Granny Square Market Bag Crochet Pattern

Granny squares are the first thing most of us learn after the basics, and then they sit in a pile with nowhere to go. A market bag is the best answer I have found: nine identical squares, a little joining, and you have a bag that folds down to the size of a fist and carries a week of produce.

I wrote this pattern for the crocheter who has made a few squares and wants to turn them into something useful. It is all cotton, because cotton stretches under a load but does not sag the way acrylic does.

What is inside

A seven-page PDF in US terms. It starts with the granny square itself, written round by round with a stitch count, then the assembly (two rows of four squares become a tube, the ninth square is the base), the top border and long handles, finishing, a stitch-count table and troubleshooting.

The finished bag is 6 x 6 inches across the base and 12 inches tall, with handles about 13 inches long. You need medium (#4) cotton in three colors, a 5.5 mm hook, a tapestry needle and four stitch markers.

Three things from the pattern

• A count for every round. Round 1 is 12 double crochets, round 2 is 24, round 3 is 36, round 4 is 48 and round 5 is 60. The rule is 12 times the round number, so you can check your square at a glance.
• Joining without bulk. Squares are whip stitched together through the back loops only, matching each stitch and corner space. Two rows of four squares make a 24 inch ring, and the pattern tells you which seams to do first.
• Handles that hold. The top border is 84 single crochets. Round 3 makes the handles: 12 stitches, chain 60, skip 18, 24 stitches, chain 60, skip 18, then 12 more. Two more rounds of single crochet turn the chains into a strap.

Make it yours

Handles too long? Chain 48 instead of 60. Want a taller bag? Add a third row of four squares to the tube. The border still comes to 84 stitches, because the border sits on top of the squares. If your squares come out different sizes, change hook size on the ones that are off rather than changing how tight you pull.

After you finish, soak the bag in warm water, press it dry in a towel and lay it flat. Cotton firms up after washing, and for heavy loads you can run a second round of single crochet along the base seams.

Get the pattern

A printable PDF with no ads, in clean US terms, ready for your next market trip.

Happy hooking,

Hannah