It’s week three of the designing challenge, and you should have your supplies ready to begin working on your bag! Last week, I challenged you to figure out your stitch pattern and work up a gauge swatch. Did you get all your math worked out? I hope so because we’re putting yarn to hook this week and working up your pattern!

Is this your first time joining us? It’s not too late to join in! Read Week One’s Challenge HERE AND Week Two’s Challenge HERE!

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This week is all about laying the perfect foundation for your crochet bag. Using a base as the foundation for your bag is great for stability and adds a level of dimension. There are so many different shapes you can choose from when creating your bag’s base. Today, I will discuss just a few common shapes when it comes to crochet bags. I will also share how to create these shapes and give you the base pattern to get you started!

Round Bases:

Creating a round base for your bag is a great option that offers several advantages. Round bases provide stability and help to maintain the shape of your bag. Using a round base can prevent sagging when you place items inside your bag. Crochet stitches naturally have some stretch, and a round base can help distribute the weight evenly around the bottom of your bag. Not only is using a round base great for stability, but it also helps to create a visual appeal other shapes don’t offer.

One problem some designers encounter when using a round base for their bags is getting them to lay flat. There are a few tricks that will help solve that problem.

First, you need to know how many starting stitches will work depending on which stitch you’ll work with.

1. Single Crochet: 6-8
2. Half Double Crochet: 8-10
3. Double Crochet: 10-12

If you’re working with a stitch pattern, like (hdc, dc), I recommend using the starting stitches for the larger stitch. One factor some designers don’t consider when working starting stitches is their tension. If they crochet tight, as I do, you’ll need to add more stitches for your piece to lay flat.



The math formula for making your base bigger and bigger each round is to increase each round by the number of starting stitches you used. If you used 8 single crochets, every subsequent increase round would have 8 more stitches. Let me show you an example:

Abbreviations:
ch: chain
sc: single crochet
sl st: slip stitch
st: stitch
inc: increase

Start with 8 sc in a magic ring OR ch 4, join with sl st to 1st ch and ch 1.

R1: Place 8 sc into the magic ring. (8 sc)

R2: sc 2 (also known as increase-inc) in each stitch around (16 sc) By adding the 2 stitches every other stitch, you were able to make your circle bigger and increase by 8 stitches.

R3: sc 1 in the next st, inc in the next st. Repeat (sc 1, inc) all the way around. (24 sc) We added another 8 stitches, and our base just got bigger!

R4: sc 2 in the next st, inc in the next st. Repeat (sc 2, inc) all the way around. (32 sc). Do you notice another pattern happening? We add 8 stitches each round to make our base bigger, and the number of single crochets in between the increase stitches increases by 1. It will continue in this pattern until you get the number of stitches you need for the size bag you want.



sc 3, inc (40 sc)
sc 4, inc (48 sc)
sc 5, inc (56 sc)

One way to check your math as you write out your pattern is that every single crochet and increase added together and multiplied by the number of increases each round should be your stitch count for that row. For example: (sc 3, inc) around = 40 sc. 3 sc + inc (2 sc) = 5 sc. We’re increasing 8 sc each round. 5 * 8 = 40.

Square Base:

A square base can be a fun option when working the bottom of your bag. The straight edges of the square can prevent your bag from tipping over when it’s put down or filled with items. A square base also maximizes the use of space in your bag. You can utilize every corner, making organizing and fitting items in your bag easier.



Using a square base for your bag is super helpful when wanting to carry things like books, laptops, or anything with straight edges. Using a square base can also allow you to add compartments within the bag! You can use a couple of options when creating a square base.

1. 1. A row-by-row square. When creating your square bag, working your stitch multiples back and forth in rows is an easy option. Make sure you know how many starting stitches you’ll need to get the right width for your bag.
   2. A granny square. Starting your base with a granny square is a fun way to begin your bag. There are a plethora of different granny styles you could work to create a visually appealing base.

Whether you’re working a row-by-row square or a granny square, I would make sure there aren’t a lot of large gaps or spaces in your base to prevent items from falling through. If you plan on adding a lining to your bag, you don’t have to worry about the gaps as much.

Abbreviations:
ch: chain
dc: double crochet
rep: repeat
sl st: slip stitch
st(s): stitch(es)
inc: increase
tr: treble crochet

Here’s a granny square pattern to use if you don’t want to have any gaps in your base.

Either ch 4, sl st to 1st ch to create a loop or use a magic circle.

R1: ch 2 (does not count as st), [tr in next st, dc in next 3 sts] rep 3 more times, join with a sl st to first st. (4 tr, 12 dc)

R2: ch 2, [(2 dc, 1 tr, 2 dc) in tr (corner created), dc in the next 3 sts] rep 3 more times, join with a sl st to first st. (28 dc, 4 tr)

R3: ch 2, dc in the next 2 sts, [(2 dc, 1 tr, 2 dc) in tr, dc in the next 7 sts] rep 2 more times, (2 dc, 1 tr, 2 dc) in tr, dc in the next 5 sts, join with a sl st to first st. (44 dc, 4 tr)