Crochet a string bag you can stuff in your pocket
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Reusable bags - their time has come!
A few years ago, when I got really sick of all the plastic bags in the house, I decided to work up my own pattern for a crocheted string bag, and I'll share it with you below. You can make it out of any kind of string or yarn - I've even made them out of buttonhole thread.
This is a picture of my daughter coming back from the grocery store with me in Paris. She pulled my string bag out of her purse and put two big bottles of soda, a bottle of milk, and two boxes of crackers into it.
My crocheted string bag pattern
Use size G (4 mm) crochet hook with cotton yarn, buttonhole thread or Serilon 20
- Chain 6 and slip stitch into a circle;
- Eighteen double crochet (dc) into the circle;
- {(dc) and chain one} into each of the 18 dc of the previous row;
- {dc, chain one} TWICE into each of the holes made by the chain stitches of the previous row - you now have 36 dcs and holes;
- {single crochet (sc), chain four} into each of the 36 holes in previous row;
- {sc, chain four} into each hole for 14 rows;
- {dc, chain two} into each hole for 2 rows;
- {two dcs in each hole} for nine holes only! then:
- chain 24, turn around, and slip attach to other end of the nine holes you just put two double crochets into;
- turn around one more time and {double crochet into two chains, skip one} 16 times. You now have 16 double crochets on the handle. The reason you skip one chain out of every three is that otherwise it gets too tight;
- Leaving that handle behind and continuing in the direction you were originally going: {dc, chain two} into nine holes only;
- repeat the previous steps 8-11 and you should be back where you started;
- dc into each of the 16 dcs of the handle;
- {dc, chain two} into nine holes;
- repeat steps 13-14,
- Now go all the way around again with double crochet (this softens the handles and reinforces the sides), slip chain into a couple more stitches, and you're done.
One bag should take 2-3 hours depending on your speed and anxiety level. Be sure not to collapse (tighten) the stitches too much.
You can use a larger hook (I've used up to size I, 5.5 mm) to make a bigger bag with no extra effort.
The handles are pretty long: sometimes I make shorter ones, but the longer ones are easier to tie together when you put your bags full of stuff in the trunk of your car - otherwise the stuff can roll out!
You can finish one or two of these in the airport and on the airplane
You can do it when you're nervous. You don't have to stop when they say "turn off electronic devices."
Here one of the bags is hanging on the doorknob with all our recycling in it. Look how many bottles fit inside!
The best thing about this project is, you can do it while you wait for the plane; while you watch tv or listen to music; while you're waiting in line at the cellphone store. Crocheting is easier to carry around than knitting because there's only one loop to fall off and it's easy to catch it.
I made one of these on the way to Paris and another one on the way home. Even more soothing than valium!
Here's the one I made on the way home from Bulgaria ...
This version of the bag is smaller than the other one (just do fewer rows of single-crochet/chain 4). I made it out of my favorite yarn for this project.
Unfortunately, this yarn, which is called Serilon (100% CF nylon), is hard to come by. I just looked it up here: it's made by ÖZEN ÍPLÍK and I bought it just outside the grand bazaar in Istanbul. It's soft, very colorful, and incredibly strong.
Even though there are miles of line on each spool, I like the stuff so much I wish I had more. If you know somewhere else it can be purchased please let me know!
A reader, Sofia, made this bag and sent me a picture!
Aww, hers is much prettier than mine...
She writes: This is my 1st bag..I used Bernat Handicrafter Cotton & a size 4 hook.The bag is holding a 10lbs. bag of rice & still room for another!
The next one I'm working on is the same thread but using a size 5 hook... will be quite a bit bigger... nice!!
Thanks, Sofia!!!
How to chain
You "chain 6" to start my bag, and you "single crochet one, chain four" many times.
Here's what looks like a post-war crocheted bag pattern
Some other "Do It Yourself" Lenses
Do you make, own, and/or use mesh bags? What do you think?
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Kimbesa
Jan 15, 2011 @ 9:42 pm | delete
- Wonderful! This lens will certainly get me back into crochet. Thanks...and **angel blessed**!
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JaguarJulie
Sep 9, 2010 @ 10:26 am | delete
- Oh wow! My Hungarian grandma had several of these. I don't make any bags like this, but I did purchase several crochet bags last year which kind of remind me of the string bags.
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BigGirlBlue
Apr 22, 2010 @ 1:28 pm | delete
- Back again! You have a lovely lens and it has been blessed.
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skiesgreen
Nov 26, 2009 @ 2:24 pm | delete
- This is a great lens. I stopped using plastic bags months ago because I take a trolley with it and bags are unnecessary but I now have the urge to make some crocheted ones. Well done and thanks for sharing. 5* and fave
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BigGirlBlue
Nov 19, 2009 @ 10:48 pm | delete
- Excellent! A quick and easy project. Great for leftovers! I'm going to lensroll this to my eco friendly bags lens. Thanks for stopping by my eye surgery lens.
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Musician in Chapel Hill with two bands: Mappamundi, a world music - klezmer - swing band, and the Pratie Heads, a Celtic - British Isles - early music... more »
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