Beginner Crochet Bag with the Moss Stitch

This beginner crochet bag is the perfect project for beginners to gain more confidence in their crochet skills. It’s a mindless crochet pattern once you get going on it, which is another bonus for beginners as they finally get to relax a bit. With that said, the beautiful texture created by the moss stitch is sure to please crocheters of all skill levels.

Crocheted bags, such as this one, can be used for anything including shopping, purses, book bags, yarn bags or toy bags. Your choice of materials can go a long way to determine the purpose and the durability of your finished bag.

How to Crochet the Bag

This bag is worked up in basic crochet stitches with only the single crochet and chain one spaces. It is crocheted in one piece from the bottom up.

Bottom. You begin with a rectangle at the bottom with single crochets. I worked my rectangle in the round by starting with a long chain and then working along both sides of the chains. Here is a tutorial that shows how to do that: Working on Opposite Side of Chain.

Body. After the bottom is completed, you begin working with the moss stitch. The stitch is worked simply with a single crochet and a chain space. After the first round, the single crochets are worked into the chain spaces, making it super easy and mindless. At this point you also begin to turn after each round in order to keep the seam straight. Turning also helped to create a bit of a different texture. And texture is always good.

Straps. The handles are also worked in one piece with the bag. But, handles are fairly easy to do, so if you have a favorite way to do them, by all means go for it! I’ve put together a tutorial on How to Make Crochet Bag Handles, as done for this bag.

Lining Your Bag

Let’s face it, yarn can be stretchy! Even cotton yarn will distort your bag and cause it to look funny and even wear out in certain areas! Which is why it’s always a good idea to line your finished bags. It’s a bit more work, but it’ll save you a lot in the end because you’ll have a bag that will last you that much longer. I’ve put together a tutorial on how to line a bag here: Lining a Crochet Bag

Plus, when you add a liner as in the tutorial, you have the option to create simple pockets on the inside of the liner to hold your keys, phone or wallet for easy access.

The tutorial also shows how to insert a zipper if you plan to add one for extra security.

The Size

The size is given for a finished measurement of 13.5 by 14 inches. However, this is an easy crochet bag pattern, which allows you to easily increase or decrease this as you need to simply by increasing or decreasing your rectangle for the bottom of the bag.

The pattern for the body of the bag will work in any multiple of two. As for the handles, they can also be modified for any bag size as outlined in the tutorial.

The Yarn

This crochet bag for beginners is worked up in a medium worsted weight acrylic yarn. Acrylic is easier to work with than cotton because it has more stretch. Cotton can also split if you end up unraveling, whereas acrylic usually stays intact.

With that said, the best yarn for crochet bags is a strong durable yarn that will hold up to a lot of wear and tear. The yarn needs to be strong to hold up to the weight that you will be carrying in the bag. A worsted weight cotton yarn is a good choice.

At the same time, you can compensate for the weakness of the yarn with a strong liner, and still have a durable bag. See this tutorial on How to Line a Crochet Bag.

See More Crochet Tote Bag Patterns

• Blossom Crochet Beach Bag Pattern
• Single Crochet Bag
• Over-The-Shoulder Crochet Bag
• Bouncy Bubbly Tote
• Crochet Tote Bag Pattern