It’s difficult to find the right big bag — you don’t want anything too bulky, but you also don’t want a bag that’s flimsy – after all, you’re going to be carrying groceries, library books, craft projects, snacks, and the necessities and you need something you can depend on, that won’t snap or tear or wear out. While it might be difficult to find such a bag in stores (unless you’re willing to hand over a lot of your hard-earned cash), there is a simple solution: you can try making one of these beautiful big bags with your crochet skills.
The nice thing about big bags is that you can use a bulkier yarn or wind two or three stands of thinner yarn together, making your bag super tough. It will endure a lot. It can be tossed in the car, dropped on the floor, slung over your shoulder, all without you worrying about your important stuff falling all over the place. Using bulkier yarn will also make the bag stretchier, which is nice if you’re going grocery shopping and just need a little extra room for that piece of produce you just spied on your way out.
There are a variety of patterns to choose from, and whether you choose to buy a pattern or find one for free, we have you covered. If you’re looking for a fancier big bag, you can purchase a book of patterns on YesAsia and make the P.8 Motif Bag by Naoko Shimoda, and for inspiration you can look at the Salmon Lace Bag from chalklegs on Ravelry, who was inspired to make her bag after seeing the P.8 Motif.
If you want a trendy tote bag with a bit more heft, you can try the striped Stylin’ Tote Bag from LuvMaxine on Craftsy – her free pattern is available on her site. It’s a thicker bag that uses worsted weight yarn, so it won’t be as stretchy as some others. Remember to keep in mind what you’ll be using the bag for in order to find the right fit for you.
Of course, if you’re the kind of person who enjoys looking at inspiration and then jumping into your own pattern creation, you could look at the gallery below and go ahead and get started – we particularly liked this bag. It uses what appears to be a softer yarn, perhaps mohair or alpaca or even angora. Be aware, however, that these materials are more expensive, so this big bag would need to be used a little more carefully than the Stylin’ Tote Bag.
Whichever pattern you choose, there are an array of colors to choose. You could make a bag with stripes or chevron, add ribbon or buttons, a pocket, and you could cover the inside of the bag with fabric to make it even sturdier. The choice is up to you. It would be wise to make such decisions before beginning the project.
If you’re interested in making one or more of these purses, you can find the patterns on Ravelry (the Salmon Lace and P.8 Motif are both on here), and Craftsy (the free Stylin’ Tote Bag pattern link). You can also find inspiration here.
