Magra Bag Crochet Pattern

Magra Bag in Berroco Estiva

What is Being Made

The Magra Bag is an intermediate-level crochet project designed by Donna Yacino that creates a spacious tote-style bag. The finished bag measures approximately 28 inches around at the center, expanding to 32 inches around at the top edge, with a height of 16 inches (not including handles). This structured bag is suitable for everyday use and features removable stitch markers for tracking progress during construction.

Construction Method and Techniques

The Magra Bag is worked from the bottom up, beginning at the dark end of the first yarn cake. This bottom-up construction approach allows for gradual shaping as the bag expands toward the top edge. When the second cake of yarn is introduced, crafters begin with the light end to create intentional color variation in the finished piece. The handles are worked as an integral part of the bag structure, completed at the end of the project rather than added separately.

The pattern employs several advanced crochet techniques including multiple stitch decreases. These specialized decreases—2TRtog, 4TRtog, 5TRtog, and DC3tog—are essential for shaping the bag and creating the structured silhouette. The 2TRtog decrease involves leaving the last loop of each stitch on the hook while working treble stitches, then yarning over and pulling through all loops to complete a single decreased stitch. Similar techniques are used for the 4TRtog and 5TRtog decreases, which reduce multiple stitches into one. The DC3tog decrease combines double crochet stitches in a comparable manner for additional shaping options.

Stitches Used

The primary stitch throughout the Magra Bag is half double crochet (hdc), which forms the main fabric and provides a balanced texture with good drape and structure. The pattern also incorporates single crochet (sc) stitches, particularly in the finishing rounds where alternating single crochet and half double crochet create a decorative edge detail. Treble (tr) and double crochet (dc) stitches appear in the specialized decrease abbreviations used for shaping. Slip stitches (sl st) are used for joining rounds and securing stitches, while chain stitches (ch) create the turning chains between rows and rounds.

Materials and Tools

The Magra Bag pattern calls for Berroco Estiva yarn, a lightweight yarn requiring 2 cakes (300 grams total) in colorway #2632 Night Sky. Berroco Estiva is a smooth, versatile yarn well-suited to structured bag projects. A 4.50 mm (size 7) crochet hook is used, or a size adjusted to match the required gauge of 18 half double crochet stitches and 13 rows equaling 4 inches. Two removable stitch markers are recommended to track pattern repeats and round beginnings throughout construction. Checking gauge before beginning is essential to ensure the finished bag achieves the specified measurements.

Skill Level

This project is rated as intermediate difficulty, making it suitable for crocheters with foundational skills who are ready to advance to more complex shaping techniques. The multiple decrease abbreviations and color work transitions require attention to detail and pattern-reading ability, while the straightforward bottom-up construction and repetitive stitch patterns provide a manageable learning curve for intermediate crafters.