🌟 Introduction
Get ready to crochet the perfect companion for your farmers market trips, beach outings, or everyday errands! The Summer Breeze Chevron Tote is a stylish and practical bag that combines a sturdy, solid base with a light and airy body featuring an eye-catching chevron lace pattern. The seamless design flows right into a comfortable, integrated strap, making it a joy to use and wear.
Skill Level: Intermediate
Finished Size (approximate): 13 inches wide (when laid flat), 14 inches tall (not including the strap), 28-inch strap length (can be adjusted).
🧵 Materials & Gauge
✨ Materials Needed
- Yarn: Approximately 350-400 yards of DK Weight (Light Worsted/8-ply) cotton or cotton blend yarn. Cotton is recommended for strength and structure. (The sample image color is a beautiful mint/teal.)
- Hook: Size G/6 (4.0 mm) crochet hook, or size needed to obtain gauge.
- Notions: Stitch marker (essential for working in the round), yarn needle for weaving in ends, and scissors.
📏 Gauge (For the Body Pattern)
- 4 pattern repeats (of the dc, ch 1, sk 1 rows) should measure approximately 3 inches wide.
- 4 pattern rows (2 solid, 2 lace) should measure approximately 1 inch tall.
Important Note: The pattern for the bag body is a multiple of 4 + 1 (for the base foundation chain).
💡 Special Stitches & Abbreviations
📝 Pattern Abbreviations (US Terms)
| Abbreviation | Meaning |
| ch | chain |
| sl st | slip stitch |
| sc | single crochet |
| hdc | half double crochet |
| dc | double crochet |
| st(s) | stitch(es) |
| sp | space |
| ch-sp | chain space |
| rep | repeat |
| sk | skip |
| yo | yarn over |
| MR | Magic Ring (Magic Loop) |
⭐ Special Stitch (The Lace Repeat)
- Lace V-Stitch (LV-St): (dc, ch 1, dc) in the indicated stitch or space.
👜 The Pattern: Summer Breeze Chevron Tote
Note: This bag is worked in seamless rounds from the base up. Use a stitch marker to mark the first stitch of each round.
Part 1: The Oval Base
The base is created by working around a foundation chain to form an oval.
Foundation: Ch 61 (adjust for desired length: 60 chains for the body pattern, plus 1 turning chain).
Round 1: Sc in the 2nd ch from the hook. Sc in the next 58 ch. 3 sc in the last ch. (You are now working down the opposite side of the chain). Sc in the next 58 ch. 2 sc in the last ch (where the first sc was placed). Sl st to the first sc to join. (122 sc)
Round 2: Ch 1 (does not count as st), hdc in the same st and in the next 58 sts. 2 hdc in each of the next 3 sts. Hdc in the next 58 sts. 2 hdc in each of the next 2 sts. Sl st to the first hdc to join. (127 hdc)
Round 3: Ch 1, sc in the same st and in each st around. Sl st to the first sc to join. (127 sc)
Round 4 (Establish Sides): Ch 3 (counts as 1 dc), dc in the next 126 sts. Sl st to the top of the starting ch-3 to join. (127 dc)
Note: You should now have a sturdy, flat base with 127 stitches for the body. This number is close enough to a multiple of 4 (128) that we can easily adjust the pattern for the lace, as the chevron naturally hides slight variations.
Part 2: The Chevron Lace Body
We will work 2 rounds of solid stitches followed by 2 rounds of the lace pattern.
Round 5 (Solid): Ch 1, sc in the same st and in each st around. Sl st to the first sc to join. (127 sc)
Round 6 (Solid): Ch 3 (counts as 1 dc), dc in the next 126 sts. Sl st to the top of the starting ch-3 to join. (127 dc)
Round 7 (Lace Row 1): Ch 3 (counts as 1 dc). Dc in the next st. Ch 1, sk 1 st, dc in the next 3 sts. Rep from * around. Ch 1, sk 1 st, dc in the last st. Sl st to the top of the starting ch-3 to join. (96 dc, 31 ch-1 sps)
Round 8 (Lace Row 2 – Shifting the Chevron): Ch 1, sc in the same st. Sc in the next ch-1 sp. Ch 1, sk 1 dc, LV-St in the next dc, ch 1, sk 1 dc, sc in the next ch-1 sp, sc in the next dc. Rep from * around. You will end the round with a sc in the last ch-1 sp. Sl st to the first sc to join. (A mix of LV-Sts, ch-1 sps, and sc)
Round 9 (Solid): Ch 3 (counts as 1 dc). Dc in each st and ch-sp around. Ensure you work 1 dc into every ch-1 sp and 2 dc into the center dc of each LV-St group. (127 dc)
Round 10 (Solid): Ch 1, sc in the same st and in each st around. Sl st to the first sc to join. (127 sc)
Round 11 (Solid): Ch 3 (counts as 1 dc), dc in the next 126 sts. Sl st to the top of the starting ch-3 to join. (127 dc)
Repeat Rounds 7-11 six more times, or until the bag reaches approximately 14 inches (35 cm) tall, ending after a Round 11 (Solid DC) repeat.
Part 3: Shaping the Top Edge and Strap
We are now transitioning from the main body to the strap area.
Round A (Solid Edge): Ch 1, hdc in the same st and in each st around. Sl st to the first hdc to join. (127 hdc)
Round B (Setting Up for Strap): Ch 1, sc in the same st and in the next 40 sts. Ch 60 (This forms the chain for the handle; adjust this number for a longer/shorter strap). Sk the next 45 sts (This forms the armhole/opening). Sc in the next 41 sts. Sl st to the first sc to join. (82 sc, 1 ch-60 sp)
Round C (Working the Strap): Ch 1, sc in the same st and in the next 40 sc. Sc 60 times evenly along the ch-60 sp. Sc in the next 41 sc. Sl st to the first sc to join. (162 sc)
Round D (Strap Edging): Ch 1, hdc in the same st and in each st around. Sl st to the first hdc to join. (162 hdc)
Round E (Final Edging): Ch 1, sc in the same st and in each st around. Sl st to the first sc to join. (162 sc)
Fasten off and weave in the ends.
Video Tutorial:
✂️ Finishing & Care
🧺 Care Instructions
- Washing: For cotton or cotton blend yarns, gently hand wash in cold water with a mild detergent. Avoid harsh wringing.
- Drying: Lay the bag flat on a towel to dry, reshaping the body and strap as needed. Do not hang the bag to dry, as the weight of the water may stretch it out of shape.
✨ Tips for Success
- Strap Definition: For a more defined and less stretchy strap, you may choose to work an extra round of slip stitches or reverse single crochet (crab stitch) along the final edge (Round E) instead of regular single crochet.
- Customize: You can easily change the height of the bag by repeating Rounds 7-11 more or fewer times. Adjust the ch-60 in Round B to make the strap longer or shorter.
Congratulations on finishing your Summer Breeze Chevron Tote! It’s an elegant and durable bag ready for all your summer adventures.
