Intermediate
What the pattern's own author called it. Nothing here is graded again.
Bags 27 Laid out for paper No account, no download
Ocean Blue Kitty Tote Bag Crochet Pattern
Cat tote in bulky cotton: 92-st spiral body over 40 rounds, sc2tog ear shaping, J/10 hook.
- Skill
- Intermediate
- Time
- 4-6 hours
- Yarn weight
- Bulky
- Hook
- 6.0 mm
- Rounds
- 27
Bulky
What the sample was worked in. Any weight works; the size moves with it.
27
Each one is typed out whole and gets its own line.
This tote builds a cat face and body from a single continuous spiral: 92 single crochet stitches per round for 40 rounds, worked without joins until the body reaches about 10 inches tall. Two corners get marked at the top edge, then flat triangular ears are shaped from those points with sc2tog decreases. A small mint bow, built from a flat center piece and bow loops, sits on the front alongside navy embroidered face details. Have a stitch marker, yarn needle, and two D-rings ready before starting.
Based on the proportions shown, this kitty tote bag measures approximately: Width 14 inches across the top; Height 12 inches from base to ear tips (about 10 inches to the top edge, plus 2 inch ears); Depth 4 inches at the base; Strap length 24 inches (adjustable).
Common mistakes and their fixes
- Losing the round start in the spiral
- Move the stitch marker up at the end of every round from round 1 through round 40, since there is no join to mark it for you.
- Ears coming out uneven
- Work the sc2tog at both ends of every row on each ear and count stitches after each row so both sides taper at the same rate.
- Bag body too floppy to hold shape
- Check the gauge swatch against 14 sc and 16 rows to 4 inches before starting the spiral, and size down the hook if stitches look loose.
The materials list
Yarn
- Main color (Teal/Ocean Blue): 350 yards of bulky weight yarn, size 5. I recommend a cotton or cotton blend for structure. Lily Sugar’n Cream in Teal or Bernat Maker Home Dec would work beautifully.
- Contrast color (Mint): 25 yards for the bow
- Accent color (Navy): Small amount for embroidered face details
Hook
- Size J/10 (6.0mm) crochet hook, or size needed to obtain gauge
Notions
- 2 metal D-rings or O-rings, 1 inch diameter
- Yarn needle for weaving ends and embroidery
- Stitch marker
- Scissors
- Gauge
- 14 single crochet stitches and 16 rows = 4 inches in single crochet worked in the round.
- Gauge matters here! A tighter gauge means a sturdier bag that won’t stretch out when you load it up. If your stitches look loose or holey, go down a hook size.
- 2 black safety eyes, 18mm (or black buttons, or embroider the eyes)
Listed by the pattern's own author, in their words.
Key to this pattern, 8 short forms
Base of the Bag
The bottom of the tote is worked flat in rows, creating an oval shape. This gives your bag a nice structured base.
Row 1
Ch 25. Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across. (24 sc)
Row 2
Ch 1, turn. 2 sc in first st, sc in next 22 sts, 2 sc in last st. (26 sc)
Row 3
Ch 1, turn. 2 sc in first st, sc in next 24 sts, 2 sc in last st. (28 sc)
Row 4
Ch 1, turn. 2 sc in first st, sc in next 26 sts, 2 sc in last st. (30 sc)
Row 5
Ch 1, turn. 2 sc in first st, sc in next 28 sts, 2 sc in last st. (32 sc)
Row 6
Ch 1, turn. Sc in each st across. (32 sc)
Rows 7–10
Repeat Row 6. (32 sc each row)You should now have a rectangular base approximately 4 inches by 9 inches.
Body of the Bag
Now you’ll work in continuous rounds to build up the sides. Place a stitch marker at the beginning of your round and move it up as you go.
Joining Round
Ch 1. Working in BLO around the entire edge of the base, sc evenly around all four sides. Work approximately 32 sc along each long side and 14 sc along each short side. Place marker. (approximately 92 sc)Don’t stress about the exact count here. The important thing is that your stitches are evenly spaced and the work lies flat without puckering.
Rounds 1–40
Sc in each st around. Do not join. Continue working in a spiral, moving your marker up each round. (92 sc per round)After 40 rounds, your bag body should measure approximately 10 inches tall. Try it on your shoulder with the strap placement in mind. Add or subtract rounds if needed.
Marking the corners
Ear 1 (Right Side):
Round 1
Starting at right corner marker, sc across 23 sts to the next corner marker. Ch 1, turn. (23 sc)
Round 2
Sc2tog, sc to last 2 sts, sc2tog. Ch 1, turn. (21 sc)
Round 3
Sc2tog, sc to last 2 sts, sc2tog. Ch 1, turn. (19 sc)
Round 4
Sc2tog, sc to last 2 sts, sc2tog. Ch 1, turn. (17 sc)
Round 5
Sc2tog, sc to last 2 sts, sc2tog. Ch 1, turn. (15 sc)
Round 6
Sc2tog, sc to last 2 sts, sc2tog. Ch 1, turn. (13 sc)
Round 7
Sc2tog, sc to last 2 sts, sc2tog. Ch 1, turn. (11 sc)
Round 8
Sc2tog, sc to last 2 sts, sc2tog. Ch 1, turn. (9 sc)
Round 9
Sc2tog, sc to last 2 sts, sc2tog. Ch 1, turn. (7 sc)
Round 10
Sc2tog, sc in next 3 sts, sc2tog. (5 sc) Fasten off, leaving a 6 inch tail for weaving in.
Ear 2 (Left Side):
Skip the 23 stitches along one short side of the bag. Join yarn at the next corner marker. Repeat Rows 1 through 10 as for Ear 1.
Shoulder Strap
The strap needs to be sturdy since it carries all the weight. Working with double strands or a tighter gauge helps here.
Row 1
Ch 7. Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across. (6 sc)
Rows 2–120
Ch 1, turn. Sc in each st across. (6 sc)This creates a strap approximately 30 inches long. Adjust the number of rows for your preferred length. I recommend trying it on before fastening off. Fasten off, leaving long tails for attaching.
Strap Attachment Tabs (Make 2)
These tabs loop through the metal rings and attach to the inside of the bag.
Row 1
Ch 9. Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across. (8 sc)
Rows 2–6
Ch 1, turn. Sc in each st across. (8 sc)Fasten off, leaving a 12 inch tail.
Center piece
This little mint bow adds so much personality. It’s quick and simple.
Round 1
Ch 5. Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across. (4 sc)
Round 2
through 8: Ch 1, turn. Sc in each st across. (4 sc) Fasten off, leaving a long tail.
Bow loops
Round 1
Ch 21. Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across. (20 sc)
Round 2
through 6: Ch 1, turn. Sc in each st across. (20 sc) Fasten off, leaving a long tail.
Creating the Cat Face
Eyes: If using safety eyes, position them about 4 inches up from the bottom of the bag and roughly 3 inches apart. Mark placement with pins first. Push the post through from the outside and secure the backing on the inside.
If embroidering the eyes, use black yarn and make tight satin stitch circles about the size of a nickel.
Nose: Using navy yarn, embroider a small triangle nose centered below and between the eyes. Make it about 1 inch wide at the top.
Whiskers: Using navy yarn, embroider 3 straight lines on each side of the nose, angling outward. Each whisker should be about 1.5 inches long.
Mouth: Embroider two small curved lines extending down from the bottom point of the nose, like an upside down Y.
Check these before you start
- Gauge determines whether the finished bag holds its shape under a load; if stitches look loose or holey, drop a hook size before starting round 1.
- The body is a spiral with no join, so the marker must move up every single round or the round count will drift by the time you reach round 40.
- Both ears are worked flat from opposite corner markers with matching sc2tog decreases at each end; count stitches after every row to keep the two ears symmetrical.
On one line
| Rounds | 27 |
|---|---|
| Parts | 8 |
| Level | Intermediate |
| Time | 4-6 hours |
| Hook | 6.0 mm |
| Yarn | Bulky |
Set-up
- Confirm yardage on hand: 350 yards main teal, 25 yards mint for the bow, and a small amount of navy for the face.
- Swatch first: 14 sc and 16 rows should measure 4 inches in the round with the J/10 (6.0mm) hook; size down if it comes up loose.
- Set a stitch marker at the start of round 1 before working the spiral, since the 40 rounds are never joined and the marker is the only way to track the round start.
- Read through the ear shaping rows (Row 1 through the full sc2tog sequence) before finishing round 40, so the corner markers land where the ears need to begin.
Finishing
- Weave in all ends from the teal body, mint bow, and navy embroidery into the wrong side of the fabric before adding any hardware.
- Thread each strap end through a metal D-ring, fold the end back about 2 inches, and whip stitch it securely to itself so the ring hangs freely. Position the ring tabs on the inside of the bag, about 2 inches below the ear points and centered on each side panel, then whip stitch through all layers, looping the tab through the ring before stitching the second end down.
- Fold the short ends of the bow loops piece toward the center, overlapping slightly, and pinch the middle to create the bow shape. Wrap the center piece tightly around the middle, stitch closed, then attach the finished bow and the navy embroidered face to the front of the bag.
Construction
The body holds a constant 92 sc across all 40 rounds because it is worked as a continuous spiral rather than joined rounds, which is also why a stitch marker rather than a slip stitch join tracks the round start.
Time per section
| Body (40-round spiral) | about 3 to 4 hours because of the round count worked in bulky weight yarn |
|---|---|
| Ears (corner shaping rows) | about 45 minutes because the sc2tog decreases on both ears need matching, fiddly counts |
| Bow assembly (center piece and bow loops) | about 30 minutes because the pieces are small and the navy face details are embroidered by hand |
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.