The Japanese knot bag is a favorite because it's easy to store, holds quite a bit of essentials, and is versatile to style. This pattern can be adjusted to handbag or tote size if you want something to fit your books or other larger items.
Feel free to customize to your liking with the type of yarn, hook size, and colors. I'm showing you how to construct the shape of the bag and not distracting you with color changes, though I will explain how I got this beautiful ombre reminiscent of a sunset.
Project Time: ~4-6 hours
Materials:
US size H/ 5mm hook
#4 medium weight yarn- (1) 7oz skein is enough to make a 9" x 12" bag
tapestry needle & scissors
Things to Keep in Mind:
You can use whatever hook size and yarn weight you like, and I encourage you to experiment with that so you can familiarize yourself with gauge, which is stitch size based on thickness of yarn, size of hook, and tightness of stitch because you will organically learn how to adjust a pattern to get your desired fit.
Abbreviations:
ch- chain, sts- stitches, sc- single crochet, sl st- slip stitch, 2sc- work 2 single crochets into same stitch
("sc2"= 1 sc into 2 individual stitches)
Size: 9" tall x 11" wide, longer strap 12.5" & shorter strap 7"
Pattern
You're essentially going to crochet a 11" x 3" cylinder for the base, then work in the round to create the body of the bag. Make one long strap and one shorter strap then attach.
Base:
(Worked in the round without turning.) Create a slip knot and chain 33.
2sc into second chain from hook, sc 30 sts, 3sc into last stitch, (working on other side of chain) sc 30 sts, sc into first stitch where you put 2sc and sl st to beginning.
2sc first st, 2sc next st, sc 30 sts, 2sc next 3 sts, sc 30 sts, 2sc, sl st to beginning.
(sc 2, 2sc) twice, sc 30 across, (sc 2, 2sc) x 3, sc 30 across, (sc 2, 2sc), sl st to beginning.
(sc 3, 2sc) twice, sc 30 across, (sc 3, 2sc) x 3, sc 30 across, (sc 3, 2sc), sl st to beginning.
sc in back loop only around, sl st to beginning.
Body:
sc around, sl st to beginning for 40 rows
Straps
Find halfway point on the left side and attach yarn. Work 12 sc across.
Turn work, then sc 12. Repeat til you have 56 rows total.
Fasten off, leaving a tail to sew the strap to the body.
Find halfway point on the right side and attach yarn. Work 12 sc across.
Turn work, then sc 12. Repeat til you have 28 rows total.
Fasten off, leaving a tail to sew the strap to the body.
Fold straps in half and line the ends up, skipping 3 stitches, then sew the end of each strap to the bag body.
Weave in ends and you're done!
For my visual learners, here's some imagery to make sure you're on the right track.
This pattern is my own, so I ask that you please do not sell it, although you are free to sell your creations and save this pictorial for future reference.
If you're not familiar with stitch diagrams, I hope this helps. The solid red oval is the first chain that you made and the red outlined oval would be the end chain where you initially work three single crochets. With your piece oriented this way, the direction of crochet would be: left, down, right, up. Of course, you will probably turn your work, but that is the best way to visualize how to read the diagram.
Size Adjustments:
This is a basic guideline for adjusting measurements based on gauge for #4 medium weight yarn with a 5mm hook. To make the bag smaller or larger, start with adjusting the number of stitches in your base before you add or remove rows to the body to keep the bag shape proportionate. Remember to start with one more chain than needed and work increases around the corners the same. See diagram above.
small- 9" x 3" base x 7" tall
start with 24 sts (ie 25 chains), 34 rows for body
large- 14" x 5" base x 12" tall
start with 44 sts (ie 45 chains), 50 rows for body
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