The Islander Crochet Tote is a fun and sturdy tote that can be crocheted in two different sizes. It’s perfect to wear when you are on-the-go and want only the essentials.
I love a good cotton yarn. There are so many different types of cotton yarn, that choosing the right one for your pattern can be quite confusing. When crocheting a tote or bag, it’s important to pick a nice sturdy yarn, especially one that will not stretch!
Scroll down for the free pattern, or you can purchase an ad free version HERE.
The Yarn
I have been wanting to crochet a tote bag using Lion Brand’s 24/7 Cotton yarn for a while now. This yarn is a mercerized cotton making it very durable. I like this yarn because its multi-purpose. You can make washcloths, garments, bags, baby items and even home decor projects with this yarn. It’s the perfect yarn for my Islander Tote pattern.
Disclosure: There are some affiliate links below, but these are all products I highly recommend. I won’t put anything in this post that I have not personally used or tested.
Because this yarn comes in a whopping 24 colors, it was hard to choose just one color. I thought about combining colors but that just made it even more difficult to decide. Eventually, I decided to crochet two Islander Tote bags.
The Purple tote you see in the pictures is the bigger tote, and the Jade color tote is the smaller bag. I decided to add hardware to these bags as well.
I wanted to add eyelets for two reasons. One, eyelets keep your bag from stretching. They add a nice professional look. Two, I thought it would be a great idea to crochet multiple bags in different colors and sizes and use the same strap. All that is needed is to unhook the strap from the eyelet! Pretty cool. right?
Construction
The construction of the Islander Crochet Tote is very simple. A stitch marker will be needed because you will not be joining rounds. You will start with a circle base that is crocheted entirely with the single crochet stitch. The body of the bag is crocheted in the single crochet and the picot single crochet stitch! That’s it 🙂
I really hope you enjoy this pattern! I had so much fun playing around with all the different colors of yarn and hardware. I hope you do too!
The Islander Crochet Tote Pattern
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NOTES
- A stitch marker will be needed for this pattern. The tote is worked in continuous rounds and you will not join.
- Tote is worked by first crocheting the base, then the body is worked in sc’s and psc’s in the round.
- Eyelets are added but are not necessary for the pattern.
- Any string, rope, lace etc. will work for the drawstring of this tote. You are not limited to the materials used in the pattern.
MATERIALS
Lion Brand 24/7 Cotton yarn. You will need 2 1/2 skeins for the larger tote or 1 1/2 skeins for the smaller tote.
5mm crochet hook and a 4mm crochet hook
Scissors
Tapestry needle
Eyelets (optional) – I used these ones.
Purse Strap – I used this black one, and this brown one.
Stitch Marker
Plastic Cutting Mats (optional) – I made a circle cut out to use as the base. I found mine at Walmart.
Drawstring – I used Realeather Deerskin Lace in Saddle Tan for the smaller Jade color tote. I had a yard of black string cut at Joann’s for the larger purple tote.
ABBREVIATIONS
Chain (ch)
Single Crochet (sc)
Picot Single Crochet (psc) – Insert hook into next st, yarn over and pull loop through. Yarn over, pull loop through first loop on hook (3 times). Yarn over, pull through both loops on hook.
Stitch (st)
Slip Stitch (ss)
SIZE
The bigger tote has a base that is approx. 8.5in in diameter. The height of the tote is approx. 10in.
The smaller tote has a base that is approx. 7.5in in diameter. The height of the tote is approx. 9in.
ISLANDER CROCHET TOTE INSTRUCTIONS
BASE:
5mm hook
Round 1 – 6 sc in magic circle
Place your stitch marker at the first st of every round to keep track of your stitches.
Round 2 – Make 2 sc in every st around (12)
Round 3 – 1 sc in first st, 2 sc in next. *1 sc in next st, 2 sc in next* Repeat *until end of round. (18)
Round 4 – 1 sc in the first two stitches, 2 sc in the next. *1 sc in the next two stitches, 2 sc in the next* Repeat *until end of round. (24)
Round 5 – 1 sc in the first three stitches, 2 sc in the next. *1 sc in the next three stitches, 2 sc in the next* Repeat *until end of round. (30)
Round 6 – 1 sc in the first four stitches, 2 sc in the next. *1 sc in the next four stitches, 2 sc in the next* Repeat *until end of round. (36)
Round 7 – 1 sc in the first five stitches, 2 sc in the next. *1 sc in the next five stitches, 2 sc in the next* Repeat *until end of round. (42)
Round 8 – 1 sc in the first six stitches, 2 sc in the next. *1 sc in the next six stitches, 2 sc in the next* Repeat *until end of round. (48)
Round 9 – 1 sc in the first seven stitches, 2 sc in the next. *1 sc in the next seven stitches, 2 sc in the next* Repeat *until end of round. (54)
Round 10 – 1 sc in the first eight stitches, 2 sc in the next. *1 sc in the next eight stitches, 2 sc in the next* Repeat *until end of round. (60)
Round 11 – 1 sc in the first nine stitches, 2 sc in the next. *1 sc in the next nine stitches, 2 sc in the next* Repeat *until end of round. (66)
Round 12 – 1 sc in the first ten stitches, 2 sc in the next. *1 sc in the next ten stitches, 2 sc in the next* Repeat *until end of round. (72)
Round 13 – 1 sc in the first eleven stitches, 2 sc in the next. *1 sc in the next eleven stitches, 2 sc in the next* Repeat *until end of round. (78)
Stop here if making Smaller tote. Scroll down to “body” section. Continue to Round 14 if making Larger tote.
Round 14 – 1 sc in the first twelve stitches, 2 sc in the next. *1 sc in the next twelve stitches, 2 sc in the next* Repeat *until end of round. (84)
Round 15 – 1 sc in the first thirteen stitches, 2 sc in the next. *1 sc in the next thirteen stitches, 2 sc in the next* Repeat *until end of round. (90)
Round 16 – 1 sc in the first fourteen stitches, 2 sc in the next. *1 sc in the next fourteen stitches, 2 sc in the next* Repeat *until end of round. (96)
BODY
Big Tote:
Rounds 17 thru 19 – 1 sc in every st around. (96)
Round 20 – Sc in the first st, psc in the next. *sc in the next st, psc in the next* Repeat *until end of round. (96)
Round 21 – 1 sc in every st around. (96)
Rounds 22 thru 51 – Repeat Rounds 20 & 21 respectively.
After completing Round 51, ss to first st of the round. We will now be working in joined rounds.
Switch to 4mm hook
Rounds 52 thru 58 – Ch.1, sc in the first st and each st around. (96)
Bind off
Small Tote:
Rounds 14 thru 16 – 1 sc in every st around. (78)
Round 17 – Sc in the first st, psc in the next. *sc in the next st, psc in the next* Repeat *until end of round. (78)
Round 18 – 1 sc in every st around. (78)
Rounds 19 thru 48 – Repeat Rounds 17 & 18 respectively.
After completing Round 48, ss to first st of the round. We will now be working in joined rounds.
Switch to 4mm hook
Rounds 49 thru 55 – Ch.1, sc in the first st and each st around. (78)
Bind off
HOW TO ADD THE EYELETS:
If you have never installed eyelets before to your crochet work, it may be helpful to watch this video tutorial first to get an idea of how it works.
Big Tote
Because there are 96 stitches around and the eyelets should be placed evenly around, there will be 48 sc in between each eyelet.
I chose to place the eyelet in the third sc row from the top. Because this is a circle tote you can place the first eyelet in between any two sc that you like. The second eyelet will then be placed 48 sc from the first. See pic below
Place the “top hat” looking piece of the eyelet on top of the base piece of the kit. Place the eyelet in between two sc from the outside of the tote to the inside.
Place the second circular part of the eyelet over the first eyelet so the fabric is in between both eyelets. Take the longer punch tool and place over the second eyelet.
With a hammer, tap the top of the longer tool to set the eyelet in place. I gave about 10 firm taps.
Complete the same process for the second eyelet.
Small Tote
Complete the same process for installing the eyelets on the bigger tote only with 39 sc in between each eyelet.
Drawstring:
There really isn’t any right or wrong way to weave the drawstring in/out of the tote. Below is what I chose to do and what you see in the pictures.
For the bigger tote, weave your drawstring in and out of the tote with 10 sc in between. You should end up with 6 sc in between both ends of the drawstring.
For the Smaller tote I chose to weave the drawstring in and out with 8 sc in between. You should end up with 6 sc in between both ends of the drawstring.
Pull and tie to close.
Base:
This part is completely optional but I thought a nice sturdy base added shape to the tote.
To achieve the base I bought flexible non-slid cutting mats and made a circular cut out about 1in less in diameter from the diameter of the tote. For example, the bigger tote base has a diameter of 8.5in, so I made the cut out 7.5in in diameter.
The cutting mats make for a great sturdy base! Place the circular cut out in the bottom of the tote and you’re good to go!
That’s it! 🙂
Thanks so much for following along with this Islander Crochet Tote pattern. Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram and Facebook so I can see your projects!
If you liked this pattern, you may also like:
- Asbury Tote / 2. Mochila Bag / 3. Boardwalk Crossbody
