Apricot Chain-Loop Shoulder Bag Free Crochet Pattern

Apricot Chain-Loop Shoulder Bag: A Beginner-Friendly Free Crochet Pattern

If you have ever wanted to make something you can actually carry around and show off, this Apricot Chain-Loop Shoulder Bag is the perfect first project. It is a preppy, rectangular tote worked flat in warm apricot with two cheerful peach vertical color-block panels, so it looks impressive while using only the simplest stitch in crochet. The finished bag is dense and sturdy, about 13 inches wide and 12 inches tall, with a long 40-inch strap that slips comfortably over your shoulder. Because it is worked as one flat panel and then folded and seamed at the sides, there is no complicated shaping, no working in the round, and no fiddly pieces to juggle. If you can make a single crochet stitch, you can make this bag.

Materials Needed

• Yarn: Bulky (weight 5) acrylic or cotton-acrylic blend yarn. Approximately 220 yards apricot and 90 yards peach. (Cotton-acrylic blends give the bag extra structure; pure acrylic is softer and lighter.)
• Crochet hook: Size 6.0 mm (US J-10), or whatever size you need to match the gauge below.
• Stitch markers: At least 4, to mark your color changes and side edges.
• Tapestry needle (yarn needle): A large-eyed blunt needle for seaming and weaving in ends.
• Scissors for cutting yarn.
• Measuring tape for checking gauge and strap length.
• Optional: About 1/2 yard of fabric and matching thread if you want to line the bag.

Finished size: 13 inches wide x 12 inches tall (33 cm x 30.5 cm), excluding the strap. Strap length: 40 inches (101.5 cm) total.

Abbreviations and Beginner Glossary

• ch – chain. Make a loop with the yarn, then pull a new loop of yarn through it. Each loop you pull through is one chain. Chains form your foundation row.
• sc – single crochet. Insert your hook into the stitch, yarn over (wrap yarn around the hook), pull up a loop (you now have 2 loops on the hook), yarn over again, and pull through both loops. One single crochet made.
• st / sts – stitch / stitches. One completed single crochet is one stitch.
• turn – flip your work over so you can work back across the row you just finished.
• 2nd ch from hook – count two chains away from your hook and work into that second chain. This is where your first row begins.
• change to [color] – work the stitch in the new color by pulling the new yarn through the final yarn-over of the last stitch of the old color. This keeps the color change neat.
• fasten off – cut the yarn a few inches from your work, pull the tail all the way through the last loop, and tighten gently so it does not unravel.
• weave in ends – thread a yarn tail onto a tapestry needle and run it back and forth through the back of the fabric so it is hidden and secure.
• whipstitch – a simple seaming stitch: bring the needle through both layers from front to back, over the edge, and repeat, wrapping the yarn around the edge.
• mattress stitch – a seaming stitch that creates an invisible join: slide the needle under the horizontal bar between stitches on each edge, alternating sides, and pull gently.
• block – dampen the finished piece and pin it to the correct measurements to dry, which smooths stitches and evens the shape.

Gauge

12 single crochet stitches x 14 rows = 4 inches (10 cm) in single crochet.

Gauge matters because it is how you make sure your bag comes out the size written here. If your stitches are bigger than the gauge, your bag will be too large and floppy; if they are smaller, it will be too small and stiff. To check, crochet a small square about 5 inches wide (chain 16, then single crochet in rows until it is about 5 inches tall). Lay a ruler across the middle and count how many stitches fit in 4 inches, then count how many rows fit in 4 inches. If you have more than 12 stitches, try a larger hook; if you have fewer, try a smaller hook. Always check gauge before starting the real bag.

Beginner Tips Before You Start

• Use stitch markers to track your color changes. Place a marker in the first stitch of each peach panel so you never lose track of where the 10-stitch blocks begin and end.
• Do not pull your yarn too tight. Tension should be relaxed and even. Tight stitches make a stiff, small bag and make it hard to insert your hook.
• Carry the unused color loosely up the side. When you switch colors, let the resting yarn lie along the edge without pulling it snug, or the bag will pucker.
• Count your stitches at the end of every row. You should always have 40 stitches. Catching a mistake early is far easier than fixing it later.
• Work the color change in the last stitch of the old color. Pull the new color through the final loop of that stitch so the change happens cleanly at the boundary.
• Keep your turning chain consistent. The ch 1 at the start of each row does not count as a stitch; just turn and work into the first stitch.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Bag Panel (worked flat from the bottom up)

With apricot, ch 41.

Row 1: Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across. (40 sc)

Row 2: Ch 1, turn. Sc in each st across. (40 sc)

Rows 3–6: Repeat Row 2. (40 sc per row; 6 rows total worked)

Color-Block Panels

Row 7: Ch 1, turn. With apricot, sc in first 10 sts; change to peach in the last st of the 10th sc; with peach, sc in next 10 sts; change to apricot in the last st of the 10th sc; with apricot, sc in remaining 20 sts. (40 sc: 10 apricot, 10 peach, 20 apricot)

Row 8: Ch 1, turn. With apricot, sc in first 20 sts; change to peach; with peach, sc in next 10 sts; change to apricot; with apricot, sc in last 10 sts. (40 sc)

Rows 9–30: Repeat Row 8, maintaining the two peach vertical panels of 10 sts each separated by 20 apricot sts, with 10 apricot sts at each outer edge. (40 sc per row; 24 rows total in the color-block section)

Top Border

Rows 31–34: With apricot only, ch 1, turn, sc in each st across. (40 sc per row; 4 rows)

Fasten off, leaving a 20-inch tail for seaming.

Side Seams

Fold the bag panel in half with right sides together, matching the bottom corners and the top edges. Using the long tail and a yarn needle, whipstitch or mattress stitch the two side edges closed from bottom to top. Fasten off and weave in ends. Turn the bag right side out.

Chain-Loop Strap

With apricot, leave a 6-inch starting tail, ch 2.

Row 1: Sc in 2nd ch from hook. (1 sc)

Row 2: Ch 1, turn. Sc in the same st. (1 sc)

Rows 3–140: Repeat Row 2 until the strap measures approximately 40 inches (101.5 cm) long, or your desired length. (1 sc per row) Fasten off, leaving a 6-inch tail.

Attach Strap

Pin one end of the strap to the top inner edge of the bag at one side, approximately 1 inch in from the side seam. Using a yarn needle and matching yarn, sew the strap end securely to the top edge with several passes. Repeat for the other strap end at the opposite top corner. Weave in all ends.

Assembly and Finishing

Seaming: If you have not already closed the sides, thread the 20-inch tail onto your tapestry needle. Hold the two side edges together with right sides facing. For whipstitch, bring the needle through both layers from front to back and wrap over the edge, repeating closely along the whole edge. For mattress stitch, slide the needle under the horizontal bar between stitches on one edge, then the other, alternating as you go, and pull gently every few stitches so the seam disappears. Work from the bottom corner to the top edge on both sides.

Weaving in ends: Thread each yarn tail onto the tapestry needle and run it back and forth through the back of the fabric for about 2 inches, changing direction once or twice so it cannot work loose. Trim the excess close to the fabric.

Blocking: Lightly dampen the bag with water in a spray bottle (do not soak it). Lay it flat on a towel and pin it to the finished measurements of 13 inches wide by 12 inches tall, squaring the corners. Let it dry completely, away from direct heat. This smooths the stitches and helps the bag hold its shape.

Optional lining: If you want a fabric lining, cut two rectangles slightly smaller than the bag, sew them together along the sides and bottom, and hand-sew the lining inside the bag just below the top border.

Pro Tips and Variations

• Change the colors: Swap apricot and peach for any two colors you love, or use a single color for a clean, minimal look. Just keep the same yardage amounts.
• Adjust the size: To make the bag wider, add stitches in multiples of 10 to your starting chain (for example, ch 51 for a wider bag) and adjust the color-block stitch counts to match. To make it taller, add extra rows in the color-block section before the top border.
• Substitute yarn: A worsted (weight 4) yarn held double, or a cotton bulky yarn, will also work well. Always re-check your gauge if you change yarn, since the finished size depends on it.
• Make the strap longer or shorter: Simply work more or fewer rows on the strap until it reaches the length you prefer, then attach it the same way.