Paintbox Yarns About Town Crossbody Bag Crochet Pattern

Paintbox Yarns About Town Crossbody Bag

What Is Being Made

The About Town Crossbody Bag is a structured, wearable crochet accessory designed as a practical everyday bag. This crossbody style bag measures 6¼ inches in height by 7 inches in width (16cm × 18cm), making it a compact option for carrying essentials. The finished bag features a gusseted construction that creates depth and dimension, allowing it to hold items securely while worn across the body.

Craft and Construction Method

This project is created using crochet techniques and is classified as an intermediateworked flat, meaning the main body pieces are crocheted in flat rows rather than in the round. This flat construction method makes the pattern more accessible for intermediate crocheters while still producing a professional-looking finished item. The bag is then assembled through strategic seaming to create its three-dimensional gusseted structure.

Crochet Stitches and Techniques

The About Town Crossbody Bag employs a combination of fundamental and decorative crochet stitches to achieve both structure and visual interest:

• Single crochet (double crochet in UK terminology) — The primary stitch used throughout the pattern, providing a dense, sturdy fabric suitable for a bag that will hold weight
• Front post double crochet (front post treble in UK terminology) — Used strategically within the pattern to create textured detail and visual dimension
• Chain stitch — Used for foundation chains and turning chains to establish row structure
• Slip stitch — Used for joining and finishing edges

The stitch pattern alternates between single crochet and front post double crochet in a repeating sequence, creating a textured stripe effect across the fabric. The pattern instructions use US crochet terminology with UK equivalents provided in parentheses, making it accessible to crocheters in different regions.

Materials and Tools Required

The About Town Crossbody Bag requires minimal materials, making it an efficient project:

• Yarn: One 8¾ ounce (250g) ball of Paintbox Yarns Recycled Crafty Pots in the colorway Granita. Paintbox Yarns is exclusively available through lovecrafts.com. The yarn quantities provided are approximate and based on average requirements.
• Crochet hook: An H-8 (5mm) crochet hook for working the pattern
• Additional tools: A darning needle for seaming the bag pieces together and weaving in yarn ends

Gauge and Finished Dimensions

The recommended gauge (tension) for this project is 14 stitches and 15 rows to 4 inches (10cm) when working in single crochet stitch using the H-8 (5mm) crochet hook. Achieving the correct gauge is important for ensuring the bag reaches its intended finished dimensions of 6¼ inches in height by 7 inches in width. The pattern notes that yarn quantities are approximate, and Paintbox Yarns recommends using only the specified yarn to ensure the best results with the finished item.

Assembly and Construction Details

The bag construction involves creating flat pieces that are then assembled into a three-dimensional structure. The pattern includes instructions for creating indented sections that form the base of the bag. These flaps are folded inward and joined in a "T" shape to create the gusset, which adds width and depth to the finished bag. The seaming continues up the front section, with approximately 3½ inches (9cm) remaining at the top for the opening and crossbody strap attachment.

Pattern Format and Accessibility

This is a free downloadable PDF pattern available through Paintbox Yarns. The pattern uses standard crochet abbreviations and notation, with repeat figures indicated in square brackets to show how many times a sequence should be worked. The pattern notes that stripes may vary from those shown in the project photograph, which is common when using variegated or hand-dyed yarns.