gauge:  11 rows of 9 sc = 2”

 

Pattern Notes

• Bag is crocheted top down. Yarn is attached to each handle with single crochet.
• The bag top is created in two separate pieces, then joined for the bag body.
• The bag body is done in joined, turned rounds. At the end of each round, turn the piece to work the next round.
• Join with slip stitch as indicated.
• The first stitch of the joined round is done at the base of the starting chain-one.

 

Stitch Notes

Single crochet join (sc join): Place slip knot on hook, insert hook in indicated stitch, yarn over and pull up a loop, yarn over and draw through both loops on hook.

Bag Instructions

Bag Top

Attach yarn to handle: With slip knot on hook, and working at the top of the round handle, sc join (see Stitch Notes) to the handle. With tight sts, work 30 sc on the handle, turn.  (31 sc) 

Here’s a tutorial: Garden Party Bag – Crocheting on Round Handles

 

Row 1: (WS) Ch 1, sc in each st across, turn.  (31 sc)

 

Row 2: (RS) Ch 4 (counts as dc and ch-1), skip a st, dc in next st, *ch 1, skip a st, dc in next st, repeat from * across, turn.  (16 dc, 15 ch-1 spaces)

 

Row 3: Ch 3 (counts as dc), dc in same st, *dc in next 3 sts (ch-1 space counts as a st, here and throughout), 2 dc in next st, repeat from * across to last 2 sts, dc in last 2 sts, turn. (39 dc)

 

Row 4:  Ch 5 (counts as tr and ch-1), skip a st, [tr in next st, ch 1, skip a st] 3 times, [dc in next st, ch 1, skip a st] 12 times, [tr in next st, ch 1, skip a st] 3 times, tr in last st, turn. (8 tr, 12 dc, 19 ch-1 spaces)

 

Row 5:  Ch 3 (counts as dc), dc in same st, dc in next 4 sts, 2 dc in next st, dc in next 4 sts, 2 dc in next st, dc in next 17 sts, 2 dc in next st, dc in next 4 sts, 2 dc in next st, dc in next 4 sts, 2 dc in last st, turn. (45 dc)

 

Row 6: Ch 5 (counts as tr and ch-1), skip a st, [tr in next st, ch 1, skip a st] 3 times, [dc in next st, ch 1, skip a st] 15 times, [tr in next st, ch 1, skip a st] 3 times, tr in last st, turn, fasten off. (8 tr, 15 dc, 22 ch-1 spaces)

 

Repeat with second handle

 

Bag Body

Arrange bag tops next to each other as pictured with right sides up (yarn tails from row 6 will be on the left of each piece).

 

Rnd 1: (RS) Sc join to first st on far right, sc across first bag top, continue on to second bag top, sc across second bag top, join to first sc on first bag top, turn (see Pattern Notes). (90 sc)

 

Rnd 2: Ch 1, sc in first st (see Pattern Notes) and in each st around, join to first st, turn.

 

Rnd 3: Ch 1, sc in first st and in each st around, join to first st, turn.

 

Rnd 4: Ch 1, sc in first 3 sts, tr in next st, *sc in next 4 sts, tr in next st, repeat from * around to last st, sc in last st, join to first st, turn. (72 sc, 18 tr)

 

Rnds 5-9: Ch 1, sc in first st and in each st around, join to first st, turn. (90 sc)

 

Rnd 10: Ch 1, sc in first 3 sts, tr in next st, *sc in next 4 sts, tr in next st, repeat from * around to last st, sc in last st, join to first st, turn. (72 sc, 18 tr)

 

Rnds 11-34: Repeat rounds 5-10 five times.

 

Rnd 35-36:  Ch 1, sc in first st and in each st around, join to first st, turn. (90 sc)

 

Rnd 37: Ch 1, sc in first 2 sts, sc2tog over next 2 sts, sc in next st, sc2tog over next 2 sts, sc in next 31 sts, sc2tog over next 2 sts, sc in next st, sc2tog over next 2 sts, sc in next 4 sts, sc2tog over next 2 sts, sc in next st, sc2tog over next 2 sts, sc in next 31 sts, sc2tog over next 2 sts, sc in next st, sc2tog over next 2 sts, sc in next 2 sts, join to first st, turn. (74 sc, 8 sc2tog)

 

Rnd 38: Ch 1, sc in first 2 sts, 2 sc2tog over next 4 sts, sc in next 31 sts, 2 sc2tog over next 4 sts, sc in next 2 sts, 2 sc2tog over next 4 sts, sc in next 31 sts, 2 sc2tog over last 4 sts, join to first st, turn. (66 sc, 8 sc2tog)

 

Rnd 39: Ch 1, sc in first st, sc2tog over next 2 sts, sc in next 31 sts, sC2tog over next 2 sts, sc in next 2 sts, sc2tog over next 2 sts, sc in next 31 sts, sc2tog over next 2 sts, sc in last st, join to first st, turn. (66 sc, 4 sc2tog)

 

Rnd 40: Ch 1, sc in first 2 sts, sc2tog over next 2 sts, sc in next 29 sts, sc2tog over next 2 sts, sc in next 2 sts, sc2tog over next 2 sts, sc in next 29 sts, sc2tog over last 2 sts, join to first st, do not fasten off. (62 sc, 4 sc2tog)

 

Bottom Seam

Turn bag inside out. Lay bag flat, with last st of round 40 on the right end of the bottom layer and matching sts on the 2 layers. Make seam as directed below. Here’s a tutorial: Garden Party Bag – Bottom Seam

 

Seam: Ch 1, working through both layers, sl st in each st, fasten off, weave in ends. (33 sl st)

 

I hope you love your new bag!

 

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 Garden Party Bag on social media!

 

Happy crocheting!