01
About this pattern
This Mint Green Fresh Stripe Purse is a small crochet bag with a big personality. Worked in back loop only stitches that create vertical rib lines when the panel is turned on its side, it has a texture that looks almost knitted rather than crocheted. The gradient stripe effect, flowing from deep emerald through soft mint into creamy white, gives it a fresh, sophisticated look. It's perfect for crocheters who want to make something they'll actually reach for every single day, not just admire on a shelf.
The key techniques here are back loop only stitching for the ribbed texture and clean color changes carried along the top edge rather than cut and rejoined. You'll build the piece through a Base worked in the round, a Body section, a Main Pattern row, and an Upper Edge finish. If you've completed a few dishcloths or a simple scarf, you already have the skills. Expect somewhere between four and six relaxed hours from first stitch to finished purse.
When it's done, you'll have a structured little bag with a lovely rounded bottom, roomy enough for a phone, wallet, keys, lip balm, and a small notebook. Add the gold chain strap and it instantly feels like something from a boutique shelf, not a craft table. With or without the optional cotton lining, it holds its shape beautifully thanks to the cotton yarn. It makes a genuinely giftable, wear-it-with-anything accessory for yourself or someone who deserves a handmade treasure.
02
Variations
This pattern is wonderfully easy to make your own once you understand the basic structure. For a completely different palette, try a sunset version with Color A in burnt orange, Color B in coral, and Color C in pale peach, or go moody with navy, slate blue, and silver gray for an evening bag feel. If you want a monochrome look, work all three color positions in varying shades of the same hue, like a deep forest green fading to sage and mint, so the ribbed texture becomes the star instead of the stripes. For yarn swaps, 24/7 Cotton and Lily Sugar'n Cream both work perfectly as written, but you could also try Hobby Lobby's I Love This Cotton Yarn or Paintbox Yarns Cotton DK for a slightly lighter drape, just remember to check your gauge since cotton brands vary in thickness. To make the purse smaller for a phone-only crossbody, work fewer stitches around in the Base rounds and repeat the Main Pattern round fewer times before starting the Upper Edge, keeping your stitch multiple consistent so the BLO ribs stay even. For a larger tote-style version, add stitches to your foundation round in multiples that match your color repeat, and simply add extra rounds to the Body before moving into the Main Pattern. Swap the gold chain for a woven fabric strap, leather cord, or even a thick crocheted chain in Color A for a more casual, everyday look. Seasonal ideas are easy too: try cream, soft pink, and sage for a spring version, or rust, mustard, and cream for a cozy autumn stripe purse. The structure is so adaptable that once you've made it once, you'll start dreaming up color combinations everywhere you look.
I designed this purse because I wanted a bag that didn't look homemade in the shy, unfinished way some crochet projects can. Working back loop only throughout is the secret here — it turns ordinary single crochet into a fabric with real vertical ribs once you flip the panel on its side, and that texture alone makes people stop and ask where you bought it. Carrying your colors up the edge instead of cutting them at every stripe change means fewer ends to weave in later, which honestly is my favorite kind of shortcut. Watching the gradient move from deep emerald through soft mint into cream as you work the Body and Main Pattern rounds is so satisfying, like watching a sunset happen in yarn. And clipping on that gold chain strap at the end? That's the moment this stops looking like a crochet swatch and starts looking like a purse you'd actually carry out the door. It's a small project with a big payoff, and I think you're going to love how proud you feel wearing it.
