Shells and Cables Market Bag Crochet Pattern

Shop in style this summer with the Shells and Cables crochet market bag! Shells give the bag a delicate, lacy feel. The twisty cables and solid bottom give it the structure to hold up to your farmers’ market finds. Add trendy round handles and a button closure, and you may have the perfect summer bag!

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2022 Bag Along CAL

This shells and cables crochet market bag is the fourth pattern in the 2022 Bag Along CAL. Crochet along through 6 different bag patterns, with multiple technique tutorials for each. See the main CAL post for the full schedule.

Enter the Giveaway

With each new bag pattern, there will be a new giveaway as well! All the giveaway details and entry forms will be in the first post for each bag, which will also list all the materials needed for that bag. Here is the materials list and giveaway info for bag number 4.

The giveaway prizes for the CAL are all sponsored by WeCrochet. This fourth giveaway ends on August 26th, 2022 at 11:59pm, central time, so be sure to get your entries in!

Knit Picks Dishie Twist

WeCrochet also provided all of the Knit Picks yarns for the bag designs. For this shells and cables crochet market bag pattern, I chose Dishie Twist. It’s a soft and strong, worsted weight, cotton yarn with a twist.

Two colors are twisted together in each skein! In spinning, this effect is called “barberpole”, and it creates a unique texture when you crochet with it.

Dishie also comes in solid colors. If you’re feeling adventurous, try mixing solid and twisted colors! Use one color for the bottom of the bag (1 skein) and 1 color for the rest of the bag (2 skeins).

Shells and Cables Market Bag

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Materials

• Yarn: 3 skeins of Knit Picks Dishie Twist – 100% cotton, worsted weight yarn (190 yds / 100g per skein). Shown in color #28247 – Conch.
• Hook: US size H/5mm hook or size needed to match gauge
• Notions:
  • Scissors
  • Yarn needle
  • Circular bag handles (see note below)
  • 1-2″ button (optional)
  • Stitch marker

Circular bag handles come in a variety of sizes, materials, and colors. Any size between about 4″ and 8″ in diameter should be fine. The bag may sit a little differently depending on the diameter. Any color or material you like is fine as well. I used brown, wood handles that are about 5.4″ in diameter.

Project Level

Intermediate: Crossed post stitch cables, working in the round, working around a circular handle.

Size

14 inches x 14 inches, not including handles.

Gauge

15 ldc x 9 rounds = 4 inches.

Use the pattern as a gauge swatch: Bottom should measure 14 inches wide x 2.25 inches tall.

Abbreviations used

(Pattern is written in US terms)
ch = chain
dc = double crochet
dc cross = double crochet cross (see Special Stitches)
hdc = half double crochet
fptr = front post treble crochet
fptr cross = front post treble crochet cross (see Special Stitches)
rnd = round
sc = single crochet
shell = shell stitch (see Special Stitches)
sk = skip
sl st = slip stitch
st(s) = stitch(es)

Recommended Resources

• Shells and Cables stitch pattern (coming soon)
• How to attach circular handles to a crochet bag (coming soon)
• Linked Double Crochet (ldc)

Special Stitches

Linked Double Crochet (ldc):

1^st ldc: Ch 3 at the beginning of the row counts as first ldc.

2nd ldc: Insert hook into 2^nd ch of starting ch 3 and pull up a loop, insert hook in indicated st or sp and pull up a loop, (yo and pull through 2 loops on hook) twice.

Remaining ldc: Insert hook into the diagonal bar in the middle of the previous ldc and pull up a loop, insert hook in next indicated st or sp and pull up a loop, (yo and pull through 2 loops on hook) twice.

Shell Stitch (shell): (2 dc, ch 1, 2 dc) in indicated st.

When working into a shell, work into the ch-1 sp at the center.

Double Crochet Cross (dc cross): Sk next ch-1 sp, sk next sc, dc in next ch-1 sp, ch 1, working in front of dc just made, dc in skipped ch-1 sp.

When working into the cross on the next row, work into the ch-1 sp at the center.

Front Post Treble Crochet Cross (fptr cross): Fptr around the 2nd st of the cross two rows below your hook, ch 1, working in front of the fptr just made, fptr around the first st of the same cross.

On the current row, skip the sc and 2 ch-1 sps behind the cross. When working into the cross on the next row, work into the ch-1 sp at the center.

Instructions

Entire bag is crocheted on the right side of the work. Do not turn at the end of rounds.

Bottom

Ch 46

Rnd 1: Ldc in 4th ch from hook (skipped chs count as first ldc), ldc in each ch across to last ch, 5 ldc in last ch, working in opposite side of chs, ldc in each ch across to last ch, 4 ldc in last ch, join with sl st to first st. (94 ldc)

You should have 42 ldc across each side, and 5 on each end.

Rnd 2: Ch 3 (counts as first ldc throughout), ldc in each of next 42 sts, 2 ldc in each of next 2 sts, ldc in next st, 2 ldc in each of next 2 sts, ldc in each of next 42 sts, 2 ldc in each of next 2 sts, ldc in last st, ldc in same st as beginning of rnd, join with sl st to first st. (102 ldc)

Rnds 3-5: Ch 3, ldc in next st and in each st around, join with sl st to first st. (102 ldc)

Work should now measure about 14 inches wide x 2.25 inches tall.

Shells and Cables

Video tutorial for this section coming soon!

Scroll down for chart

Rnd 6: Ch 4 (counts as dc and ch-1), 2 dc in first st, ch 1, sk next 2 sts, sc in next st, ch 1, sk next 2 sts, [shell in next st, ch 1, sk next 2 sts, sc in next st, ch 1, sk next 2 sts] around, dc in same st as beginning of rnd to complete first shell, join with sl st to first dc. (17 shells, 17 sc, 34 ch-1 sps)

Rnd 7: Sl st in first ch-1 sp, ch 1, sc in same sp, ch 2, sk next 2 dc, dc cross, ch 2, [sc in next shell, ch 2, dc cross, ch 2] around to last 2 dc, sk last 2 dc, join with sl st to first sc. (17 dc crosses, 17 sc, 34 ch-2 sps)

Rnd 8: Ch 4, 2 dc in first sc, ch 1, sk next ch-2 sp, sc in next cross, ch 1, sk next ch-2 sp, [shell in next sc, ch 1, sk next ch-2 sp, sc in next cross, ch 1, sk next ch-2 sp] around, dc in same st as beginning of rnd to complete first shell, join with sl st to first dc. (17 shells, 17 sc, 34 ch-1 sps)

Rnd 9: Sl st in first ch-1 sp, ch 1, sc in same sp, ch 2, sk next 2 dc, fptr cross, ch 2, [sc in next shell, ch 2, fptr cross, ch 2] around to last 2 dc, sk last 2 dc, join with sl st to first sc. (17 fptr crosses, 17 sc, 34 ch-2 sps)

Rnds 10-35: Repeat rnds 8-9 an additional 13 times. Do not fasten off.

Shells and Cables Chart

Work only the black stitches on the chart. The greyed-out symbols show stitches from the previous section, and connecting stitches at the beginning/end of the round.

Handle

Video tutorial for this section coming soon!

Rnd 36: Sl st in first ch-2 sp, ch 3, ldc in same sp, 2 ldc in next cross, 2 ldc in next ch-2 sp, sk next sc, [2 ldc in next ch-2 sp, 2 ldc in next cross, 2 ldc in next ch-2 sp, sk next sc] around, join with sl st to first st. (102 ldc)

Rnd 37: Ch 3, ldc in each of next 10 sts, place the edge of the first handle against the edge of your work, working around the handle sc in each of next 23 sts, drop handle, ldc in each of next 28 sts, place the edge of the next handle against the edge of your work, working around the handle, sc in each of next 23 sts, drop handle, ldc in each of last 17 sts, join with sl st to first st. (56 ldc, 46 sc)

Fasten off, weave in ends.

Button Closure (optional)

Ch 30, fasten off.

Determine which side of the bag you want to be the back, and find the center stitch, directly under the handle. With right side facing, sew both tails from the chain into that center stitch. Weave each end in separately on the inside of the bag. This should form a long loop.

Turn bag over. Bring the loop through both handles and to the front of the bag. Hold it taught but not stretched, centered along the front of the bag. Mark the furthest point it reaches and sew the button onto that point.

The loop should now comfortably fit around the button, holding the bag closed.

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