Crochet Market Bag Pattern – An easy to crochet shopping tote bag!

This easy to make Crochet Market Bag is a modern take on the old fashioned string shopping bag. It looks great with it’s color-blocked design and is super practical too.

DIY crochet net bag pattern mypoppet.com.au

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A reusable shopping bag is a must have item now, with most stores no longer supplying bags, or charging extra for them. With this crochet market bag, you can ditch the plastic bags all together.

Pop it in your handbag on your next trip to the shops, it’s roomy enough to carry your groceries home and the solid base will stop your carrots falling out the bottom.

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Crochet Market bag Pattern and Instructions

Made with cotton yarn and cotton kitchen string, this crochet bag is super robust and when it gets dirty, just throw it in the washing machine.

The base takes a little longer to crochet due to the small tight stitches, but once you get to the netting section, you’ll find the rest of the bag really works up quite quickly.

If you can’t get hold of kitchen string, usually available at variety stores and even supermarkets, try using 8ply (DK) cotton yarn.

You can choose to use contrasting colours for each separate section, or make the whole bag in one solid colour.

This crochet pattern is easy to follow and has additional step-by-step photos to help explain any tricky bits for beginner crocheters.

DIY crochet net bag pattern supplies mypoppet.com.au

You will need:


US Terms Used Abbreviations:

st: stitch
sl st: slip stitch
sk: skip
ch: chain
sc: single crochet (UK double crochet)
blo: back loop only
dc: double crochet (UK treble)

How to Crochet a Market Tote Bag

Making the Base:

Using your contrast colour, chain 41

Row 1: sc into 2nd chain from hook, sc 39, ch 1, turn

Rows2ā€“10: sc 40, ch 1, turn. Stop at the last sc on the last row and donā€™t ch 1 or turn.

Now we are going to stitch around all sides of the base to prepare forming the sides of the bag base

DIY crochet net bag pattern mypoppet.com.au

ā€¢ Without turning, sc back into same space as last stitch worked.

ā€¢ Working along the left side of the base, sc 7 (one into each row space), 2 sc into last space.

DIY crochet net bag pattern mypoppet.com.au

ā€¢ sc 39 along bottom of foundation chain, 2 sc into last st

DIY crochet net bag pattern mypoppet.com.au

ā€¢ sc 9 back up along the right hand side of the base (100 sts)

Weā€™ll be working in the round from here

DIY crochet net bag pattern mypoppet.com.au

ā€¢ Placing a marker into first stitch, sc into back loop only (blo) to end. Continue this way for another 12 rows

ā€¢ Join with a sl st. Break off yarn

Making the Bag Body:

DIY crochet net bag pattern mypoppet.com.au

Row 1: Join in string yarn and ch 4 (counts as first dc and ch 1), sk 1 st, *dc 1, ch 1, sk 1. Repeat from * to end. Sl st into top of first ch 3.

Row 2: Sl st into next ch space of previous row. Ch 4, * dc into next ch space, ch 1 Repeat from * to end

Rows 3 ā€“ 20: Work as for Row 2

Row 21: Placing a marker into first st, sc into each ch sp and stitch from previous row. Join with a sl st.

Rows 22ā€“25:Ch 1, sc in blo to end. In final row, join with a sl st into first sc. Break off yarn.

DIY crochet net bag pattern mypoppet.com.au

Making a Crochet Strap

Lay your bag out flat and determine bag sides, place a marker in the side stitches. Count 2 stitches back from side stitch, join in yarn, * sc 5, ch 1, turn. Repeat from * until strap is long enough.

Iā€™ve made mine 100 rows (aprox. 59 cm) but you can adjust to your preferred length.

DIY crochet net bag pattern mypoppet.com.au

Making sure you donā€™t twist your strap, line it up on the other side of the bag and with right sides facing together, sl st strap to bag. Weave in ends and youā€™re done.

DIY crochet net bag pattern mypoppet.com.au

Optional: Iā€™ve sc along the sides of my strap to neaten them up and also make them less likely to stretch but you can skip this step if you prefer.

DIY crochet net bag pattern mypoppet.com.au

I hope you’ve enjoyed making this project. Now it’s time to go out and show off your new crochet shopping tote bag.

Michelle poppy and BlissThis crochet pattern designed by Michelle Robinson
Michelle is the face behind Poppy & Bliss. Her passion is crochet and her style is modern, vibrant and fun.
She teaches workshops in various styles of crochet, designs modern crochet patterns, occasionally remembers she has a blog at Poppy & Bliss.


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69 Comments

  • Elyse says:

    I love this! It might just be the incentive I need to finally teach myself how to crochet. šŸ™‚

  • Ice Pandora says:

    This looks good and simple to make!
    I have this pattern bookmarked!
    Xx

  • Lisa says:

    I really like this pattern. I have been looking for one like this. I used to make round ones, but the bottom would always turn out too small and everything would still fall out.
    Once I start my summer crochet again I’ll try this one!

  • Tara says:

    what is kitchen string?

  • Barbara Post says:

    How many chain spaces are there supposed to be starting row 3?

  • Helen says:

    Hi there. Thanks for sharing your pattern. Did you use kitchen string or a cream yarn for the handles? Thanks

  • danielle gimenes says:

    Hello! I am from Brazil and trying to figure out how to do it.. I am learning to crochet for the past days, so in English is a little more complicated for me!

    When you start to work in the round shape, do you blend the two opposite sides just like I do when I am going to start to do a round crochet from the beginning?

    Thank you very much!

  • Alex says:

    I just finished the bag myself. It is my official second crochet project ever so it looks a bit wonky. I like it though. My problem is that the strap seems that it will break at the base when the bag has a few items in it. I’m thinking maybe I need to reinforce the part where the strap meets the bag? Or am I doing something wrong? Any suggestions? Thanks

    • Go you! Practice makes perfect, you should see some of my early crochet, it was far from perfect. Yes you may need to reinforce the straps, just use the same yarn and weave in (or sew) a few extra stitches to make the join stronger.
      In future make the tension where the straps join a little tighter, that should help that problem.

  • Tracy K Biel says:

    The kitchen string?? Purchased in the craft store in the yarn department? Thanks! I’m super excited to try this.

  • Hi, Cintia. I’m now crocheting this market bag, and this is a very fun pattern to work with. Thanks a lot for posting this pattern. ^_^ I have question for you, since in my country here now we have a new established policy to reduce the use of plastic bag, may I repost this pattern in Indonesian language in my blog with a link to the original pattern in your site? Thank you again. ^_^

  • Brigitte says:

    Oh my goodness! I love the look of this bag. Now it’s about finding the time to make it …

  • Samantha says:

    Hi! Approximately how many feet of kitchen string is there in one of your balls? I’m trying to buy some online and it says it’s about 220 feet for this particular one that I have found.

  • Clare says:

    If I’m trying to use up my stash of Sugar n Cream, and not buy kitchen twine, how much do I need? I’m trying to plot out colors.
    Thanks.

  • Maxine says:

    I thought my base looked fine as wasn’t finished it all yet when I posted before but realized I don’t understand how the sides of the base are formed. I appreciate any help to figure this out. Thank you.
    Maxine

  • Maxine says:

    Thank you so much for your reply. Where are the increases in the pattern ? Is it when you start on the bag itself ?

    • sorry I meant, once you start working in the round, the sides will build up by themselves,
      So you have made the rectangle base, and now just start crocheting around and around the rectangle and the sides will grow up.

  • Maxine Jepsen says:

    I would like to know when doing the netting part on row 3 after chaining 4 do you dc into the space that you did the slip stitch into or the next space ? Sorry for all my questions . But I do like your pattern. Thank you.

  • Maxine Jepsen says:

    Thank you very much for your replies. I’m still stuck on the beginning of the rows after first row is done. That works out fine but then I’m not sure where 1st dc goes into after chain 4 . You said to sc into next chain space but I’m unsure if you mean to the space on the left to chain 4 or next one over.

  • Jane says:

    Love this bag! Thank you for sharing pattern.

  • Suzanne says:

    Fabulous pattern … Onto my second one now using the same colors as Michelle did. Love it ! Thanks so much !

  • Katie says:

    Is it always 7 SC and 2 SC in same stitch, on one side followed by 39 SC and 2 SC in same stitch, and then 9 SC? In other words, am I aways doing 7 SC and 2 SC in same stitch on the left end and 9 SC on the right end? Thanks!

    • The 7+2 and then the 9 is just to square off the base (to make a rectangle), after that you are working in the round – so you just do a sc (single crochet) around and around with no increases (only one into every stitch). This will build up the sides.
      Do that for 12 rows (or as many as you need) to make the blue base.
      Hope that helps

  • Katie says:

    Do you always do 7 SC on left end and 9 SC on right end?

  • Deb says:

    Just finishing my first of what will be many bags. I used a solid for the bottom and a variegated for rhe mesh which worked up to be a spiral pattern and finished off with a border and handle in white. Lovely pattern! My question is “when/ how to do the sc on the sides of the handle? After attaching to the other side?” Please explain. Thanks in advance.

    • Hi Deb, The sc can be added to reinforce the handle (so it limits stretching) – You can add this once all the handles are attached.
      I’d probably sugggest – add your handles (both sides attached, then do an extra round of sc all around the bag and on the outside of both handles, then break off yarn and sc on the inside loop of each handle. Does that make sense?

  • Elanor says:

    I’m having an issue where the joining of rows is creating a diagonal stripe up my work. Is there anything I can do to hide the joining line?

  • Emily S says:

    Is there a gauge we should be careful to obtain, or what is the finished size of this bag? I only ask because I tend to crochet too tightly.

  • Caitlin says:

    I was just curious, did you have any idea what the brand labels had been for the yarn? I want to get something similar but I don’t want to get something that’s too expensive or not sturdy enough to be a market bag if I can’t find the kitchen string, which isn’t something I’ve ever heard of and I’ve been knitting for almost 8+ years ; w ;

    • Kitchen string is string that is made of un-dyed cotton. Usually used for tying up joints of meat and other random things that need cooking and tying. You can substitute with cotton yarn of similar weight – varies from sport to DK (5ply-8ply)
      Any DK cotton will do for the base. Sugar n cream is heavier than DK but will do in a pinch.

  • I love this bag! Very simple, but still so pretty, and color-blocked at that! Thanks for the pattern! šŸ™‚ Lisa

  • judy says:

    Hi don’t know what I’m doing wrong but can’t get past the first bit on the base. Sc 7 times into the row space, I just end up with a big frill. What am i doing wrong. As you can guess I’m not too experienced. Thanks.

    • Hi Judy, the sc 7 don’t all go into one space. You need to put one stitch into each of the 7 consecutive spaces. Hope that helps.

    • Jackie says:

      I used nylon twine that they use for outside – florescent green lol. It is so strong and I use them every time I shop for groceries. Sometime I walk 7 blocks with lots in these bags but they fit cross body and don’t stretch very much and hold a fair bit of weight. Thank you Cintia this is the best of the 8 different types of bags I’ve made so far…later on I’ll make prettier ones, but I love them and the pattern works well and quickly

  • Penny Gibson says:

    8ply yarn for base? Should I double yarn strands if I have 4ply cotton?

  • Nicole says:

    Hi! I’m excited to get started on this bag! But I am having the hardest time finding a 8ply DK cotton yarn what brand did you use or do you know of any brands that could be used.

    • Not sure what country you are in. In Australia Lincraft has an 8ply cotton yarn. Paintbox yarn also has a DK weight available. Otherwise you can just double up 2 strands on 4ply (fingering weight) cotton yarn.

  • Brittney says:

    When working the base up, do I sc in back loop only for all 12 rounds? or was that just a note to finish the previous round?

    Thanks BTW – this is super cute!

  • Nicky says:

    Hi šŸ™‚
    Do you know how many metres/grams of the kitchen string you used? There’s heaps of sized different balls online and I dont want to over/under buy <3

  • Joan says:

    Iā€™m a beginner at crochet. Do you have any tutorials on You Tube to make this beautiful market bag? Iā€™d like to make some for gifts.

  • Emily Moscaritolo says:

    Hi, if i want to make the bag a little bigger, would I just make my original foundation chain longer? Thank you šŸ™‚

  • Margaret says:

    Thank you for the pattern! I used red acrylic yarn for the base and handles and used white acrylic for the body. Turned out beautiful

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