Intermediate
What the pattern's own author called it. Nothing here is graded again.
Bags & Accessories 13 Laid out for paper No account, no download
Crochet Mini Bag With a Customizable Bangle Handle
A crochet mini bag built around a bangle handle, worked flat with a 4mm hook from Row 1 to Row 46.
- Skill
- Intermediate
- Time
- 4-6 hours
- Yarn weight
- Fingering
- Hook
- 4 mm
- Rounds
- 13
Fingering
What the sample was worked in. Any weight works; the size moves with it.
13
Each one is typed out whole and gets its own line.
This mini bag builds directly onto its own handle, so the bangle or bracelet you choose becomes frame and foundation rather than a piece added afterward. A single slip-stitched foundation row wraps the handle, then a run of rows shapes the top corners with a center increase before the body works straight for many rows and tapers again near the base. Work with a 4mm hook and 2mm non-stretch yarn, and keep the handle, scissors, and a darning needle within reach before the first stitch goes in.
Common mistakes and their fixes
- Losing the increase stitch's position
- The 3-sc increase happens in a single stitch at the center of the row; if it drifts even one stitch, the two sides stop matching. Place a marker in the center stitch before starting each of Rows 1 through 6.
- Working Row 1 in both loops
- Row 1's foundation is worked in the back loop only; working through both loops changes the ridge line the rest of the bag builds from. Check the first few stitches before continuing into the single crochet sections.
- Skipping the row-start skip-2 setup
- The skip-2, slip-stitch pattern repeats at both ends of nearly every row; missing it shifts the stitch count for every row that follows. Count out the skip before placing the first slip stitch each time.
The materials list
- 4mm crochet hook
- 2mm non-stretch yarn
- Bag handle (a bangle or bracelet)
- Scissors
- Darning needle
Listed by the pattern's own author, in their words.
Key to this pattern, 6 short forms
Main Pattern
Foundation Row
Attach yarn to the handle and chain 9 (ch9).
Round 1
Skip 2 stitches (sts), then slip stitch (sl st) in the 3rd and 4th stitches in the back loop only (BLO).Single crochet (sc) in the next 2 stitches in the BLO.Work 3 single crochet in the next stitch in the BLO.Then, single crochet in the next 2 stitches in the BLO. And slip stitch in the last 2 stitches in the BLO.
Slip stitch around the handle and chain 1.
Round 2
Skip 2 stitches, slip stitch in the next 2 stitches, single crochet in the next 3 stitches, 3 single crochet in the next stitch, single crochet in the next 3 stitches, and slip stitch in the last 2 stitches.
Round 3
Skip 2 stitches, slip stitch in the next 2 stitches, single crochet in the next 4 stitches, 3 single crochet in the next stitch, single crochet in the next 4 stitches, and slip stitch in the next 2 stitches.
Round 4
Skip 2 stitches, slip stitch in the next 2 stitches, single crochet in the next 5 stitches, 3 single crochet in the next stitch, single crochet in the next 5 stitches, and slip stitch in the next 2 stitches.
Round 5
Skip 2 stitches, slip stitch in the next 2 stitches, single crochet in the next 6 stitches, 3 single crochet in the next stitch, single crochet in the next 6 stitches, and slip stitch in the next 2 stitches.
Round 6
Skip 2 stitches, slip stitch in the next 2 stitches, single crochet in the next 7 stitches, 3 single crochet in the next stitch, single crochet in the next 7 stitches, and slip stitch in the next 2 stitches.
Rounds 7–15
Continue increasing by adding 1 single crochet on each side of the middle 3 single crochet.
For Row 16-32
No increase in the middle section of the bag.
Rounds 16–32
Slip stitch in the first 2 stitches, single crochet in each of the next stitches, and slip stitch in the last 2 stitches.
Round 33
2 slip stitch, 16 single crochet, decrease (dec), 16 single crochet, 2 slip stitch.
Round 34
2 slip stitch, 15 single crochet, decrease, 15 single crochet, 2 slip stitch.
Round 35
2 slip stitch, 14 single crochet, decrease, 14 single crochet, 2 slip stitch.
Rounds 36–46
Continue decreasing. Final Row: 2 slip stitch, 2 single crochet, decrease, 2 single crochet, 2 slip stitch.
Check these before you start
- Row 1 is worked entirely in the back loop only; keep the front loops free so the foundation ridge along the handle stays defined.
- The two slip stitches at the start and end of each row form the side edges; keep tension even there so the sides don't pull tighter than the single crochet body.
- The single 3-sc increase sits at the center of the row in Rows 1 through 6; mark that stitch if you tend to lose track over repeated rows.
On one line
| Rounds | 13 |
|---|---|
| Parts | 3 |
| Level | Intermediate |
| Time | 4-6 hours |
| Hook | 4 mm |
| Yarn | Fingering |
Set-up
- Confirm the circumference of the bangle or bracelet you plan to use; the foundation row wraps directly around it, so its size sets the finished bag's opening.
- Wind enough 2mm non-stretch yarn to carry through without a join, since the piece runs continuously from the foundation row through Row 46.
- Read Row 1 in full before starting; the skip-2-then-slip-stitch setup determines where the back loop only stitches fall for the rest of that row.
- Use the 4mm hook consistently throughout; a smaller hook against non-stretch yarn will crowd the tight slip stitches at each row's edge.
Finishing
- Weave in all ends with the darning needle once the final row (2 slip stitch, 2 single crochet, decrease, 2 single crochet, 2 slip stitch) is complete.
- Bring the two tapered edges of the base together and seam or slip stitch them closed along the final rows to form the bottom of the bag.
- Attach the optional rose accent at the point you choose once the bag's final shape is set.
Construction
The center 3-sc increase repeated in Rows 1 through 6 widens each side of the row symmetrically, shaping the curved corners where the bag flares out from the handle attachment.
No increase occurs from Row 16 through Row 32, keeping the body straight-sided; the matching decrease sequence beginning at Row 33 then drops one stitch from each side per row through Row 46, tapering the base to a point that mirrors the top shaping.
Time per section
| Foundation and corner shaping (Row 1-6) | about 30-45 minutes, because the center increase in each row needs a stitch count check before moving on. |
|---|---|
| Straight body (Row 16-32) | about 1-1.5 hours, because it runs 16 or more rows without shaping and is largely repetitive single crochet. |
| Base taper (Row 33-46) | about 45 minutes to 1 hour, because the decrease count changes every row and needs closer counting than the straight body. |
Photographs of this one
Every one was taken by whoever published the pattern, in the order the source listed them.
Common questions
These answers came from whoever first published the pattern, kept word for word.