Crochet Market Bag Pattern: A Stretchy Mesh Bag With a Solid Base

A mesh market bag is mostly holes, which is exactly why it works: it uses very little yarn, folds down to almost nothing, and stretches to fit whatever goes into it. This version has a solid double crochet base so small items do not poke through the bottom, a chain-loop mesh body, a firm band at the top and one wide strap worked straight off that band. The only sewing is one short seam at the end of the strap.

Materials and gauge

• Worsted (#4) cotton yarn, about 150 yd (137 m)
• US H-8 (5 mm) crochet hook
• One stitch marker, a yarn needle and scissors

Gauge: 14 double crochet and 8 rounds = 4 in (10 cm). After Round 6 the base should measure roughly 6 to 6.5 in (15 to 16.5 cm) across. This is a little tighter than most worsted cotton labels suggest, and that is deliberate: a firm base and band keep their shape while the mesh does the stretching. Why cotton suits this bag is explained in the guide to the best yarn for crochet bags.

Finished size: about 10 in wide and 14 in tall (25 x 36 cm) laid flat and empty, not counting the strap.

Stitches used

The pattern uses US terms: chain (ch), slip stitch (sl st), single crochet (sc) and double crochet (dc). Throughout the base, the ch 3 at the start of a round counts as the first dc, and each round is joined with a sl st in the top of that ch 3.

The solid base

The base is a flat circle in double crochet. It starts with 12 stitches and gains 12 in every round.

1. Round 1: Make a magic ring. Ch 3, work 11 dc into the ring, pull the ring closed, join. (12 dc)
2. Round 2: Ch 3, dc in the same stitch, 2 dc in each of the next 11 stitches, join. (24 dc)
3. Round 3: Ch 3, 2 dc in the next stitch, [dc in the next stitch, 2 dc in the next stitch] 11 times, join. (36 dc)
4. Round 4: Ch 3, dc in the next stitch, 2 dc in the next stitch, [dc in the next 2 stitches, 2 dc in the next stitch] 11 times, join. (48 dc)
5. Round 5: Ch 3, dc in the next 2 stitches, 2 dc in the next stitch, [dc in the next 3 stitches, 2 dc in the next stitch] 11 times, join. (60 dc)
6. Round 6: Ch 3, dc in the next 3 stitches, 2 dc in the next stitch, [dc in the next 4 stitches, 2 dc in the next stitch] 11 times, join. (72 dc)

The mesh body

The mesh is built from chain-5 loops anchored with single crochet. Because 72 divides evenly by 3, skipping two stitches between anchors gives exactly 24 loops.

1. Round 7: Ch 1, sc in the same stitch as the join. [Ch 5, skip the next 2 stitches, sc in the next stitch] 23 times. Ch 2, skip the last 2 stitches, dc in the first sc of the round. (24 loops)
2. Round 8: Ch 1, sc around the post of the dc just made. [Ch 5, sc in the next ch-5 loop] 23 times. Ch 2, dc in the first sc of the round. (24 loops)

The closing “ch 2, dc” stands in for the 24th loop and leaves the hook at the top of it, ready for the next round, with no slip stitching along chains.

Repeat Round 8 until the mesh measures about 10 in (25 cm) from the edge of the base when the bag is held up without stretching it. That is usually 14 to 16 rounds, but go by the tape measure. Work each single crochet around the whole loop, not into an individual chain, and mark the first loop of the round if you lose track.

For tighter holes, chain 4 instead of 5 in every loop; the bag will be a little narrower and shorter for the same number of rounds. Other open fabrics are compared in the guide to mesh stitches for bags.

The top band

The band gathers the mesh and gives the strap something solid to pull on.

1. Band round 1: Ch 1, sc around the post of the dc just made. [Ch 2, sc in the next ch-5 loop] 23 times. Ch 2, sl st in the first sc. (24 sc and 24 ch-2 spaces)
2. Band round 2: Ch 1, sc in the same stitch. 2 sc in the next ch-2 space. [Sc in the next sc, 2 sc in the next ch-2 space] 23 times. Sl st in the first sc. (72 sc)
3. Band rounds 3 to 5: Ch 1, sc in each stitch around, sl st in the first sc. (72 sc)

Do not fasten off.

The strap

The strap is 8 stitches wide and grows directly out of the band. The 72 band stitches split into 8 for the strap base, 28 along the front, 8 where the strap lands, and 28 along the back.

1. Row 1: Ch 1, sc in the first 8 stitches of the band, turn. (8 sc)
2. Row 2: Ch 1 (does not count as a stitch), sc in each stitch across, turn. (8 sc)
3. Repeat Row 2 until the strap measures 18 in (46 cm). Fasten off, leaving a 16 in (40 cm) tail.

Count 28 band stitches from the last stitch of the strap base and mark the next 8. Check that the strap is not twisted, then whip stitch its end to those 8 stitches with the tail, going through both loops of each stitch. Run the needle back across the seam a second time before weaving in the end; this join carries the whole load.

If you want a strap that hardly stretches at all, the article on crochet bag straps covers doubled and reinforced versions that can replace this one.

How the bag behaves when filled

Empty, the mesh hangs in a narrow column. Loaded, each loop opens into a diamond, the body widens well beyond the band, and the whole bag hangs noticeably lower. That is the point of the design.

The holes are large, so this is a bag for bread, fruit, bottles and boxes. Anything small or loose is better off in drawstring crochet produce bags dropped inside it.