For a couple of years after completing my college degree I had fallen out of the habit of reading just for fun, but lately I have gotten my old enthusiasm back in a big way! I remember having my head buried in a book whenever the slightest opportunity arose growing up, and that love for literature stuck with me into adulthood, although the opportunities became a little harder to come by 😉

Since renewing my reading habits I find myself haunting the local book shop and hunting through the bookshelves at thrift stores, much in need of a sturdy tote bag to stash my new finds. I imagined a cute striped number JUST big enough for a few fat books and some little extras as a companion to my bookstore-café days.

Get the written pattern for the Journée Tote bag exclusively in my pattern shops via Ravelry, Etsy, or Ko-Fi now – or keep reading for more details on the design and how to get this new pattern on sale!

The Journée Tote was named after the French word for day, as I imagined it holding my books and journals during my journeys through the bookstores and cafés du jour. This sturdy bag is densely stitched in simple single crochet, using sleek mercerized cotton yarn in rich colors to create a pretty and modern piece that steals the show from flat white canvas alternatives!

With customizable strap length and optional button fastening, this bag can go anywhere from the campus to the coast and keep your belongings safe at your side – the tight stitch structure means no fabric lining is needed to keep even small objects from falling through!

The written pattern includes detailed, step-by-step instructions with accompanying tutorial photos, all numbered and referenced. Follow the exact color instructions to make the bag pictured, or customize your own colored stripe scheme to match your wardrobe – also makes a good project for using up scraps of #4 weight cotton yarn.

Materials:
3.5 mm hook (or size needed to obtain gauge)
Lion Brand 24/7 cotton (#4 weight, 100% mercerized cotton, 3.5 oz / 186 yd)
– Café au lait: 2 skeins, Main Color
– Dragonfly: less than (<) half a skein, Color 1
– Purple: < half a skein, Color 2
– Magenta: < half a skein, Color 3
– Rose: < half a skein, Color 4
– Bay Leaf: < half a skein, Color 5
– Hay Bale: < half a skein, Color 6
– Amber: < half a skein, Color 7

Scissors, tapestry needle
4-6 Locking stitch markers
.5” – .75” button (optional) – be sure your tapestry needle can fit inside the hole/s in the button!

Yarn note: Some color amounts are very small and can be skipped/substituted if you want to reduce the number of skeins you have to buy! This pattern is good for using scraps, but make sure the yarns are #4 weight mercerized cotton to maintain the uniform look.

Finished Measurements:
Main Body Width – 12”
Main Body Length – 12”
Strap Length: ~ 20”- 25” – notes for altering the length of strap are included in the instructions

Language: English (Using US crochet terminology)

Because we all need more money for novels and hot beverages, I’m offering the Journée Bag pattern PDF at an introductory sale price of just $5 exclusively through my Ko-Fi shop until March 8! I also have a few RARE actual items still for sale in there including an original Pixie Pocket Belt 🙂 You can also get this pattern on a deal by using my multi-pattern discount codes on Ravelry or Etsy – just add the code at checkout, the more patterns you buy the better the sale!
Discount Codes:
15% off of 2: MF15OFF
20% off of 3-4: MF20OFF
25% off of 5-6: MF25OFF
30% off of 7+: MF30OFF

The winter months have been quiet and dreamy for me but the days are growing longer and I look forward to all the fresh new stitches I’ve got in store to share – be sure to show me what you’ve been hooking up on Instagram by tagging @moralefiber, I adore seeing all the variety of projects made from my patterns!

-MF