Crochet Bag Pattern – Magical Stripes Mini Tote

Self striping yarns are fun on their own, but combining 2 different ones can be magic! This crochet bag pattern uses a helical technique to create seamless stripes. Add a personalized finishing touch with a Diamond Art applique!

Magical Stripes Tote - free crochet pattern on Stitches n Scraps

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Scrappy Stitchers Stash Bash Crochet Along

This crochet bag is the June pattern for the 2020 Stash Bash Crochet Along. Each month, I will post a new, stash-busting pattern, and a giveaway prize too! See the giveaway details below, and join in the fun on the Scrappy Stitchers Facebook group. Remember to use the hashtag #ScrappyStitchersStashBash in your social media posts!

Scrappy Stitchers 2020 Stash Bash Crochet Along

This post contains sponsored content and/or affiliate links. If you click an affiliate link and make a purchase, I may get a commission.

The magic of helical stripes

When you work in continuous rounds, without joining or chaining between rounds, you create a spiral. If you start 2 separate spirals, from opposite ends of the work, they will twist together as you go, creating “jogless” stripes.

The concept sounds complicated, but is actually easy to achieve. After one set up row, it becomes almost automatic and is great TV-time crochet!

My stash yarns

For this scrap yarn pattern, I used 2 different, self striping yarns from my stash.

The yarns I used for the Magical Stripes Mini Tote

These are both acrylic/wool blends, and are both spun as “singles”. Most yarns are made up of multiple plies that are twisted together. A single is a yarn that is only one, thick ply. This, plus the wool content, gives both of these yarns a fuzzy “halo”, particularly after washing.

You can use any worsted weight yarn for this pattern, but other yarns may not have the same fuzzy finish to them. If you don’t want the wool content but still want the fuzziness, a good substitution would be Lion Brand Landscapes.

Diamond Art from Leisure Arts

Our prize sponsor for this month’s giveaway is Leisure Arts. A while ago, I got one of their beautiful Diamond Art kits for free at a conference. I finished it, reviewed it, and then tucked it away until the right project came along.

This was that project. I added my Unicorn Diamond Art to my bag as an applique! I experimented with a few different adhesives before settling on one. See what worked, what didn’t, and what I ended up using, in this project post.

Mount Diamond Art to Your Crochet! Image shows a unicorn Diamond Art project attached to a crocheted bag.

Enter the giveaway

Leisure Arts is providing another, beginner Diamond Art kit as a giveaway prize for one lucky winner. Enter the giveaway for a chance to win! The winner can choose their design from the beginner kits available on the Leisure Arts website.

Diamond Art by Leisure Arts | LeisureArts.com

To be eligible, you must be 18 years of age or older, with a valid, US shipping address. The winner will be contacted by email, and must reply to that email and provide their selections and shipping address within 1 week in order to receive the prize. If the winner does not reply within 1 week, a new winner will be selected. The giveaway ends on July 3rd, 2020 (at 11:59pm, central time). Hurry and enter below!

This giveaway is powered by Rafflecopter, and they may ask for some log-in information if you are not already logged in. See the Rafflecopter privacy policy for more information. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Magical Stripes Mini Tote

4-medium
Project level Intermediate

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Materials

Project Level

Intermediate: Continuous rounds, alternating between colors, working with multiple strands held together, varying stitch patterns.

Size

12 inches wide x 13 inches tall, not counting strap.

Gauge

13 sts x 13 rounds = 4 inches in sc in continuous rounds.

Use pattern as gauge swatch – bottom should measure approximately 1.5 inches wide x 12 inches long. Exact gauge is not critical for this project.

Abbreviations used

(Pattern is written in US terms)
ch = chain
sc = single crochet
st(s) = stitch(es)
sl st = slip stitch
ch-sp = chain space
rnd = round

Instructions

Bottom

Holding 1 strand of each color together, ch 4 (foundation chain)

Row 1: Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across.

Rows 2-40: Ch 1, turn, sc in each st across.

Fasten off color B only.

Work should now measure approximately 1.5 inches wide x 12 inches long.

Bag is worked in continuous rounds, do not join or turn unless indicated. Mark the first stitch of each round.

When the instructions say to “drop” a color, remove the working loop from your hook and secure it with a stitch marker so it doesn’t pull out.

When the instructions say to “pick up” a color, pick up the free loop that was dropped earlier, and place it back on your hook. Remove the stitch marker.

Bag

Rnd 1 (set-up round): With color A, ch 1, turn, sc in each st across, working in sides of rows, sc in each row to next corner. Drop A.

Working in bottom of foundation chain, join B with sl st in next st, sc in same st and each st across, working in sides of rows, sc in each row to starting corner. Do not join. (86 sts total – 43 in each color).

Set up row of bag showing free loops of each color on opposite ends

Each round of the bag will have half the stitches in one color and half the stitches in the other. Note there is a live stitch of each color, on opposite ends of the bag.

From the rest of the bag portion, you should always be working into stitches of the opposite color. Basically, you will work until you hit the live loop of the other color, then switch to that color and continue (except for the adjustment rnd at the end).

Rnd 2: Continuing with color B, sc in next 43 sts. Drop B, pick up A. With A, sc in each remaining st around. (86 sts total – 43 in each color).

Rnd 3: Continuing with color A, sc in next 43 sts. Drop A, pick up B. With B, sc in each remaining st around. (86 sts total – 43 in each color).

Rnds 4-50: Repeat rnds 2-3 23 times, then repeat rnd 2 once more.

The adjustment / partial round is purely to move where the round starts. Each free loop is shifted by 15 stitches, so that they each end up on a side edge of the bag.

Adjustment / partial rnd: Continuing with A, sc in next 15 sts. Drop A, pick up B, sc in next 15 sts.

Bag after adjustment round, showing free loops of each color on opposite sides.

Border

Rnd 51: Continuing with B, (sc in next st, ch 1, sk next st) 21 times, sc in next st. Drop A, pick up B. With B, (sc in next st, ch 1, sk next st) 21 times, sc in last st. (44 sts, 42 ch-1 sps).

Rnd 52: Continuing with A, (ch 1, sk next st, sc in next ch-1 sp) 21 times, ch 1, sk next st. Drop A, pick up B. With B, (ch 1, sk next st, sc in next ch-1 sp) 21 times, ch 1, sk next st. (42 sts, 44 ch-1 sps).

Rnd 53: Continuing with B, (sc in next ch-1 sp, ch 1, sk next st) 21 times, sc in next ch-1 sp. Drop B, pick up A. With A, (sc in next ch-1 sp, ch 1, sk next st) 21 times, sc in next ch-1 sp, sl st in next st. (44 sts, 42 ch-1 sps).

Drop A, pick up B. With B, sl st in next st, then fasten off B only.

Strap

Join B with sl st in the same st as the last sl st of A. Both loops should now be coming out of the same st. Place both loops on your hook.

Join second color for handle

Strap is now worked with both yarns held together, in turned rows.

Row 1: Ch 1, turn, sc in next 2 sts. (2 sts)

Row 2: Ch 1 turn, sc2tog. (1 st)

Row 3: Ch 1, turn, 2 sc in st. (2 sts)

Rows 4-99: Repeat rows 2-3 49 times more or to desired length.

Fasten off both colors together, leaving a 10 inch tail for sewing.

Finishing

Mount Diamond Art to Your Crochet! Image shows a unicorn Diamond Art project attached to a crocheted bag.

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I hope you enjoyed this crochet bag pattern. A downloadable pdf of this pattern is available on Ravelry for a small fee. The fee for the pdf format is to offset the advertising revenue lost when you print or download the pattern rather than viewing it online.

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