Crochet Bags

Crochet bags are lovely and you can make them in a whole variety of styles and yarns from simple farmers market shoppers to more sophisticated clutch and trendy beach bags. Crochet bags can be as simple or as complicated to make as you want them to be! What shape or style  to make your bag?

Holdall bags are probably the most useful. My calico bag pattern can be a work bag, beach bag or shopper. Holdall bags are easy to make with either one shaped piece or 5 separate pieces for back, sides, and bottom. Make crochet holdalls big or large.

Half moon shape or clutch shapes big or small. Use motifs or a solid block of crochet. Use a simple crochet button or crochet flower as a fastening, big or small.

Traditional crochet string bags are the easiest and quickest to make. Best made with chunky yarns or thick cottons. The choice of colours in chunky cottons is lovely so you can go bright or subtle.

Lined or unlined bags. A lining prevents your bag from stretching and protects intricate designs from damage by contents. Use a contrasting design for the lining to add a high end look of your bag.

Duffle shape crochet bags with drawstrings are one of my favourite styles. Use motifs or make them intarsia (colour motif) style. Intarsia bags are simple to make but take some expertise in colour changing.

Traditional granny squares make lovely original bags. Use motifs square on or diagonally.

Handbag style crochet bags have a more formal shape and look good in subtle shades or shades of one colour.

Use stripes small or large, 3 large in blended shades of the same colour create a sophisticated look. Combine different yarns of the same weight to create a unique effect.

Embossed or raised designs including surface crochet are very effective particularly on holdalls. Use raised crochet to create tartan effects.

What sort of handles do you want? Crochet, wooden or bamboo handles or round handles all look good and round handles give a retro look. If you make a holdall style crochet bag you can make and line your own crochet handles.

Crochet bags with flowers. I love raised flowers on bags. These look really pretty around the top and handles of your bag. Use the same yarn or a contrast for your flowers and pick out the colours of your bag.

Crochet Throws

Throws are so useful, to snuggle up to when nights are cold, in the garden when days are a little cooler or just for when you need a bit of comfort! Crochet throws are fun to make. Not too big so they take too long to stitch but big enough to make an interesting project. And there are so many style choices!


Oblong,  this is the most useful size and oblong throws look better too 

Use one style of motif
Choose two or three complimentary style of motif

Use small or large motifs to make your throw or combine small and large together
Strips give you more scope for design choices. Make simple horizontal or vertical strips or fit together in a log cabin design.

Make your throw as one piece from top to bottom and build your design in rows

Start in the centre of your crochet throw and work outwards. This works well if you start with a large oblong central motif or one or two square motifs stitched together. You can then add another row of motifs to finish your throw

Use chunky, double knit or finer yarn. The thicker the yarn the more quickly your throw will grow. 

Finer yarns give more definition and thicker yarns work really well with popcorn stitches and cables. 

Finer yarns work beautifully with more intricate motifs to create a lovely lacy effect.

The yarn content is critical for what you want to use your throw for. A cotton or acrylic blend is ideal for summer throws. Wool blends are ideal if you want something warmer. 

Colour is critical to your finished effect, use one colour or multi colours. One colour creates a subtle effect. Stick to four or five colours for a sophisticated effect or use yarn scarps and take pot luck!

Ripple or zig zags stitches work well 

Textured stitches such as popcorns, clusters look classy in throws. Work as a whole or as individual motifs

Raised stitches and cables are brilliant if you use a thicker yarn 

Flower based motifs are lovely if you sue cotton or a cotton blend

If you want a more contemporary look go for diagonals, squares and triangular shapes

Entrelac or stitch is very useful if you want to create a picture design. Use dc’s (sc’s) or trebles (dc’s).