Tapestry crochet drawstring bag with a cat

Tapestry crochet drawstring bag with a cat

PDF: If you prefer a printable PDF pattern, you can buy it here.

Materials

• Yarn: any thin yarn will work. I used Järbo 8/4 100% Cotton “Mercerized & Gassed” 50 g (offwhite and gray).
• Hook: as suggested on your yarn label. I used hook size 2.0.

Abbreviations (US terms)

• ch: chain
• sl st: slip stitch
• sc: single crochet
• msc: modified single crochet
• prev: previous
• st: stitch
• rep * *: repeat from * to *

Notes

The size of my bag is 10.0 x 15.0 cm. You will be working in rounds. For this pattern you should be familiar with the tapestry crochet (you can find the tutorial here). Photo instructions below show the main steps how to make a bag and a string. This pattern uses a modified single crochet: make a single crochet back loop only, just instead of yarning over for the last step, yarn under (see the tutorial here). Except the first round and the two rounds where you make holes for a string, every round is made in the same way: chain one, make 63 modified single crochets, join with a slip stitch. Follow the color chart showing how you should change colors.

Pattern

The bag

Start by chaining 32 with your offwhite yarn.

Round 1: To make the first round, you will be working down the chain, then turn and work in the other side of the chain. Make sc in every st of the chain starting from the second chain from your hook. Turn. 1 sc in the end of the chain, make sc in every st (starting with the one you have just worked into; now that st has 3 sc in total) until you come back to the beginning of the chain. 1 sc in the end of the chain. Join with a sl st to the first sc of this round (in all other rounds you will join with a sl st to the ch 1). In total you should have 64 st.

Now add the gray yarn and follow the color chart for all rounds until the end.

Round 2-35: ch 1, msc in every st of the prev round. Join with a sl st.

Making the holes for the string:

Round 36: ch 1, *ch 2, skip 2 st of the prev round, 2 msc*, rep ** 15 times, ch 2, skip 2 st of the prev round, 1 msc. Join with a sl st.

Round 37: ch 1, *2 msc in the ch2 space of the prev round (make sure to grab the loose yarn hanging in the ch2 space in the prev round too), 2 msc*, rep ** 15 times, 2 msc in the ch2 space of the prev round, 1 msc. Join with a sl st.

Round 38-42: ch 1, msc in every st of the prev round. Join with a sl st.

Fasten off.

Making the string

Start by chaining. The length of the chain should be around 31-32 cm long. Make a row of slip stitches in the third loop of the chain as it is shown in photo instructions below. When you reach the end of the row, fasten off. You are ready to weave in the string into your bag. Done!

Color chart

How to read the chart

Each square represents a stitch and its color. In each round you have 64 stitches (64 columns in the chart). Rows represent rounds. For each round you have to read the row in the chart from right to left.

In the chart, red squares indicate where you should make holes for the string. When you chain 2 for a hole, you cannot hide the yarn you are not working with: it will be ‘hanging’ in the hole. Don’t worry, when you will make round 37, you will grab both yarns you need to hide: the one in round 37 and the one in round 36. See photo instructions.

Photo instructions for the tapestry crochet drawstring bag with a cat

Making the bag

Round 1

1. Start by chaining 32.

2. Make a single crochet in the second chain from your hook.

3. Continue making single crochets until the end of the chain.

4. Then make one single crochet in the end of the chain.

5. Turn your work and make one more single crochet in the same stitch.

6. Then continue making single crochets in every stitch until you reach the end.

7. Make one single crochet in the end of the chain. In total you should have 64 stitches.

8. Join with a slip stitch to the first single crochet of this round.

Round 2

9. Chain one.

10. Insert your hook in the next stitch grabbing just the back loop.

11. Yarn over.

12. Pull the yarn through. Now you have two loops on your hook. Next, take your gray yarn and put it behind your hook and in front of the offwhite yarn like it is shown in the picture.

13. Then yarn over the offwhite yarn.

14. Pull the yarn through both loops.

15. To make the modified single crochet, insert your hook in the next stitch like it is shown in the picture.

16. Yarn over the offwhite yarn.

17. Pull the yarn through. Now you have two loops on your hook.

18. Yarn under the offwhite yarn.

19. Pull the yarn through. You have just made a modified single crochet.

20. Continue making modified single crochets until the end of the round.

21. To join with a slip stitch, insert your hook in the chain one that you make in the beginning of the round (leave the gray yarn away).

22. Yarn over and pull the yarn through.

Round 3

23. In round 3 you have to change yarn color because the 42nd stitch should be gray (remember that chain one that you make in the beginning of each round counts as a stitch). So, make 40 stitches, start making the 41st stitch but don’t finish it, stop when you have two loops on your hook.

24. Then put your gray yarn up and yarn under.

25. Pull the yarn through. Your gray yarn is ready to use.

26. Make 2 full modified single crochets with the gray yarn, start making the 3rd modified single crochet but stop when you have two loops on your hook because you have to change yarn color again.

27. So, put the offwhite yarn up. Yarn under and pull the yarn through. The offwhite yarn is ready to use.

Round 36

28. In round 36 you have to make holes for a string.

29. Chain three.

30. Then skip two stitches of the previous round and make two modified single crochets in the next two stitches. You can see that the gray yarn is hanging in the hole. That is fine.

31. Chain two, skip two stitches and make two modified single crochets in the next two stitches.

32. Keep working in the same way until the end of the round and join with a slip stitch.

Round 37

33. Chain one.

34. Then insert your hook in the chain two space grabbing both gray yarns like it is shown in the picture.

35. Yarn over the offwhite yarn.

36. Pull the yarn through through. Now you have two loops on your hook.

37. Yarn under the offwhite yarn and pull it through both loops on your hook.

38. Make one more modified single crochet in the chain two space of the previous round. Then make two modified single crochets in the next two stitches and two modified single crochets in the next chain two space of the previous round. Continue working in the same way until the end of the round. Follow the pattern until the end.

Finished tapestry crochet drawstring bag with a cat

39. Done!

Making the string

1. Start with a chain.

2. Now you will be working in the third loop of your chain which is behind ‘v’.

3. Insert your hook in the third loop of the chain and yarn over.

4. Pull the yarn through. Now you have two loops on your hook.

5. Pull the first loop through the other one. Now you have one loop on hour hook. You have just made your first slip stitch.

6. In the photo you can see that after several stitches it starts looking like two chains stuck together. Continue making slip stitches in the third loop of the chain until the end of the row. Fasten off. Done!

Enjoy your tapestry crochet drawstring bag with a cat!

PDF: If you prefer a printable PDF pattern, you can buy it here.

You can save this pattern to Pinterest here.