Wander Bloom Crochet Bag

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Meet my most favorite crochet bag of the season:  the Wander Bloom Crossbody Bag.

Gray crochet bag with white stripes and pink flower

Picture you, strolling the downtown streets of a beach town.  You’re relaxed, happy, open to adventure.  And you’ve got the cutest little bag over your shoulder.

This little crochet bag is your “it” bag for all your fun adventures. It’s the perfect size for your phone and cash.  It’s the perfect combination of cute and function.  And it lends itself to all kinds of variations.

Gray crochet bag with white stripes and pink flower

She’s also easy and quick to make which might just raise her up to “best crochet project ever” status. 

The yarn is divine.  It’s the first time I’ve used Dishie cotton yarn from WeCrochet and I’m totally in love with it.  It glides off your hook with none of the splitting that can sometimes happen with cotton yarn.

For the flower, I’m using the prettiest shade of blush pink with a subtle brulee (yellow) for the flower center.  The bag itself is silver with white striping, but it would look lovely as a solid color if you prefer that.

Gray crochet strap with hardware

And can we just talk about that glorious purse strap?!  Sigh!

It’s an easy to crochet Tunisian stitch that is worked in a way that increases slightly on the right side and decreases on the left which makes the whole work slant.  I checked in with my friend Kim Guzman, who invented many of the Tunisian stitches out there and she told me it’s simply called a “modified simple stitch”.

If you’re wanting to dig in deeper into Tunisian crochet you can pick up Kim’s book on Amazon or pop over to her website, Make It Crochet, where she features all kinds of patterns (Tunisian and otherwise).  

Gray crochet bag with white stripes and pink flower

The Wander Bloom Bag also features some fabulous purse hardware.  I really love incorporating hardware into my purse designs as I feel like it elevates them to a whole new level.  In this case, the slide also enables you to adjust the length of the shoulder strap.  

You can easily adjust the size of the strap to a fixed length and sew it directly on the bag, if you prefer. Check out my Sassy Sunflower Crochet Crossbody Bag for another strap option.

Gray crochet bag with white stripes and pink flower on a chair

If you want to keep your bag closed, you have a variety of options.  Hand sew a zipper in place.  Sew a fabric lining with a zipper or purse magnets.  Or simpley crochet a chain loop and sew on a button.

Sigh.  I just love this bag so much!  Let’s dive into the pattern!

Wander Bloom Bag

Materials

Resources and tutorials you may find helpful in following this pattern: Crochet AbbreviationsUS to UK Crochet Conversion Chart.  Find links to stitches on the “Tutorial” menu: Getting Started will show basic stitches used in many patterns and Crochet Stitch Dictionary shows our growing collection of crochet stitch tutorials.  I really like to use the invisible seamless join when finishing pieces that get sewn together.

Gauge:

With the yarn and hook size given, my gauge is about 17 single crochet stitches to 4 inches (or about 4.25” per inch). Gauge does not need to be exact. 

Resources and crochet tutorials you may find helpful in following this pattern: Crochet AbbreviationsUS to UK Crochet Conversion Chart.  Find links to stitches and basic crochet skills on the “Tutorial” menu: Getting Started will show basic stitches such as the slip stitch, single crochet, double crochet stitch and chain stitch used in many patterns and Crochet Stitch Dictionary shows our growing collection of crochet stitch tutorials.

print & stitch

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Crochet Abbreviations:

Finished Bag Size

Approximately 8” wide by 6” tall, excluding the strap. 

Flower

With Bruelee (Yellow) Color yarn, make a magic ring

R1: Ch 5 (counts as 1st hdc and ch3). Working in the magic ring, *hdc, ch 3. Repeat from *, 7 Times for a total of 8 spaced hdc. Join with a sl st to the 2nd starting ch. Fasten off. 

Yellow crochet flower center

R2: Join Blush (pink) into any chain 3 space. Ch 1, (sc, ch 2, 3dc, ch 2, sc) into same space as joining (petal made), *in next space, work (sc, ch 2, 3dc, ch2, sc).  Repeat from * around.  Do NOT join at end of round. (8 petals). 

In row 3, the petals from row 2 are pushed forward and, working behind the petals, create chained spaces for row 4 as follows:

R3: Push petals forward, *ch 4, sc into the top of the next hdc from round 1. Repeat from * around for a total of (8) ch-4 loops. Do not join at end of round.

R4: *In next ch-4 loop, work (sc, ch2, 5dc, ch2, sc). Petal made. Repeat from * around for a total of 8 petals. Do NOT join at end of round. (8 petals).

R5: Similar to row 3, push petals forward to work behind them. *ch6, skip petal and work a sc into the next sc from round 3. Repeat from * around for a total of (8) ch-6 loops. Do not join at end of round.

R6: Working in ch-6 loops, work *(sc, ch2, 7dc, ch2, sc). Petal made. Repeat from * around for a total of 8 petals. Fasten off pink, leaving a very long strand for sewing appliqué on bag. Weave in other ends, making sure that center of magic ring is tight and secure.

Pink crochet flower with yellow center

Crochet Bag

With Silver (gray) yarn, chain 34

R1:  Single crochet in 2nd chain from hook and in each chain until last chain.  Work 3sc in last chain, then rotate work and work in the opposite side of the chain.  Sc in each ch across until the very last ch.  Work 2 stiches in last chain.  This totals 68 stitches (including 3 stitches worked at either end).  Do NOT join, rows are worked in continuous rounds.

R2-5: sc in back loop only (BLO) around (68 st).

Note about striping:  this bag is worked in continuous rounds.  When changing color, you may find it easiest to carry the unworked yarn on the wrong side of the work until it is needed again.  Changing yarn color, when working in the round will create a slight jog.  If you don’t mind this look, just proceed with the stitches as directed.  Alternatively, you can use a jogless join technique when changing color.

R6:  With white, sc in BLO around (68 st)

R7-8: With silver, sc in BLO around (68 st)

R9:  With white, sc in BLO around (68 st)

R10-11: With silver, sc in BLO around (68 st)

R12:  With white, sc in BLO around (68 st)

R13-14: With silver, sc in BLO around (68 st)

R15:  With white, sc in BLO around (68 st)

R16-17: With silver, sc in BLO around (68 st)

R18:  With white, sc in BLO around (68 st)

R19-20: With silver, sc in BLO around (68 st)

R21:  With white, sc in BLO around (68 st)

R22-23: With silver, sc in BLO around (68 st)

It’s time to crochet the D rings into place.  Stop and mark the 3 stitch on each side of bag.  Note that this won’t be the very first stitch of the row because stitches shift slightly when working in the round.  Just lay the bag flat and determine the 3 stitches at the top of each side of the bag.

R24:  Continuing with silver, sc in the BLO to the first marked stitch.  Hold the flat side of the D ring against the stitches and work a sc OVER the D ring and through BOTH loops of the bag at the same time over the next 3 stitches.  Then sc in the BLO until you get to the 2nd side and repeat the process, working a sc over the 2nd D ring and through both loops for 3 stitches.  Sc BLO for the remaining stitches in the row.  (68 st).

R25:  Sc in BLO around (68 st).  Fasten off.  Slip stitch to next st or use an invisible join.  Weave in ends.

Gray crochet bag with white stripes and pink flower

Bag Strap

The bag strap is worked using a Tunisian modified simple stitch on a regular crochet hook.  The technique creates a slight increase on the right side and a slight decrease on the left which makes the strap slant.  The finished strap appears to be rows worked on the diagonal and each end of the strap forms a point that will be sewn down in finishing.

To begin chain 5.  Then pull up a loop in the 2nd chain from the hook and in each chain across.

crochet strap in gray yarn with a pink crochet hook

Then *yarn over and pull through 2 loops.  Repeat from * across until only one loop remains.  (5 st)

The Tunisian modified single stitch for each row is completed as follows:

crochet strap in gray yarn with a pink crochet hook

Each row, starts like the above photo. Note that there is a vertical bar to the direct left of the hook and then a loop between the 2 bars. 

Chain 1 to start the row, then insert the hook through the next vertical bar and top loop.

crochet strap in gray yarn with a pink crochet hook

Yarn over and pull a loop through.  2 loops are now on the hook

crochet strap in gray yarn with a pink crochet hook

Repeat this process across the row until 5 loops are on the hook.

crochet strap in gray yarn with a pink crochet hook

To work the 2nd half of the row, *Yarn over and pull a loop through the first 2 loops on the hook.  Repeat from * across row.

crochet strap in gray yarn with a pink crochet hook

 At the end of the row, there is 1 loop on the hook.

crochet strap in gray yarn with a pink crochet hook

Continue to work the Tunisian modified simple stitch, remembering to chain 1 at the start of each row.  Work until the strap is the desired length.  I made mine 60” for a crossbody bag with an adjustable bar slide.  Adjust the length of your strap to your needs.

Gray crochet strap with hardware

Attaching The Hardware to the Strap

Attaching the bar slide can be confusing.  Here is how I do it.  Thread the strap through the bar slide and then through one of the swivel snap hooks.

Gray crochet strap with metal hardware

Then take the end and insert it behind the strap already in the bar slide.  You likely will need to push the strap out to make everything fit and then snug it up again.  Take the small piece left and sew it to the strap, following the arrow.  When done you should be able to loosen and tighten the strap.

Gray crochet strap with metal hardware

Finishing the Wander Bloom Bag

Sew Flower to bag as shown.  

Gray crochet bag with white stripes and pink flower

If desired, carefully hand sew a zipper inside the opening of the bag.  Alternatively you can sew lining with a zipper.  Heart Hook Home has a fantastic tutorial for sewing a lining for similar bag. Or you can create a loop with chains and sew a button on to close your bag.

I love seeing your finished projects!  If you enjoyed making the Wander Bloom Bag or any of my crochet patterns,  I’d love to see yours on Instagram, be sure to tag me @crochet365knittoo.  If you are on Facebook, stop over to the Crochet 365 Knit Too Facebook page or pop over to the Crochet365KnitToo Club and share a photo!  I’d love to see your work!

Pin image of a gray and white striped crochet bag with a pink flower

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