Bring Your Own Bag

A good friend, a cold drink, and a cozy chair – all ingredients for a good time! And if your friends are like my friends, the usual invitation includes a note to BYOB – so I created the Bring Your Own Bag so you can show up in style!

Disclaimer: This post includes affiliate links.

The Bring Your Own Bag fits cans and bottles of almost every shape and size – well, individual serving sizes anyway! You can fill it up with local brews or kids drinks or whatever you like… and keep everyone hydrated and happy!

There is a little bit of Tunisian in this pattern – and I’ve linked a tutorial for it below. But if you would prefer to skip the Tunisian crochet, use standard sc sts instead, or swap out Color B with a length of cloth ribbon!

Bring Your Own Bag

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• US – K, 6.5mm hook (Clover Amour recommended)
• 450 yds Lion Brand Heartland Thick & Quick (100% acrylic, Super Bulky (6); 125 yds/114 m; 5.01 oz)
  Color A: Sequoia – 3 balls
  Color B: Acadia – 1 ball
• Plastic Canvas – 2 pcs cut to 5″ x 8″
• Stitch Markers (Clover Lock Ring Markers recommended)
• Gauge: 12 sts x 14 rows =4″/10cm in sc
• Helpful Video Tutorials: Joining with a SC; TSS/Tunisian Simple Stitch

NOTE: While the stitches used in this pattern are simple, the construction is unique, making this an Intermediate to Advanced pattern.

PART 1 INSTRUCTIONS – COLOR A (Bag Bottom)

Row 1: Ch 16, skip the ch closest to the hook, sc in each remaining ch to end; turn. (15 sts)

Row 2 – 26: Ch 1, sc across; turn. (15 sts)

Edging: Ch 1, sc all the way around the rectangle, working extra sts in each corner, for 86 sts total; join and break. (86 sts) Set aside.

PART 2 INSTRUCTIONS – COLOR A (Bottom with Dividers)

1. Make another Part 1 piece, then add the following:

2. Working from the RS, work a line of sc along the center lengthwise. Then work 2 rows of sc across, sectioning the piece in thirds. (See photo below.)

3. Leaving a 12″ tail, join with a sc and crochet along the lines shown in the image below. Work 17 rows for each section, leaving a 12″ tail at the end of each.

4. Join with a sc and crochet width wise across dividers, and lengthwise across dividers, mimicking the lines created in step 2 of this section.

PART 3 INSTRUCTIONS – COLOR B (Strap) – This is made using Tunisian Simple Stitch, see linked tutorial above

Row 1: Ch 4, skip the ch closest to the hook, insert the hook and pull up a loop from each chain to the end. (4 loops on hook)

Return Pass: Yarn over and pull through the first loop, *yarn over and pull through 2 loops, repeating from * to end. (1 loop on hook)

Row 2: TSS across, and work standard return pass (as above).

Repeat Row 2 until strap measures 64″ long. Finish off and sew ends of strap together without twisting. Mark the join point and the halfway point.

BEGINNING ASSEMBLY INSTRUCTIONS

1. Layer the pieces from the bottom up as follows:
Part 1/Bag Bottom (WS up),
Part 3/Strap (line up the marked points in the center as shown below, and secure in place with Color A yarn),
Plastic Canvas (both pieces)
Part 2/Bottom with Dividers (RS/Dividers up)

2. Secure the edges together with stitch markers or clips, and sew Part 1 to Part 2 using Color A yarn, using backstitch and going under top loops of both layers, and going through straps as needed. Secure ends.

BAG SIDES INSTRUCTIONS – COLOR A

Round 1: With Color A, join with a sc to any st of Part 2 Edging, sc in each st around; join. (86 sts)

Round 2 – 20: Ch 1, sc in each st around; join. (86 sts) (NOTE: Keep dividers on the inside, and straps on the outside, as you create the sides of the bag! It helps to secure all the long tails out of the way while you work.) After Round 20, break yarn and finish off.

FINAL ASSEMBLY INSTRUCTIONS

1. Using the long tails left when making the dividers, sew the dividers to the Bag Sides to create the “6 pack.”

2. Using Color A, sew the straps straight up the sides of the bag using the running stitch as shown, continuing the stitch along the handle and down the other side. Repeat on other side of handle, and then on strap on other side of bag. (NOTE: This step sews the handles to the bag, and also creates more stability/less stretch in the handles themselves.)

And that’s it! Don’t let the construction of this pattern overwhelm you – it’s almost all single crochet, and if you go step by step you can do it! Then you can fill up the Bring Your Own Bag with your beverage of choice and head out to celebrate a new crochet project! I can’t wait to see how you all put your own custom spin on it!

Written pattern copyright Tamara Kelly 2016, all rights reserved. Please do not reprint or repost this pattern, but please do link to this page to share this pattern with others. To print or download this pattern for personal use, please use the green Print Friendly button at the bottom of the pattern, or go to Print Friendly.com and paste in the URL of this post. If you wish to make items for sale from this pattern, or translate it to another language, please visit the About page for details. Thank you to Lion Brand Yarn for providing the yarn for this pattern!