Sandsend Bag Crochet Pattern

Sandsend Bag in Rowan Summerlite DK

What is Being Made

The Sandsend Bag is a structured crochet tote bag designed by Lisa Richardson. This project creates a finished bag measuring 32 cm (12½ inches) wide and 39 cm (15¼ inches) deep, making it a practical everyday accessory. The bag features a geometric check pattern created through decorative weaving techniques applied after the main body is constructed.

Crochet Techniques Used

This advanced beginner project employs several key crochet techniques to achieve its finished design. The main body is constructed using a foundation chain and rounds of treble stitches with chain spaces, creating an open, airy fabric structure. The pattern requires working in continuous rounds, joining with slip stitches, and maintaining consistent tension throughout multiple repetitions of the stitch pattern. A significant portion of the project involves post-construction decoration, where decorative chain lines are woven through the existing fabric to create a check pattern across both sides of the bag. This weaving technique adds visual interest and demonstrates how crochet pieces can be embellished after the basic structure is complete. The handles are made separately as tubes and then attached to the top edges of the bag, adding another layer of construction technique.

Stitches Used

The Sandsend Bag utilizes fundamental crochet stitches appropriate for an advanced beginner level. The primary stitches include:

• Chain (ch) – used for the foundation and throughout the pattern for creating open spaces
• Treble (tr) – forms the main fabric of the bag body, worked in alternating pattern with chain spaces
• Double Crochet (dc) – used in the initial row of the bag foundation
• Slip Stitch (ss) – joins rounds and secures the decorative weaving lines

The stitch pattern creates a regular grid of treble stitches separated by chain spaces, which provides the structure necessary for the decorative weaving that follows. The handles use the same chain and treble stitch combination, worked in a tube formation.

Materials

This project is worked in Rowan Summerlite DK, a lightweight yarn suitable for warm-weather garments and accessories. The yarn requirements include three coordinating colors from the Summerlite DK range:

• Yarn A (Lemon 484) – 5 x 50g balls, used as the primary color for the bag body and handles
• Yarn B (Blue Haze 485) – 2 x 50g balls, used for the decorative check pattern weaving
• Yarn C (Fresh Green 486) – 2 x 50g balls, used for the decorative check pattern weaving

The project is worked using a 3.50mm (US E4) crochet hook, which is the appropriate size for achieving the specified tension with Summerlite DK yarn. The tension is measured at 23 stitches and 11 rows over 10 centimeters before decoration, and 22 stitches and 10 rows over 10 centimeters after the decorative weaving is complete. This slight change in tension reflects how the added weaving affects the overall fabric density.

Construction Overview

The Sandsend Bag is constructed in distinct phases. First, two handles are created by working 76 rounds of chain and treble stitches in a tube formation. Simultaneously, the main bag body is built from a foundation chain of 71 stitches, worked in continuous rounds of double crochet and treble stitches with chain spaces. Once the basic structure is complete, the handles are folded flat and attached to the top sides of the bag. The final phase involves the decorative weaving, where vertical and horizontal lines of chain stitches are worked in alternating colors (Blue Haze and Fresh Green) to create a check pattern across both sides of the bag. The vertical lines are worked in groups of four chain spaces, alternating between (1 Blue Haze, 2 Fresh Green, 1 Blue Haze) and (1 Fresh Green, 2 Blue Haze, 1 Fresh Green) sequences, with three empty chain spaces between each group. The horizontal weaving follows a similar principle, threading chain lines through the vertical structure to complete the geometric design.