As the sun shines brighter each day and warm summer days beckon, what better way to accompany your next trip to the beach than this cute new crochet bag that I call Tote By the Ocean. If you are familiar with the popular song by DNCE “Cake By the Ocean”, then yes, my bag’s name is totally inspired by this catchy tune.
The tote is made of 5 squares and each time you finish a square, you will connect it to the others with slip stitches. So we’ll make a cube without a top, then crochet 12 rounds of edge and handles. There are a few special stitches to learn or practice, so I would say the skill level of this pattern is easy to intermediate.
VIDEO TUTORIAL OF TOTE BY THE OCEAN
WRITTEN PATTERN OF TOTE BY THE OCEAN
If you prefer ad-free printable PDF pattern, you can get it on:
I use 3 colors of Lily Sugar’n Cream cotton yarn (medium weight size 4) – 2 balls (ball size is 120 yds) of Robin’s Egg (color A), 1 ball of Light Blue (color B) and 200 yards of White (color C). Crochet hook is size 4.5 mm. Stitch marker is helpful on last rounds of edge. My tote measures about 13 inches wide and 11 inches from top to bottom.
Abbreviations: ch = chain dc = double crochet dc2-cl = 2 double crochet cluster cl = cluster sc = single crochet hdc = half double crochet tr = triple crochet blo = back loops only sl st = slip stitch sc2tog = single crochet 2 together Special stitches: dc2-cl = (start dc in indicated st, leave last 2 loops on hook) twice, yarn over and pull through 3 loops spike stitch = insert hook in space below sc on previous round, yarn over, pull up long loop, yarn over, pull through 2 loops reverse sc = working from left to right (instead of usual direction) insert hook from front to back in next stitch to the right, yarn over, pull through the stitch, yarn over, pull through 2 loops on hook
5 SQUARES:
- With color A ch 5, sl st in 1st ch to make a ring.
- Round 1 = ch 4 (counts as 1st dc and 1ch), (dc + ch) 15 times in the ring, sl st in 3rd beg ch, don’t cut off.
- Round 2 = join color B in ch1-space, ch 2, dc in same space (=beg dc2-cl), ch 2, *in next ch-space dc2-cl + ch2, repeat from*, sl st in 1st cl, cut off color B, fasten off.
- Round 3 = join color A in ch2-space, ch 2, dc in same space (=beg dc2-cl), ch 2, dc2-cl in same space, *in next ch2-space dc2-cl + ch2 + dc2-cl, repeat from*, sl st in 1st cl.
- Round 4 = sl st in next ch2-space, ch 1, sc in same space, ch 3, sc in same space, skip 2 dc2-cl, *in next ch2-space sc + ch3 + sc, skip 2 dc2-cl, repeat from*, sl st in 1st sc.
- Round 5 = sl st in next ch3-space, ch 2, dc in same space, ch 3, *in next ch3-space dc2-cl + ch3 + dc2-cl, repeat from*, sl st in 1st cl, cut off color A, fasten off.
- Round 6 = join color C in ch3-space, ch 4 (counts as 1st tr), dc 2 in same space, *dc in next cl, hdc in next cl, hdc 3 in next ch3-space, sc 1 in each next 2 cl, sc 3 in next ch3-space, sc 1 in each next 2 cl, hdc 3 in next ch3-space, hdc in next cl, dc in next cl, in corner ch3-space, dc2 + tr + dc2, repeat from*, finish the round with 2dc in beg ch3-space, sl st in 4th beg ch.
- Round 7 = ch 5 (counts as 1st dc and 2ch), dc in same st, *dc 2 in next dc, dc 1 in each next st until dc before corner tr, dc 2 in that dc, dc+ch2+dc in tr, repeat from*, finish the round with 2dc in last st, sl st in 3rd beg ch.
- Cut off color C after finishing 1st square, don’t cut off yarn after finishing each next square.
CONNECTING SQUARES:
- Place the 2nd square on top of 1st square right sides facing.
- Sl st in corner ch2-spaces inserting hook through both squares.
- Sl st blo in each st on both squares along the first side.
- Sl st in corner ch2-spaces of both squares, cut off yarn, fasten off.
- Place the 3rd square on top of one of the connected squares right sides facing.
- Sl st in corner ch2-spaces inserting hook through both squares.
- Sl st blo in each st on both squares along the first side.
- Sl st in corner ch2-spaces inserting hook through next square and opposite side square (please see video tutorial for illustration).
- Sl st blo in each st on both squares along the second side.
- Sl st in corner ch2-spaces of both squares, cut off yarn, fasten off.
- With 4th square repeat the steps of 3rd square.
- Place the 5th square on top of one of the connected squares right sides facing.
- Sl st in corner ch2-spaces of both squares.
- Sl st blo in each st on both squares along the first side.
- Sl st in corner ch2-spaces of 2 squares.
- Sl st blo in each st on both squares along the second side.
- Sl st in corner ch2-spaces of 2 squares.
- Sl st blo in each st on both squares along the third side.
- Sl st in corner ch2-spaces of both squares, DON’T cut off yarn.
EDGE AND HANDLES:
- Round 1 = ch 1, sc in corner ch2-space, sc 1 in each next 2 st, sc2tog in next 2 st, *sc 1 in each next 3 st or ch-space (skip the connecting st between corner ch-spaces), sc2tog in next 2 st, repeat from*, finish the round with 3sc (87 st), sl st in 1st sc.
- Round 2 = ch 1, sc in same st, sc 1 in each next 4 sc, sc2tog in next 2 st, *sc 1 in each next 5 sc, sc2tog in next 2 st, repeat from*, finish the round with 3sc (75 st), sl st in 1st sc, cut off color C, fasten off.
- Round 3 = join color B in 1st sc, ch 2, dc in same st (=beg dc2-cl), *skip next st, dc2-cl in next st, ch 1, dc2-cl in next st, repeat from*, finish the round with 1ch, sl st in 1st cl, cut off color B, fasten off.
- Round 4 = join color A in 1st ch1-space, ch 2, dc in same space (=beg dc2-cl), ch 1, dc2-cl in same space, *in next ch1-space dc2-cl + ch1 + dc2-cl, repeat from*, sl st in 1st cl, cut off color A, fasten off.
- Round 5 = join color C with sc in 1st ch1-space, sc 1 in each cl and in each ch1-space, sl st in 1st sc.
- Round 6 = ch 1, *sc 1 in each 4 sc, sc2tog in next 2 st, repeat from*, finish the round with 3sc (63 st), sl st in 1st sc.
- Round 7 = ch 1, sc in same st, spike st in next st, ch 18 for 1st handle, skip 12 st, spike st in next st, sc 1 in each next 18 st, spike st in next st, ch 18 for 2nd handle, skip 12 st, spike st in next st, sc 1 in each next 16 st, don’t sl st in 1st sc, next rounds are worked in continuous rounds.
- Round 8 = sc in each st and in each ch.
- Rounds 9-11 = sc in each sc.
- Round 12 = sl st in next sc, reverse sc in each sc, cut off yarn, fasten off.
- Weave in all ends.
Check out all my crochet bag tutorials & patterns here.
HAPPY CROCHETING!
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