Cluster stitch bag - free crochet pattern

Materials:

Medium worsted weight yarn about 370 meters

G/4 mm crochet hook

Button

Stitch markers

Yarn needle

Size:

About 10 inches wide and 11 inches high without handles

Stitches/Abbreviations Used:

** - Repeat instructions within asterisks as many times as instructed

[ ] - Repeat instructions within parenthesis as a set as many times as directed

st/sts - stitch/stitches

ch - chain

sc - single crochet

dc - double crochet

cluster - double crochet 2 sts together in same stitch/space

WATCH VIDEO TUTORIAL HERE

Instructions

Round 1: Make a magic ring, ch 1, 12 hdc into ring. Join with a sl st to 1^st st. (12 sts).

Round 2: Ch 1, 2 hdc in each st around. Join with a sl st to the 1^st hdc. (24 sts)

Round 3: Ch 1, repeat [hdc in next st, 2 hdc in next st] around. Join. (36 sts)

Round 4: Ch 1, repeat [hdc in next 2 sts, 2 hdc in next st] around. Join. (48 sts)

Round 5: Ch 1, repeat [hdc in next 3 sts, 2 hdc in next st] around. Join. (60 sts)

Round 6: Ch 1, repeat [hdc in next 5 sts, 2 hdc in next st] around. Join. (70 sts)

Round 7: Ch 1, hdc in each st around. Join. (70 sts)

Round 8: Ch 3 (counts as 1^st st), dc in next st, skip next st, [cluster, ch 3, cluster] in next st, **skip next st, dc in next 2 sts, skip next st, [cluster, ch 3, cluster] in next st** Repeat from ** to ** around. Join with a sl st to the 1^st st.

Round 9: Ch 3 (counts as 1^st st), dc in next dc, [cluster, ch 3, cluster] in next ch-3 space, **dc in next 2 dc, [cluster, ch 3, cluster] in next ch-3 space** Repeat from ** to ** around. Join with a sl st to the 1^st st.

Repeat round 9 until the total height of the bag is about 12 inches or 30 cm.

Edging and handles

Round 1: Ch 1, repeat [sc in 2 sts, 3 sc in ch-3 space] around. Join with a sl st to 1st sc. (70 sc).

Round 2: Ch 1, sc in each st around. Join with a sl st to 1st sc. (70 sc).

Dividing for handles:

Place a st marker in the sc that's above the dc after the 2nd set of clusters from each end. Repeat on the other side.

Round 3: Ch 1, sc in each st up to the marked st, ch 56 (or more depending how long you want the handles to be), sc in the next marked st and rest of the sts up to the next marked st, ch 56, sc in next marked st and in rest of the sts around. Join with a sl st to the 1st sc.

Round 4: Ch 1, sc in each st up to 2 sts before the chains, ch 5, sc in the 5th ch, sc in each ch up to the 5th ch from the other end, ch 5, skip the next st and sc in rest of the sts up to 2 sts before the other handle. Repeat the instructions for the 2nd handle and finish the round working sc in rest of the sts. Fasten off. 

Finishing:

Sew a button to the front of the bag at the center. Join yarn at the back just behind the button and make chains enough to go around the button, sl st in the same st. Fasten off and weave in all the loose ends of yarn.