Mesh Market Produce Bag
A small cotton net bag that folds down between uses.
Bag · Beginner · 4–5 hours · Size depends on your swatch; measure the base and relaxed mesh before finishing
Yarn and tools
- weight: DK / Light worsted (CYC 3)
- fibre: 100% cotton (must be inelastic — acrylic will sag permanently once loaded)
- amount: 150 g
- examples: Paintbox Cotton DK, Drops Paris, Scheepjes Catona 50g x3, Lion Brand 24/7 Cotton
- hook: 4.0 mm for the base and top, 5.0 mm for the mesh
- gauge: No measured swatch is available. The base has 36 sc; estimate its diameter as 36 / (sc per cm) / π. Measure mesh height separately with the 5 mm hook.
Notions
- Stitch marker
- Tapestry needle
Stitches used
- Magic Ring (MR)
- Chain (ch)
- Single Crochet (sc)
- Increase (inc)
- Chain Mesh (ch-sp mesh)
- Back Loop Only (BLO)
- Slip Stitch (sl st)
Notes
- The base is worked in a continuous spiral — do not join, do not turn. Move your marker up each round.
- In the mesh, count LOOPS not chains. It must be 12 loops on every single round.
- Switch to the 5.0 mm hook for the mesh so the net stretches; go back to 4.0 mm for the top band so it does not gape.
Pattern
Base disc — 4.0 mm hook, Cornflower Blue
- MR, 6 sc into the ring. Pull closed. (6 sts)
- Inc in each st around (2 sc in every st). (12 sts)
- [Sc 1, inc] x6 (18 sts)
- [Sc 2, inc] x6 (24 sts)
- [Sc 3, inc] x6 (30 sts)
- [Sc 4, inc] x6 (36 — check the disc on a swatch before continuing sts)
Mesh body — 5.0 mm hook, Lemon Cream
Round 7 sets up the net: 36 base sts / 3 = exactly 12 loops.
- Join Lemon Cream. [Ch 5, skip 2 sts, sc in next st] x12. Join with sl st to the first sc. (12 ch-5 loops sts)
- Sl st to the centre of the first loop. [Ch 5, sc into the centre of the next ch-5 loop] x12. Join. (12 loops sts)
- Repeat round 8. (12 loops sts)
- Repeat round 8. (12 loops sts)
- Repeat round 8. (12 loops sts)
- Repeat round 8. (12 loops sts)
- Repeat round 8. (12 loops sts)
- Repeat round 8. (12 loops sts)
- Repeat round 8. (12 loops sts)
- Repeat round 8. (12 loops sts)
- Repeat round 8. (12 loops sts)
- Repeat round 8. (12 loops sts)
- Repeat round 8 — 13 mesh rounds worked. Measure the relaxed body; add or omit repeats to reach your preferred depth. (12 loops sts)
Top band — 4.0 mm hook, Cornflower Blue
- Join Cornflower Blue. [3 sc into the next ch-5 loop] x12. Join. (36 sc sts)
- Ch 1, sc in each st around. Join. (36 sts)
- Ch 1, sc in BLO of each st around (this makes the crisp fold where the handles begin). Join. (36 sts)
Handles
The two handles are worked from the top band itself, so there is nothing to sew and nothing to rip out.
- Sc 6, ch 60 (first handle), skip the next 12 sts, sc in the next st. (— sts)
- Sc 5 more (6 sts on this side), ch 60 (second handle), skip the last 12 sts, join to the first sc. (12 sc + 2 ch-60 arcs sts)
- Now sc around the entire opening including the handle chains: 60 sc along each chain, 6 sc across each solid section. (132 sc sts)
- Sc around once more. Join, fasten off, weave in ends. (132 sc sts)
- Optional: work a third round on the handles only, for shoulders that carry heavy loads. (— sts)