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Caldwell Crochet Market Bag

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The cutest crochet market bag of the season will have you toting your fresh finds in style. You’ll love watching the beautiful granny squares come together to form the gorgeous Caldwell Crochet Market Bag.

Keep reading for the Caldwell Crochet Market Bag free pattern or purchase an ad-free PDF version here.

crochet market bag on a counter with lemons and flowers

How to Crochet A Market Bag

There are so many different ways to crochet market bags, but this bag happens to use some cute granny squares in its construction. You’ll first whip out your squares, sew them together, then add a little border and rope handles so you’ll be ready for the market in no time.

About the yarn for the Crochet Market Bag

I’ve been loving Paintbox Yarns Cotton line. I used their cotton DK for this Mug Cozy and I’m also using it for a gorgeous blanket that’s in the works.

For the Caldwell Market Bag I chose their cotton aran and I am so happy with how it looks. It’s a soft and easy cotton to work with.

You can substitute your favorite cotton yarn for this project, but I’ll mention that Paintbox Cotton Aran is on the thinner side of category 4 cottons like Lion Brands 24/7 or Hobby Lobby’s I Love This Cotton.

lady holding orange and white crochet market bag

About the stitches used in the Crochet Market Bag Pattern

The granny squares used in the Caldwell Market Bag are based on the Grandview Granny Squares, with one small difference, besides it being larger. On round 4 and every other round after that, there is a double crochet next to each puff stitch. As the squares get larger, the extra dc helps the puff stitches look fuller and more obvious. That’s it!

Overall the stitches themselves are easy: puff stitches and open double crochet v-stitches, but the pattern is marked as intermediate because there’s a lot to follow within the pattern itself. Read through it and be sure to take your time following the instructions and brackets. Thankfully, it isn’t hard to crochet!

Don’t forget to save the Caldwell Crochet Market Bag Pattern on Pinterest!

pin image of market bag crochet with lemons rolling out of the crochet bag onto the counter

Caldwell Crochet Market Bag Free Pattern

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Skill Level: Intermediate

Materials:                            

US size H/8, 5.0 mm crochet hook

Paintbox Yarns Cotton Aran (category 4, worsted weight yarn)

*2.8 oz of contrasting color (Light Champagne – 2 skeins)

*5.9 oz of main color (Melon Sorbet – 4 skeins)

Large Eye Yarn Needle

Approx. 72” of ½” Cotton Rope (optional)

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Everything you need for this project can be order right on online from Amazon or LoveCrafts.
Save time and shop online!

Favorite Hooks

Paintbox Yarns Cotton Aran

Large eye yarn needles

1/2″ Cotton Rope

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Abbreviations:

ch: chain
puff: puff stitch (see notes)
dc: double crochet
sl st: slip stitch
sp: space
st: stitch
BLO: back loop only
Sc2tog: single crochet 2 together

Finished Size: Approximately 15” wide and 13” tall (measured to the lowest point on the top of the bag- 29″ tall including handles). Each square measure 5.5” by 5.5”.

Gauge: gauge is not critical

Notes:

The first 4 puff stitches of the pattern have an extra yarn over compared to the rest of the puff stitches.

1st puff stitches: [yo, pull up a loop] 4 times (9 loops on the hooks), yo, pull through all 9 loops on the hook. (Only used for Round 1.)

puff stitch: [yo, pull up a loop] 3 times (7 loops on the hooks), yo, pull through all 7 loops on the hook. (Used for all puff stitches after Round 1.)

After round 2, stitches are either worked in the ch-3 space between 2 puff stitches or in the ch-1 space between 2 double crochets.

When working Round 1 of the top border, work 20 single crochets on each side of the square working in each dc, puff, and ch-1 space.

Front & Back of bag: Both sides of the bag are identical, but for ease of working the pattern, especially the top border, pick a side to be the front.

If you joined your squares differently, your stitch counts for the top border may not match mine, which is totally fine. Just work to get those three border rows to lie nice and flat.

Market Bag Crochet Pattern Instructions:

Making the Squares:

Make 13 squares total

Start with a magic circle

Round 1: [Puff (see notes), ch 3] 4 times, tighten to close, join with a sl st in the 1st puff.

Round 2: [(Puff, ch 3, puff, ch 1) in ch-3 sp, (dc, ch 1, dc) in puff] 4 times, join with a sl st in the 1st puff.

Round 3: (Puff, ch 3, puff, ch 1, dc, ch 1, dc) in ch-3 sp, (dc, ch 1, dc) in ch-1 sp, [(dc, ch 1, dc, puff, ch 3, puff, ch 1, dc, ch 1, dc) in ch-3 sp, (dc, ch 1, dc) in ch-1 sp] 3 times, (dc, ch 1, dc) in 1st ch-3 sp (the same ch-3 sp you started the round in), join with a sl st in the 1st puff.

Round 4: (Puff, ch 3, puff, dc,) in ch-3 sp, [(dc, ch 1, dc) in ch-1 sp] 3 times, [(dc, puff, ch 3, puff, dc) in ch-3 sp, {(dc, ch 1, dc) in ch-1 sp} 3 times] 3 times, dc in 1st ch-3 sp (the same ch-3 sp you started the round in), join with a sl st in the 1st puff.

Round 5: (Puff, ch 3, puff, dc, ch 1, dc) in ch-3 sp, [(dc, ch 1, dc) in ch-1 sp] 3 times, [(dc, ch 1, dc, puff, ch 3, puff, dc, ch 1, dc) in ch-3 sp, {(dc, ch 1, dc) in ch-1 sp} 3 times] 3 times, (dc, ch 1, dc) in 1st ch-3 sp, join with a sl st in the 1st puff.

Round 6: (Puff, ch 3, puff, dc,) in ch-3 sp, [(dc, ch 1, dc) in ch-1 sp] 5 times, [(dc, puff, ch 3, puff, dc) in ch-3 sp, {(dc, ch 1, dc) in ch-1 sp} 5 times] 3 times, dc in 1st ch-3 sp (the same ch-3 sp you started the round in), join with a sl st in the 1st puff.

Fasten off and weave in ends.

Assembling the bag:

Lay out the squares according to the diagram below and use an invisible seam or other favorite join stitch to sew the squares together.

Once your squares are joined, fold the bag so the bottom two squares line up with the top two squares. Line up the sides of the bag and sew both sides closed according to the color-coded lines in the diagram. Weave in ends.

granny square bag diagram

Adding the top border:

Round 1:

Join yarn in ch-3 sp at the right side of the front of the bag.

shows front and back side of granny square bag and where to join new yarn

2 sc in ch-3 sp, *sc in the next 20 sts, 5 sc in ch-3 sp, sc in the next 20 sts, [2 sc in ch-3 sp] 3 times, sc in the next 20 sts, 5 sc in ch-3 sp, sc in the next 20 sts*, [2 sc in ch-3 sp] 2 times, repeat from * to *, 2 sc in ch-3 sp, join with a sl st to the 1st sc.

Round 2: work BLO

ch 1, sc in the next 24 sts, 3 sc in next st, sc in the next 24 sts, sc2tog, sc in the next 24 sts, 3 sc in next st, sc in the next 23 sts, sc2tog, sc in the next 23 sts, 3 sc in next st, sc in the next 24 sts, sc2tog, sc in the next 24 sts, 3 sc in next st, sc in the next 23 sts, sk last sc, join with a sl st to the 1st sc.

Round 3: sl st in each st around, join with a sl st. Fasten off and weave in ends.

Adding Handles:

Cut 2 36” lengths of rope. Push the rope, back to front through both top ch-3 spaces on one side of the bag so that the ends of the rope face outward. Tie a knot in each end. Flip the bag over and attach rope to the other side.  

Photo Help

Start with a magic circle

Round 1:

[Puff (see notes), ch 3] 4 times, tighten to close, join with a sl st in the 1st puff.

crochet circle of 4 puff stitches

Round 2:

[(Puff, ch 3, puff, ch 1) in ch-3 sp, (dc, ch 1, dc) in puff] 4 times, join with a sl st in the 1st puff.

crochet square in progress

Round 3:

(Puff, ch 3, puff, ch 1, dc, ch 1, dc) in ch-3 sp,

crochet square in progress

(dc, ch 1, dc) in ch-1 sp,

[(dc, ch 1, dc, puff, ch 3, puff, ch 1, dc, ch 1, dc) in ch-3 sp, (dc, ch 1, dc) in ch-1 sp] 3 times,

(dc, ch 1, dc) in 1st ch-3 sp,  join with a sl st in the 1st puff.

crochet square in progress

Round 4:

(Puff, ch 3, puff, dc,) in ch-3 sp, [(dc, ch 1, dc) in ch-1 sp] 3 times, [(dc,puff, ch 3, puff,dc) in ch-3 sp, {(dc, ch 1, dc) in ch-1 sp} 3 times] 3 times, dc in 1st ch-3 sp (the same ch-3 sp you started the round in), join with a sl st in the 1st puff.

close up of granny square in progress

The “v” on the front of the bag (it is the same on the back) has 3 chain 3 spaces

close up of crochet stitches showing where to place the next stitches

2 sc in ch-3 sp] 3 times,

close up of crochet stitches showing where to place the stitches

Do you prefer printing your patterns? You can purchase the easily printable version of this pattern in the following places:

Stitching Together Shop

Ravelry

Etsy

crochet market tote on a counter with lemons and flowers

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