Hey guys!
Today I’m sharing the Oxbow Tote with you! Click here to go straight to the pattern or continue reading for more info + a pattern coupon code!
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About
This bag is about the most basic circular bag you could make! It’s the perfect project for a beginner crocheter looking to expand to something other than a rectangle. If you’re wanting to learn how to crochet bags, this is the pattern to start with. I love this bag because it’s such a simple design, but with the added element of the leather strap, simple crochet becomes elevated! This is something you might see in stores – crochet is so IN in the summer time! I used this strap, which measures 47″ long in total. I am 5’4″, and you can see in the photo how low it sits with the strap. If you are shorter than me, keep in mind that the bag will stretch over time and you may want to look for a shorter strap! Just make sure it has a clip attachment on either end. Any “purse replacement strap” would work!
If you’re wondering why I named it the Oxbow Tote, it’s because I recently moved across the country and the dog park we always go to is called Oxbow Park. Lol – that’s why! It’s where we have spent so much of our time since moving, and I love to name things after parts of my life that are important to me so that when I go back and look at these designs, I’m reminded of what my life was like back then.
I would wear this bag with anything – that’s the beauty of it! It doesn’t have any fancy colourwork or anything that would take away from your outfit, so you could wear this with literally anything. (Depending on what colour you choose!) I used Lion Brand 24/7 Cotton for this pattern, although you could use any #4 weight cotton that you have in your stash. The reason I made this bag was because I realized that I already have a couple bag patterns: the Calypso Carry-All and the Sunburst Beach Bag, that may be for a more advanced beginner, so I wanted to make a more simple, basic bag for anyone starting out! Use this bag to stock your booth at craft sales, or keep it for yourself! You’ll be able to make this bag in a few hours. As always, you are more than welcome to sell products made with my patterns, I just ask in return that you give me pattern credit!
Construction
This pattern is written for one size. It measures approx. 16″ wide by 16″ deep laying flat. The straps measure 47″ long from clip to clip, so keep this in mind! You will need a shorter strap if you want your bag to sit higher on your body. It would be easy to make any adjustments to this bag, as it’s just a circle! You could add colourwork, or make the bag smaller or larger very easily by simple increasing or decreasing the size of the initial circle that becomes the base of the bag. It’s crocheted bottom-up in a spiral so that there are no visible seams anywhere! This pattern is written in US crochet terms. You will need to know how to half double crochet, and how to work in a spiral.
Yarn:
I used Lion Brand 24/7 Cotton for this project. I chose the colour Black, and used just under 2 skeins for the entire project. You can click here for the link to the skeins! There are so many colours available in this yarn, and that’s why I love to use it for so many of my patterns. You can read my blog post here on why it’s one of my favourite yarns! This is mercerized, 100% cotton, and I would recommend another 100% cotton if you use a substitute yarn. This is a chainette style yarn, which means that your hook will not split the plies like it would in twisted yarn! Woop woop! AND, you can unclip the leather straps and machine wash the bag, which is a definite bonus!
I also used 24/7 Cotton for my Wanderer Ruana, Beginner Bralette, Calypso Carry-All, Peguis Cardigan, Sunburst Beach Bag, and the Island Beach Dress.
You can find the pattern in these places:
On my website here.
On Ravelry here.
On Etsy here.
(Use the code “PATTERN10” for 10% off all patterns)
I can’t wait to see your WIPs! Make sure to tag me @knitsnknotswpg and use the pattern hashtag #OxbowTote so that everyone can see your projects!
Happy crocheting,
Janine xo
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