Made and counted by Wren —

Cotton market bag pattern with mesh body and chain handles

Worsted-weight cotton, held double, builds an 80-stitch market bag with mesh body and chain-50 handles.

IntermediateLevel

6-9 hoursTime

WorstedYarn

About this pattern

This is a tote-style market bag crocheted in continuous joined rounds from two strands of cotton held together, starting at a 39-chain base that resolves to 78 single crochets in round 1. The body settles at an 80-stitch half double crochet round, repeated through rounds 11 to 25, alternated with a 40-space chain-1 mesh round. Round 27 forms two handles by chaining 50 stitches across two 10-stitch gaps. The result is a dense, structured bag rather than a lightweight one.

This market bag starts from a chain base — ch 39 — then builds as a joined-round cylinder, worked throughout with two strands of cotton yarn held together for structure. Round 1 sets the count at 78 single crochets; by round 10 that count settles at 80 half double crochets, the number every later round returns to. Rounds 11 through 25 repeat the same three-round sequence (rounds 8-10) five times, alternating an open chain-1 mesh with solid HDC rounds. Round 27 splits the rim into two chain-50 handle gaps, making 80 the number worth rechecking before the handles go in.

The pattern

Written out round by round

Materials

Cotton yarn (two strands held together)
ch 39

Abbreviations

ch = chain
st = stitch
sl st = slip stitch
sc = single crochet
hdc = half double crochet
dc = double crochet

Pattern

Round 1SC in second ch from the hook, SC 36, 2 SC in last ch. 37 sc along the back side of the ch, 2 sc in first ch st. Join to first SC of the round with a sl st (78)

Round 2Ch 1 (not a stitch), *SC 38, 2 SC in next st. Repeat from * Join to first SC of the round with a sl st. (80)

Round 3Ch 1(not a stitch), SC around, Join to first SC with a sl st. (80)

Rounds 4–7Ch 2 (not a stitch). HDC around. Join to first HDC with a sl st. (80)

Round 8Ch 4 (counts as first DC and ch 1), skip 1, *DC, Ch 1, skip 1. Repeat from * around (you will have 40 ch 1 spaces). Sl st to the 3rd ch of the beginning ch 4.

Continue...

Round 9Sl st into the first ch space. Ch 4 (counts as first DC and ch 1), skip 1, *DC, Ch 1, skip 1. Repeat from * around (you will have 40 ch 1 spaces). Sl st to the 3rd ch of the beginning ch 4

Round 10Ch 2 (does NOT count as a stitch). HDC around. Join to first HDC with a sl st (80)Rounds 11-25: Repeat rounds 8-10

Round 26Ch 2 (not a stitch). HDC around. Join to first HDC with a sl st. (80)

Round 27Ch 2 (not a stitch). HDC 15, Ch 50, skip 10, HDC 30, Ch 50, skip 10, HDC 15. Join to first HDC with a sl st

Round 28Ch 1 (not a stitch). SC around, working 55 SC into the ch space for the handle. Join to first SC with a sl st (170).(170)

Rounds 29–30Ch 1 (not a stitch). SC around. Join to first SC with a sl st (170). At the end of round 30, fasten off and weave in ends.

Tester's notes

78 stitches end round 1 — recount before round 2; a single missed back-bar sc in the 37-stitch return row throws off every round that follows.

Two strands of cotton yarn are held together for the entire bag; dropping to one strand partway through changes gauge, and the fabric will not match the 80-stitch body count.

Rounds 11-25 repeat the same three rounds (8-10) five times — a stitch marker on round 11 keeps that repeat count accurate over that many rounds.

80 stitches is the target at the end of round 10 and round 26; a short count there usually traces back to a lost repeat in round 9's 40 chain-1 spaces.

Round 27's two chain-50 sections become the handles — chain tension there should match the HDC tension, since a loose chain-50 stretches further under bag weight than the stitches around it.

At a glance

Rounds	11
Parts	2
Level	Intermediate
Time	6-9 hours
Yarn	Worsted

Gauge check

After round 1, count stitches around the opening — it should read 78, matching the 37 back-bar single crochets plus the two 2-sc increases at the ends of the ch-39 base.

If that count is off, or the flat circle cups instead of lying flat, rip back to the chain and recheck that two strands of cotton were held together throughout before continuing.

Stitch-count checkpoints

Pattern · Round 1: 78 sts
Pattern · Round 2: 80 sts
Pattern · Round 3: 80 sts
Pattern · Rounds 4–7: 80 sts
Continue... · Round 10: 80 sts
Continue... · Round 26: 80 sts

If something looks wrong

The base circle cups instead of lying flat after round 1.: This points to a miscount in the 78-stitch round — recount the 37 sc along the back side of the chain plus the two 2-sc increases, since one extra or missing stitch pulls the circle into a bowl. Frog to round 1 and recheck against 78 before continuing.
Stitch count drifts away from 80: Because this stretch repeats rounds 8-10 five times, one skipped ch-1 space in a mesh round compounds across repeats. Stop, count back to the last confirmed 80-stitch HDC round, and rework forward from there.
Round 9's chain-1 mesh does not land on 40 spaces.: This round depends on an exact 80-stitch base from the prior HDC round dividing evenly into DC/ch-1 pairs; if that prior round was off, the mesh will not reach 40 spaces. Verify the HDC round count before reworking round 9.
The handle gaps from round 27 feel floppy or uneven.: The two chain-50 sections are meant to sit at the same tension as the HDC stitches around them; a looser chain there stretches under load. Rework the chain-50 sections at body tension, or drop a half hook size for just those chains.

Yarn substitutions

Worsted-weight cotton-acrylic blend, single strand	Replaces the two-strand cotton hold at a similar fabric weight, but drape loosens, so the 80-stitch rounds may need a half-size-down hook to keep round 9's mesh from gaping.
DK-weight cotton, two strands held together	Keeps the same 78/80 stitch counts but produces a noticeably smaller bag at the same hook, so size up the hook if the original dimensions need to match.
Worsted-weight jute or linen blend	Adds body for a bag that stands open without stuffing; the fiber is stiffer to pull through, so the chain-50 handles in round 27 hold shape but feel rougher against the hand.

Original pattern: https://crocheteverything.com/crochet-open-air-market-bag-pattern/

FAQs

Questions

What do the 40 chain-1 spaces in round 9 actually create?

Round 9 turns the solid 80-stitch HDC fabric into an open, stretchy mesh by alternating DC and ch-1 across the round, landing on 40 spaces total. That section is where the stretch of the finished bag comes from, distinct from the solid HDC rounds before and after it.

Can the handle length set in round 27 be adjusted?

The two chain-50 sections set the handle drop directly, with 10 stitches skipped under each chain to form the strap gap. Keep both chain-50 sections equal in length, or the finished bag hangs unevenly on the shoulder.