Covid Crafts

Last night I finished a woollen shopping basket (didn’t want to use up my cotton yarn, but also thinking of future bags to be made using Bernera wool)
Anyway, I used a free pattern which you will find below.
Here is the picture of the finished item.
It now holds the yarn for another project (linen yarn crocheted cardie)
PS. No, Sam, it is not a hat

The bag has a solid base
You will need:

2 x balls / 200g of aran/worsted weight yarn (4 ply wool, I used brown 4-ply + a multi-colour thin yarn – gives the changing colours in the bag)
4.5mm crochet hook
scissors for snipping threads

Abbreviations (please note that we are using UK crochet terminology)

ch – chain
dc – double crochet (US equivalent: single crochet)
tr – treble crochet (US equivalent: double crochet)
st – stitch
sl st – slip stitch
rnd – round

The base of the bag

  • Start by making a magic circle / sliding loop. (or 6 chains and join up with a slip stitich)
  • Rnd 1 – ch 3 (counts as 1st tr), 11 tr into the ring, pull the tail to close the ring tight. Join with a sl st to top of ch3 (12 tr).
  • Rnd 2 – ch 3 (counts as 1st tr), tr in same st, 2 tr in each tr around, join with a sl st to top of ch3 (24 tr).
  • Rnd 3 – ch 1 (counts as 1st dc), dc in same st, ch 2 and skip 1 tr, *dc in next tr, ch 2, skip 1 tr; repeat from *. Join with a sl st to 1st dc.
  • Rnd 4 – ch 3 (counts as 1st tr), 3 tr in next ch2 space, *tr in next dc, 3 tr in next ch2 space; repeat from *. Join with a sl st to top of 1st ch3.
  • Rnd 5 – same as rnd 3
  • Rnd 6 – ch 3 (counts as 1st tr), 2 tr in next ch2 space, *tr in next dc, 2 tr in next ch2 space; repeat from *. Join with a sl st to top of 1st ch3.


The net body of the bag

  • Rnd 7 – ch 1 (counts as dc), *ch 3, skip 1 tr, dc in next tr; repeat from *. Join with a sl st in 1st ch1.
  • Rnds 8-9 – sl st over to the centre of the 1st ch3 space, *ch4, dc in next ch3 space; repeat from *. Join with a sl st at the base of the first chain loop.
  • Rnds 10-12 – sl st over to the centre of the 1st ch4 space, *ch 5, dc in next ch4 space; repeat from *. Join with a sl st at the base of the first chain loop.
  • Rnds 13-16 – sl st over to the centre of the 1st ch5 space, *ch 6, dc in next ch5 space; repeat from *. Join with a sl st at the base of the first chain loop.
    I kept going with 6 chains to make the bag a bit deeper, rather than wider at the top. 
  • Rnds 17-20 – sl st over to the centre of the 1st ch6 space, *ch 7, dc in next ch6 space; repeat from *. Join with a sl st at the base of the first chain loop.
  • Rnds 21-24 – sl st over to the centre of the 1st ch7 space, *ch 8, dc in next ch7 space; repeat from *. Join with a sl st at the base of the first chain loop.
  • Rnds 25-27 – sl st over to the centre of the 1st ch8 space, *ch 9, dc in next ch8 space; repeat from *. Join with a sl st at the base of the first chain loop.

    The top edge border
  • Rnd 28 – sl st over to the centre of the 1st ch9 space, dc, *ch 2, 1 dc in next ch9 space; repeat from * over the next 7 ch9 spaces, *ch 4, dc in next ch9 space; repeat from * over the next 9 ch9 spaces, *ch 2, 1 dc in next ch9 space; repeat from * over the next 7 ch9 spaces, *ch 4, dc in next ch9 space; repeat from * over the next 9 ch9 spaces, join with a sl st to 1st dc. This results in two sections of the bag’s border that are more gathered; this is where the handles will grow out of.
  • Rnd 29 – ch 1, *1 dc in ch2 space, 1 dc in dc; repeat from * until you get to the ch4 spaces, *3dc in ch4 space, 1 dc in dc; repeat from * until you get to the next set of ch2 spaces and repeat from the 1st * until you get back to the beginning. Join with a sl st in 1st dc.
  • Rnd 30 – ch 3 (counts as 1st tr), 1 tr in each dc around. Join at the top of the ch3.

The handles

  • Carrying on from where you ended the last rnd, ch 70. Being careful not to twist the chain, anchor it down approx. 16 stitches along with a sl st. The handles are positioned at either end of the gathered section. 
  • 1 dc in next tr, turn your work and make 1 dc in each ch. Anchor this 2nd row with a sl st in the next tr along from where the chain started. 1 dc in next tr, turn your work and make 1 dc in each dc.
  • Repeat this process for two more rows so that your handle is 4 rows deep.
  • Slip stitch over to the next gathered section, approx 30 stitches along. Repeat the last steps to make a second handle.
  • Fasten off your work and weave in any loose tails of thread.