Designed By: Lori Jean Karluk
Want to make a new tote bag for yourself or a friend? If so, consider this gorgeous granny square crochet tote bag with flower. This design incorporates a 3D flower granny square pattern, which is also available as a free crochet pattern on our website.
The most prominent design feature on this tote bag is a spectacular, three-dimensional crocheted aster flower. There are many other lovely little details: Hand embroidered flower stems and buds; interesting textured trim; and a fabric lining that makes the bag endlessly useful, enabling it to carry all your small treasures without falling through.
Crochet Skill Level: Intermediate
Materials You’ll Need to Make This Bag and Flower:
Worsted weight yarn. I used Red Heart Classic yarn colors: about 3 oz. pale sage No. 622 (A), about 2 oz. white No. 001 (B), bronze No. 286 (C), copper No. 289 (D) cardinal No. 917 (E) and dark sage No. 633 (F). You could substitute a similar yarn in the colors of your choice.
11 inch by 20 inch piece of fabric in color of your choice for lining. I used a light green shaded fabric to match the pale shade of yarn.
sewing thread to match fabric
sewing needle
tapestry needle for weaving in yarn ends, sewing and embroidery
US Size I hook
Finished Size: 11 inches by 12 inches excluding strap
Gauge: 8 dc = 2 inches; 3 dc rows = 2 inches
Abbreviations:
- ch = chain
- ea = each
- sl st = slip stitch
- sc = single crochet
- hdc = half double crochet
- dc = double crochet
Special Stitches:
Back Loop Only – When instructed to work in back loops only, you’ll insert your hook only into the back loop of the next stitch to be worked instead of working into both the front and back loops.
Front Loop Only – When instructed to work in front loops only, you’ll insert your hook only into the front loop of the next stitch to be worked instead of working into both the front and back loops.
How to Crochet the Tote Bag:
Aster Granny Square: Make 2 granny squares using color A and the granny square instructions from the aster granny square pattern.
Fabric Tote Bag Lining:
Place one piece on a piece of paper. Trace around it to make a paper pattern as a guideline for cutting out fabric liner shape allowing a little extra around edges for seam. Cut two liner pieces from fabric. With right sides together, sew around three sides leaving top open. Fold top edge of liner under ¼ inch to wrong side, and then fold under again. Sew along folded edge to hold edge in place. Set aside for later.
Assembly:
Holding two crocheted pieces together, matching stitches, join color B to corner stitch. Working sc through both pieces (to join the squares), sc in each st around three sides working 3 sc in each bottom corner stitches. Leave top open. Do not fasten off, turn.
Crochet the Trim:
You will be working the chains in a sort of zigzag pattern while doing the trim.
ch 11, sk next 5 sc, sc in next sc, ch 11 (you will be working in sc sts you just skipped from left to right), sc in first skipped sc, ch 11 (you will also be working in remaining sc sts in row from right to left), sc in next sc, ch 11, sc in next skipped sc (working from left to right), ch 11, sc in next sc (working right to left); repeat from * across 3 sides of tote leaving top open. Do not fasten off. Continue to sc evenly around top opening of tote. Fasten off. Weave ends in.
Insert the fabric liner into the tote. Hand sew top edge of liner to the inside of the tote in such a manner that the stitching will not show from the right side of the tote.
How to Crochet the Flower:
Work the Aster as Follows:
To begin: With color C, ch 2.
Round 1: 6 sc in 2nd ch from hook.
Round 2: * sc in next sc, 2 sc in next sc; repeat from * around (9 sc).
Round 3: change to color D, * sc in ea of next 2 sc, 2 sc in next sc; repeat from * around (12 sc).
Next, work on the petals of the aster, as follows:
Round 4: change to color E, * ch 13, sc in 2nd ch from hook, sc in next ch, hdc in ea of next 2 chs, dc in ea of next 6 chs, hdc in next ch, sc in next ch; sc in back loop of next sc of round 3, ch 11, sc in 2nd ch from hook, hdc in ea of next 3 chs, dc in ea of next 4 chs, hdc in next ch, sc in next ch, sc in back loop of next sc or round 3; repeat from * 5 times.
You were working in the back loops of round 3 for the back petals. Now you will work the front petals in the front loops of round 3.
Round 5: * ch 6, sc in 2nd ch from hook, sc in next ch, hdc in ea of next 2 chs, sc in next ch, sl st in front loop of Round 3, repeat from * 11 times. Fasten off leaving 12” yarn tail for sewing the aster to the square. Thread tapestry needle with yarn tail. Sew aster to center of square by stitching through round 5 at base of petals. Fasten off. Weave end in.
Finishing:
French Knots — Embroidered Details on the Granny Square Tote Bag
Embroidered details form the finishing touches on this tote bag. These photos give you a close look at the flower stems, which are embroidered and then finished with French knots:
Thread the tapestry needle with a 15 inch single strand of yarn in color indicated in photo. Embroider bud details in straight stitches and french knots in colors C, E, and F.
Tote Bag Strap:
With color B, ch 81.
Row 1: sc in 2nd ch from hook, sc in each ch across, turn.
Row 2: ch 2, hdc in each sc across, turn.
Row 3: ch 1, sc in each hdc across. Fasten off leaving 8 inch yarn tail.
With tapestry needle and yarn tail, sew end to inside of tote at top of one seam. With 8 inches of color B, sew opposite end of strap to opposite side of tote at inside top at seam. (refer to the photo to see where the strap ends are sewn to the tote).
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Page last updated on 7-1-2021. Thanks for visiting!