Free Crochet Patterns: The By Your Side Basket Bag

Some bags you make once and carry everywhere, and this is one of them. The By Your Side Basket Bag is a big, soft, slouchy tote worked in simple single crochet, and it is one of those free crochet patterns that looks far more advanced than it actually is. You start at an oval base, build the sides straight up, then open two long handles right in the fabric so there is nothing extra to sew. The gentle stripes in the sample come from a self-striping recycled cotton, so the color does all the fancy work for you.

If you have been searching for free crochet patterns that give you a real, useful finished piece rather than a swatch, this is a great place to start. It holds a beach towel, a stack of library books, or a week of market vegetables without complaint. Read the whole pattern through once so you can see how the base grows and where the handles land, then grab your hook and settle in.

What You Will Make

This is a large, structured tote with a flat-ish oval base, tall straight sides, and two integrated top handles. It measures about 12½ inches (32 cm) tall and roughly 17¾ inches (45 cm) across at its widest point, so it is a proper carry-everything bag. Because the whole thing is single crochet worked in the round, the fabric is dense and sturdy, and the recycled cotton keeps it light and washable.

Quick facts:

• Skill level: Intermediate, mostly for the stitch count, not the technique
• Finished size: About 12½ in (32 cm) tall, 17¾ in (45 cm) wide
• Time to make: A weekend of relaxed crocheting
• Construction: Oval base worked outward, straight sides, two built-in handles

Materials You Will Need

• Paintbox Yarns Recycled Crafty Pots (8¾ oz / 250 g balls): 2 balls in Neapolitan, or any bulky cotton-blend you like
• H-8 (5 mm) crochet hook
• 3 buttons, size ½ in (1.5 cm), optional for a closure
• Darning needle
• 2 lockable stitch markers

Gauge: 14 stitches and 15 rows to 4 in (10 cm) in single crochet with the H-8 (5 mm) hook. Gauge matters here because it sets the finished size, so make a quick swatch if you want the exact measurements.

Abbreviations

These free crochet patterns use US terminology, with the UK term in brackets where it differs.

• ch — chain
• sc (dc) — single crochet (UK double crochet)
• sl st — slip stitch
• flo — front loop only
• PM — place marker
• rep — repeat
• st/sts — stitch/stitches

Work in continuous rounds, joining with a slip stitch where noted, and move your markers up each round so you always know where the increases sit.

How to Crochet the Basket Bag, Step by Step

Base

With the 5 mm hook, ch 13.

• Round 1: 1 sc in the second ch from hook and in each ch to the last ch, then 3 sc in the last ch (PM in the second of these 3 sts). Turn and work back along the other side of the foundation chain: 11 sc, then 3 sc in the last ch (PM in the second of these 3 sts), sl st to join. (26 sts)
• Round 2: Ch 1 (does not count as a st), *sc in every st to 1 st before the marker, 2 sc in next st, 3 sc in the marked st, 2 sc in next st, PM in the centre st of that 3-st increase; rep from * to work both ends, sc to the end of the round, sl st to join. (34 sts)
• Rounds 3–9: Repeat Round 2 seven more times, adding 8 sts each round. (90 sts)

Sides

• Round 10: Ch 1, sc flo in each st around, keeping markers in place, sl st to join. This front-loop round makes a crisp fold so the base sits flat and the sides stand up.
• Rounds 11–18: Ch 1, sc around, moving your markers up each round, sl st to join. (90 sts)
• Round 19: Ch 1, *sc to 1 st before the marker, 2 sc in this st, 1 sc in the marked st, PM in the new st, 2 sc in the st after the marker; rep from * once more, sc to the end, sl st to join. (94 sts)
• Rounds 20–22: Ch 1, sc around, moving markers up, sl st to join.
• Repeat Rounds 19–22 seven more times, adding 4 sts in each repeat. (122 sts)
• Next round: Work Round 19 once more. (126 sts)
• Next round: Ch 1, sc around, sl st to join. The seam should now sit 26 sts from the closest marker.

Handles

• Next round: Turn, sl st in the next 10 sts, turn, ch 50, skip the next 29 sts, 1 sc in the following st and every st to the marker, remove the marker, 18 sc, ch 50, skip the next 29 sts, 1 sc in the following st and the next 34 sts (removing markers as you go), sl st at the bottom of the first handle to join. (168 sts) The two 50-chain loops become your handles.
• Next 4 rounds: Ch 1, sc around (working sc across each chain handle too), sl st to join at the seam. Break the yarn and secure.

To Finish

Weave in all the loose ends. Block the bag to shape by dampening it and easing it into a nice oval with straight sides, then let it dry. If you want a closure, sew the three buttons along the top edge and use the natural gaps between stitches as buttonholes.

Tips for a Better Basket Bag

• Mind your markers. The whole shape depends on the increases landing at the two ends of the oval, so keep those lockable markers moving up every round.
• Keep tension even. Single crochet in bulky cotton can tighten up when you concentrate. Relax your grip so the fabric stays supple.
• Reinforce the handles. If you plan to load the bag heavily, work an extra round or two around each handle for strength.
• Let the yarn stripe. Self-striping cotton means you never have to change colors, which is part of why beginners love free crochet patterns like this one.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are these free crochet patterns good for beginners?

This one sits at the easy-intermediate line. Every stitch is a single crochet, so if you can work in the round and follow a stitch count, you can make this bag. The only mildly tricky part is opening the handles, and the pattern walks you through it.

What yarn works best for a crochet basket bag?

A bulky cotton or cotton blend gives the bag body and holds its shape. The recycled cotton in the sample is sturdy and washable, but any similar-weight cotton will work if you match the gauge.

How do I make the bag hold its shape?

Blocking is the secret. A dense single crochet fabric plus a good wet block gives you crisp straight sides, and a cotton yarn keeps that structure over time.

Can I make the bag bigger or smaller?

Yes. Add or remove increase rounds on the base to change the width, and work more or fewer plain rounds on the sides to change the height. That flexibility is why so many makers keep free crochet patterns like this in their rotation.

Final Thoughts

A big, honest tote you made yourself is hard to beat, and this basket bag delivers that with almost no fancy stitchwork. It is roomy, sturdy, and endlessly useful, and the self-striping cotton means the finished bag looks like it took real skill. If you have been collecting free crochet patterns waiting for the right first project, let this be the one you actually cast on. Happy crocheting.