Free Crochet Tote Bag Pattern

Bobble Stitch Crochet Tote Bag

A Pattern by Savlabot Handmade Crafts

Written in US terms | Copyright 2021

This pattern and the pictures are property of Savlabot and may not be shared or sold. You are welcome to sell finished products that are made using this pattern, but please link pattern/blog post to Savlabot as the author or the pattern link in your description and use pictures you have taken yourself if posting in an online marketplace such as Etsy. If you share on social media please tag me with @savlabot and use #savlabot. 

Thank you.

The perfect little grab and go project tote bag, holds a WIP, a notebook or tablet and can easily be adjusted to different sizes.

This tote bag is crocheted by holding 2 strands of cotton worsted weight yarn. The yarn used in this post is Caron Cotton Cakes, though the pattern works up really well using Bernat Maker Home Dec yarn single stranded.

This pattern is also available as a PDF in my Etsy Shop

1 skein/cake Worsted Weight 4 Yarn (held double stranded) or a size 5 Bulky Yarn  used Caron Cotton Cakes (4) and Bernat Maker Home Dec Yarn (5)

US J 6mm Crochet Hook

Darning or Yarn Needle

Yardage:

430 yards or so Bulky Yarn (1 skein Bernat Maker) 1000 yards Worsted Weight (2 Cakes Caron Cotton Cakes)

Terms:

bobble = 3 double crochet bobble stitch

blsc = back loop single crochet      

ch = chain

dc = double crochet

hdc = half double crochet

rep = repeat

sc = single crochet

slst = slip stitch

st(s) = stitch(es)  

Yo = yarn over hook

When I crochet double stranded I like to buy 2 skeins or cakes where the center of the yarn is the same color if it is a striped yarn in the case of the Caron Cotton Cakes that I am using, then I pull from the center of each cake.

The chain stitches in this pattern sometimes count as a stitch. ONLY on the 2 repeat rounds you will use the ch2s as part of the stitches in the rows.

Starting with Color A, make a foundation chain of 33.

Round 1: sc into the 2nd ch from the hook and each chain until end of row. Continue to the unworked edge of the foundation chain. 1 sc into each chain across. Join round with a slst. (64)

Rounds 2-9: ch1, sc into each st across, join round with a slst. (64)

Round 10 – If adding a 2nd color switch to color B: ch1, blsc into each st across, join round with a slst. (64)

Round 11- Color A: ch2, skip the next st, work 1 sc into the next st, * ch1, skip the next st, work 1 sc into the next st, rep from * to last  st, ch1, skip the last st, join round with a slst. (32sc sts, 32 ch1 spaces)

Round 12: ch2, 1 bobble into the ch1 space (the space between each sc) until last space. In the last space do a partial bobble. join round with a slst into the space between the ch2 and the first bobble. (32 ch1 spaces)

A partial bobble is everything up to the last yarn over in the bobble stitch In this pattern the ch2 is part of the last bobble stitch, this is why you do a partial bobble  and leave off the ch1 for the last bobble of the round.

Round 13: ch2, work 1 sc into the space between the bobble * ch1, work 1 sc into the space between the bobble, rep from * to the last bobble, ch1, join round with a slst. (32 ch1 spaces)

Rounds 14-19: Repeat rounds 12 & 13, or repeat until work reaches desired length. I like to make mine about 10″ – 10.5″ or so.

Restart round counts.

Round 1: ch1, blsc across. Work your blsc into the back loop of the st on top of each bobble and the ch1 space between (64)

Round 2: ch1, sc into each st across, join round with a slst. (64)

Round 3 – 5: repeat round 2.

If adding rope handles, see rope handle instructions in next section.

Round 6: continue with Color A or switch to Color B, sc into each stitch across. (64)

Round 7: ch1, sc into the next 8 sts. Ch 45, skip 16 sts, sc into the next 16 sts. Ch45, skip 16 sts, sc into the next 8 sts, join round with a slst. (122 sts, 32 sc sts, 90 chains) 

Round 6: ch1, sc into each st, and each of the ch1 sts. join round with a slst. (122)

Round 7 – 9: sc into each st across. (122)

Round 10: slst into each sts across.

Cut yarn and weave in all loose yarn tails.

Round 6: continue with Color A or switch to Color B, sc into each stitch across. (64)

Round 7-9: continue with Color A or switch to Color B, sc into each stitch across. (64)

Round 10: slst into each sts across.

Cut yarn and weave in all loose yarn tails.

Make a crochet cord. Add handles by threading the crochet cord through the space between 2 sc stitches. I counted 8 sc from each side of the bag when laid flat. Knot each end.

I use this method to make my cord How to make a crochet cord .You can use any similar style cord too.

Working the Back Loop Single Crochet (blsc)

The yellow highlighted section of the stitch is the back loop of the single crochet stitch from the previous round. You will be working the single crochet stitches for round 21 into the back loop.

Watch a video on how to complete the BLSC: BLSC VIDEO

Working the Bobble Stitch (bobble)

1. Yo and draw up a loop, yo and draw through 2 loops on hook. 2. Repeat 3 times, you will end with 4 loops on your hook. 3. Yo and draw through all 4 loops on hook, ch 1 to complete bobble.

The last bobble of each round is a partial bobble, the ch2 at the beginning of the round is part of the last bobble. On the last bobble you want to Yo and draw up a loop, yo and draw through 2 loops on hook. Repeat 2 times, you will end with 3 loops on your hook.  Yo and draw through all 3 loops on hook, slst to join in the round. You do not use a ch1 at the end of the last bobble, instead you will slst to bring the ch2 in to complete the last bobble.

If you have the time I would appreciate it if you would visit my Etsy Shop, sales on tags and other printables such as the full PDF version of this cup sleeve set and vegan suede tags seen in this post help me out a lot so that I can keep up with this blog. I choose to not have pop up ads, I love not having ads all over my site, I don’t want to add ads other than a few affiliate links here and there to my posts as I think ads really ruin the viewing experience. I am hoping if I can continue to make sales in my Etsy Shop to help me with my finances I can continue to add freebies to my site.