For the grocery store, farmer’s market, or even beach – these cotton mesh bags are incredibly useful, expandable, and durable. Plus they take up virtually no space when empty.
AND they’re super easy to crochet.
Update 11/2020: I’ve completely revamped this design, please see this new, still-free version with improved tutorials and sizes! 🙂 🙂
I posted this bag not long ago, and due to it’s popularity decided to publish the pattern. In the original post I mentioned that it’s made with cotton yarn upcycled from an old sweater – and so is this one!
For more information on getting your hands on recycled sweater yarn, see my definitive tutorial Everything You Need to Know to Start Recycling Sweater Yarn. You don’t need recycled yarn to make this bag, though – any cotton yarn will do.
Like Vickie Howell Cotton-ish for Bernat. Color shown is “Cotton Gin.”
Simple Stylish Market Bag pattern
Notes: The chain lengths at the beginning of rounds 1-7 DO NOT count as the first dc.
Gauge is not critical
3.75 crochet hook.
150 yards #3 weight cotton yarn – recycled yarn or store bought, like Bernat “Cotton-ish” pictured above.
Rnd 1: Ch 4. Dc 12 into the 4th ch from the hook, join with a sl st in the first dc. – 12 sts made
Rnd 2: Ch 3. 2 dc in the same stitch. 2 dc in ea of the next 11 sts. Join with a sl stitch to first dc. – 24 sts made
Rnd 3: Ch 3. 1 dc in the same stitch, 2 dc in the next stitch. (1 dc in the next st, 2 dc in the next st) rpt 11 times. Join with a sl st to first dc. – 36 sts made.
Rnd 4: Ch 3. 1 dc in the same stitch, 1 dc in the next stitch, 2 dc in the next stitch. (1 dc in each of the next 2 stitches, 2 dc in the next stitch) rpt 11 times. Join with a sl stitch. – 48 sts made
Rnd 5: Ch 3, 1 dc in the same stitch. 1 dc in each of the next 2 sts, 2 dc in the next st. (1 dc in each of the next 3 sts, 2 dc in the next stitch) rpt 11 times. Join with a sl stitch. – 60 sts made
Rnd 6: Ch 3, 1 dc in the same stitch. 1 dc in each of the next 3 sts, 2 dc in the next st. (1 dc in each of the next 4 sts, 2 dc in the next stitch) rpt 11 times. Join with a sl stitch. – 72 sts made.
Rnd 7: Ch 3, 1 dc in the same stitch. 1 dc in each of the next 4 sts, 2 dc in the next st. (1 dc in each of the next 5 sts, 2 dc in the next stitch) rpt 11 times. Join with a sl stitch. – 84 sts made.
Rnd 8: Sc in the same st as sl stitch join. (Ch 4, skip 2 sts. Sc in the next st) rpt 27 times around. Ch 2, hdc in the first sc of the round. This positions your hook in the middle of a ch-4 sized space.
Rnd 9: Sc in the same space. (Ch 4, sc in the next ch-4 space) rpt 27 times around. Ch 2, hdc in the first sc of the round.
Rnds 10-23: Rpt Rnd 9.
Rnd 24: 2 Sc in the same ch-4 sized space. 3 sc in ea of the next 27 ch-4 spaces. 1 sc in the next ch-4 space, join with a sl st to the first sc of the round.
Rnds 25 & 26: Sc in the same st as sl st join. 1 sc in each sc around, join with a slip stitch in the 1st sc of the round – 84 stitches.
Rnd 27: Ch 2 to begin a double chain (tutorial here), double chain 50 (or ch 50 normally if you prefer). Skip 22 sts of Round 26, sc in the next stitch (this creates a 22-stitch long gap between Rnd 26 and the double chain of Rnd 27, which will become your handle). 1 sc in each of the next 19 sts. Ch 2 to begin a double chain, make 50 double chain stitches (or ch 50 normally if you prefer). Skip 22 stitches of Rnd 26, sc in the next stitch. 1 sc in each of the next 18 sts. Sl st into the base of the handle chain (your first double chain). You should have 2 evenly placed 50-stitch long chain arcs.
Rnds 28 & 29: 1 sc in each st around, stitching into the double chains as a normal part of your round to form an unbroken, continuous stitch sequence between the bag and handle.
Cut yarn and weave in the ends using a tapestry needle.
Got questions or comments? Leave ’em!
-MF
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I realy love this bag! Think it would make for a nice gift also!
A longer one is pretty good for yoga mats too! 🙂 Thank you!
-MF
Hello! I was wondering if you have to use cotton for this bag? 🙂 Would it work okay in acrylic?
Yep, it would work just fine in acrylic! I prefer cotton for market bags simply because it stretches less than most other yarn fiber types, and holds up better to multiple washing than acrylics do. Hope that helps, let me know if you have any other questions 🙂
-MF
Awesome pattern! I’m going to make one of these for my sister’s birthday. Thank you!
My pleasure 🙂 If you get the inclination to take a picture, post it!
I have made this pattern 45 years ago .
Now , I’m not able to print it ; I don’t understand why ?
Thank you for the answer ! Jackie C.
If you are trying to print this pattern, I would recommend just copy the pattern part of this post and paste it to a word processing program. Unfortunately I don’t have a PDF version available at the moment!
-MF
These are so great! Thanks for sharing the pattern! I’ve been looking for one just like this and none were the same. My grandmother used to make these when I was little so it also brings back many good memories. She’s also who taught me how to crochet. I can’t wait to make one of these!
Awesome, so glad I could help! My grandma helped teach me to crochet too, but she was more into making big, thick afghans (they were the warmest!).
So cute….
I am stuck when I get ti row 27. I did the firs 50 double chain. I assume that is the beginning of the handle. When it says skip 20 is that on the bag or the double chain? Having trouble seeing how this works.
Yep, I can see how that would be confusing! So the directions should go : Double chain 50, skip 22 stitches of row 26 (Forming a gap between row 27 and row 26) and then work your next stitch into the 23st stitch from the beginning of your double chain. Your double chain of 50 should form a neat arc into which gets built stitched into as part of the round in the next few rounds.
I will edit the original post to make this more clear! Let me know if you have any more questions 🙂
-MF
Thank you for the pattern, I made myself a nice bag-for-things-I-usually-throw-on-the-stairs-before-taking-it-all-upstairs-at-once. Also really happy to learn about the double chain, it’s a useful one!
So glad you enjoyed it! Yes, I use the double chain pretty much all the time, so much easier than trying to single crochet into a regular chain.
-MF
Would you have the approximate size of this bag? I want to make one for my Grandma’s oxygen tank, so just curious to know how much extra yarn I’d need to make it big enough for the tank….
Thanks!
Using #3 weight cotton and the given size of the hook, my bag came out to about 12″ from center of the bottom to the top rim, unstretched (this is a gauge of 2″ in diameter for the first 2 rounds). The bag can stretch to about 15 inches in length when weighed with objects. The width is about a 14 inch circumference unstretched. Hope this helps!
-MF
Also if your Grandma plans on carrying the tank in the bag over her shoulder, you may want to consider making the handles longer – the handles on the finished bag are about 15″ long from end to end, which may be a bit small if the object inside the bag is large and bulky.
I made one yesterday and love the way it came out! But in row 8, the first row of loops, I got a grand total of 26 loops before I came to the Ch 2, DC. I don’t know if anyone else had this problem (it’s not really a problem lol, it’s a market bag so there is no “wrong” number of loops really lol). But I’m OCD about counting my stitches lol and I double counts everything on my first bag and thought maybe it was a fluke and now on my second it’s doing the exact same lol. I just thought I would mention it 😀 Also, I used Worsted Weight Cotton and an H (5.00mm) hook and I LOVE it! Where would you like me to share pictures?
Well, the first loop + 26 more + Ch 2, DC, just to clarify a little 😀
Yes! You are correct, there should be 28 total ch-4 size loops at the end of Round 8 (The first loop + 26 more + ch-2, dc). I have fixed the problem in the original post, plus added stitch counters in the first 8 rows for clarity’s sake. Again, thank you for the feedback and helping me fix that problem!
I would ADORE pictures Magenta! Interesting about the discrepancy, I am also OCD (especially with my patterns), so I will check it out ASAP and get back to you. Thanks so much for the feedback!
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Please help. ..this is my 2nd attempt at this bag because I love the look of it but I’m stuck! If at the end of round 8 you have 28 loops, (which I do), how do you end up with less loops in round 9?? Also, is the sc at the beginning of Rd 9 in the same stich as the ending DC in Rd 8, or just in the ending loop? Thanks!
The answer for Rnd 9 is that you don’t end up with less loops, it’s a typo! Thank you so much for catching that 🙂 Rnd 9 should read..
Rnd 9: Sc in the same space. (Ch 4, sc in the next ch-4 space) rpt 27 times around. Ch 2, dc in the first sc of the round.
Also, the “sc” at the beginning of each loop round is into the space of the loop, not the stitch of the last round. You could do it either way I guess but stitching into the loop space is probably sturdier.
Again, thanks for commenting and helping me improve this pattern! Hope the rest of your bag goes smoothly but if it doesn’t, please let me know.
-MF
Thank You so much!!! Cannot wait to finish it!!
Okay, so clearly I’m doing something wrong, so please help me out. Round 24 says to put 4 sc in each of the next 25 ch-4 spaces – that’s 100 sc.
In Rnds 25 & 26, it says sc in each sc around, and it says you should have 79 stitches. How do you go from 100 stitches in Round 24 to 79 stitches in Rnd 25?
Nope, you weren’t doing anything wrong. I took a look at Round 24 and it was wrong – and have updated the pattern to solve that! It should have been 3 stitches in each ch-4 loop. Thank you so much for letting me know!
Okay, due to the number of comments from people having trouble with this pattern, I have re-worked the entire pattern and hopefully everything is correct and the numbers all add up now. I have also updated the PDF on Ravelry to reflect these changes. Sorry for the rocky start, I guess I was still flexing my pattern muscles when I wrote this, lol!
How can i post a pic?
For some reason I don’t think WordPress lets you post pictures to comments, but you can send me pics at http://www.facebook.com/MoraleFiber or to my e-mail at moralefiber@yahoo.com! If you’re okay with me sharing it on social media let me know!
I had a question for row eight finishing it do it first half double into the stitch then the chain space.
Hi Rachel, I answered your question via the e-mail you sent me! 🙂
I’m not understanding the end of round 8 after the 27th repeat. Any help?
Hi Lisa! Basically you are creating a half-double crochet to stand in for the rest of the chain length that would normally go there. So instead of chaining the last 2 sts (since you’ve already chained two) you will work a half double in the next sc. Your hook will end up positioned between 2 chain stitches and a sideways-leaning hdc – this is the apex of the final chain space.
You start the next round working into the space underneath the side of the hdc as if it were the space underneath regular chain stitches. Does that make sense?
The alternative would be to finish the entire chain and join by slip stitching in the first sc of the round, but then you would have to slip stitch to get to the top of the next chain space, which I usually find difficult and messy looking which is why I almost always use this method instead 🙂
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