Made and counted by Wren —
3.0mm hook, sport weight cotton: an oval-base crochet purse with BLO ribbing and four-color gradient body.
A continuous-round oval base grows to 60 stitches, then shifts into back-loop-only ribbing striped across four cotton colors — terracotta, coral, peach, and cream. A 3.0mm hook holds the sport weight cotton dense enough for purse structure, and a 24-inch chain strap clips to two D-rings at the top edge. Skill level sits at advanced beginner to intermediate, with color changes and back-loop-only stitching as the main techniques.
The pattern
Rounds ticked off
0 of 0 rounds
Tap a round as you finish it. This device remembers where you stopped.
Yarn
Color A
Color B
Color C
Color D
Hook
Notions
Abbreviations
We begin at the very bottom center of the bag and work outward in an oval shape. This creates that lovely curved silhouette.
Using Color A (terracotta) and your 3.0mm hook: Foundation: Ch 15.
Your base should now measure approximately 5.5 inches long and 3 inches wide. It will look like a flat oval. Perfect.
Now we stop increasing and work straight up to create the bag walls. This is where the magic of the ribbing begins.
Here is where your bag transforms with that gorgeous ribbed texture and gradient coloring. We switch to BLO for the remainder of the bag body. This creates the vertical ribbing effect.
Color Placement Guide: The bag has 60 stitches around. We divide these into color sections: Stitches 1 to 15: Color A (terracotta)
Stitches 16 to 22: Color B (coral)
Stitches 23 to 38: Color D (cream, center panel)
Stitches 39 to 45: Color C (peach)
Stitches 46 to 60: Color A (terracotta)
This creates the symmetrical gradient stripe pattern you see in the finished bag.
How to manage multiple colors:
You have two options here. You can carry the unused yarns along the inside of the bag (this works well for short color sections), or you can use separate small balls and pick them up as needed. I prefer carrying the yarn for this project because the sections are small enough that it does not create bulk.
We finish with a clean, sturdy edge that will support the strap hardware.
Round 1 sets 30 stitches; recount before Round 2, since a stitch gained or dropped here compounds through Rounds 2 and 3 (36, then 42 stitches).
3.0mm hook (US C/2 or D/3) runs smaller than standard for sport weight yarn; drop a size further if the fabric still looks loose after Round 1.
The stitch marker placed in the first stitch of Round 1 needs to move up every round, since the pattern works continuously with no join.
Part Three divides the 60-stitch round into color sections (15, 7, 16, and 7 stitches, with the remainder completing the round); mark the start of each block on the first color round so later gradient rounds stay aligned.
| Rounds | 12 |
|---|---|
| Parts | 4 |
| Level | Intermediate |
| Time | 6-8 hours |
| Hook | 3.0 mm |
| Yarn | Sport (Fine, #2) |
After Round 1, count stitches around the oval base before moving on — the pattern expects exactly 30.
If the count runs high or low, undo back to the last corner increase and rework it, since Rounds 2 and 3 build directly on that 30-stitch total to reach 36 and then 42.
| Mercerized cotton, sport weight (matches the pattern) | Keeps the stitch definition and sheen the pattern assumes; swapping to regular, non-mercerized cotton at the same 3.0mm hook holds the 80/40/40/60-yard amounts close but gives a matte finish instead. |
|---|---|
| Worsted weight cotton | Thicker than the sport weight the pattern calls for, so stitches grow past the 60-stitch body count unless the hook drops to roughly 2.5mm; expect to use less total yardage but get a stiffer, less pliable fabric. |
| Fingering weight cotton or linen blend | Thinner than sport weight, so the 3.0mm hook produces a looser fabric; drop to a smaller hook, closer to 2.5mm, or add a round to Part Two to keep the bag sturdy enough to hold shape without a lining. |
Parts One through Four work in continuous rounds with no slip-stitch join, so the marker placed in the first stitch of Round 1 is the only way to track where each round starts. Move it up one stitch at the start of every round to keep counts accurate.
Yes; a single-color version is listed as an option for a minimalist look. Skip the color changes in Part Three and work all 60 stitches in one color, since the stitch counts and back-loop-only ribbing stay the same regardless of color.
Sport weight usually pairs with a larger hook, but this bag needs dense, sturdy fabric to hold its shape as a purse. Dropping to 3.0mm (US C/2 or D/3) tightens the stitches; if the fabric still looks floppy, go down another size.
One at a time —
Tested round by round before it is sent. No spam.
That was the last round. Would you like an email when the next one is finished?