Crochet
Bagalong stash bag square 1
This is the first bag I’ll be making as part of the bagalong. Some of you will be zooming ahead but I will be posting about one square each day. I’m also making a small project bag so look out for that too.
Want to know about the bagalong?
These posts explain what you might want to know:
- Preparing to join the bagalong
- About the bagalong – this page will be updated with all the links to the various posts and pages connected with our bag making.
My new retro granny stash bag
I’m making a BIG stash bag again, using 12 inch (30cm) squares. Each square will be different and have a retro style. Feel free to copy it, use it for inspiration, or to make a bag using 5 squares of one of the designs.
Its all very flexible!
Below you will find a summary of each round and the colours I’ve used. If you want more detail on making the square, check out the detailed photo tutorial on making a retro granny square.
You can also print out a pattern summary that I have put into a pdf format (UK terms). I’ve also just added a pdf pattern download in USA terms.
Blocking?
Notice that the square that I’ve photographed was not blocked at any point. It looks less than square during its development but don’t worry – as it gets bigger it gets squarer! I have never found it necessary to block the squares I’ve used in the stash bag – but you can if you prefer.
Sizing your square
I used a 5mm hook for this square, which gives a firmer finish than a 6mm hook. As a result I added 2 rounds to achieve a square that was 30cm (12 inches). Your tension might be different but that doesn’t matter. If you want to reduce it, take out a round or two after round 6.
UK terms used throughout. In USA terms trebles are double crochets, half trebles are half double crochets, double crochets are single crochets.
Square 1 round 1
Stylecraft Special Chunky Cloud blue
Make 4 chains and close with a slip stitch to form a circle. Or use a magic circle. Make 3 chains and then 11 trebles (UK terms) into the circle. Join with a slip stitch, cut the yarn, weave the outer tail end through a couple of the top stitches, then weave in the first, inner yarn tail with a darning needle. Pull to close up the hole in the centre. Leave the second tail end to weave in once you have done the next round.
Square 1 round 2
Stylecraft Special Chunky Silver
Join the new colour of yarn in one of the stitches of the previous round. Make 3 chains then one treble stitch into the same stitch. Then make two trebles into each of the remaining 11 stitches all round. Join with a slip stitch. You will have 24 stitches in total. Cut the yarn, weave in the second tail end through a couple of the tops of the stitches and leave this to weave in in the next round. Weave in the remaining cloud blue tail end. Weave the first parchment tail end to the top of the stitches so that you can crochet over it in the next round.
Square 1 round 3
Stylecraft Special Chunky Aspen
Join the next colour of yarn as in round 2. Make 3 chains and two trebles into the space between the doublets of trebles from the previous round. Continue all round and join with a slip stitch. Cut the yarn and weave in the ends as for round 2. You will have a total of 36 stitches and you will have a circle.
Square 1 round 4
Stylecraft Special Chunky Midnight
Join the next yarn into one of the spaces between the treble clusters of the previous round. Make 3 chains and two trebles into that space. Make 3 trebles into the next space. The next space will form the first corner. Make 2 trebles, 2 chains and 2 more trebles into the space. Continue with a treble cluster into the next two spaces, followed by another corner and so on until you are all the way round. Join with a slip stitch and cut the yarn and weave in the ends as before. You will have four corners separated by two treble clusters on each side.
Square 1 round 5
Stylecraft Special Chunky Denim
Join the new yarn into a space between the treble clusters on the side of the square. Make 2 chains and 2 half trebles into that chain space. Make 3 half trebles into each space on the sides of the square. In the corner chain spaces, make 2 trebles, 2 chains and then 2 trebles. Join with a slip stitch and cut and weave in the yarn as before.
Using half trebles on the sides will bring them in slightly, giving you a squarer square.
Square 1 round 6
Stylecraft Special Chunky Cloud blue
Join the yarn in one of the spaces between the half treble clusters along one of the sides of the square. Make 3 chains and 2 trebles into that space. Make 3 trebles into each of the spaces along the sides of the square and 2 trebles, 2 chains, 2 trebles into each of the corner spaces. Join with a slip stitch. Cut the yarn and weave in the ends as before.
Square 1 round 7
Stylecraft Special Chunky Midnight
Join the yarn in one of the spaces between the treble clusters along one of the sides of the square. Make 3 chains and 2 trebles into that space. Make 3 trebles into each of the spaces along the sides of the square and 2 trebles, 2 chains, 2 trebles into each of the corner spaces. Join with a slip stitch. Cut the yarn and weave in the ends as before.
Square 1 round 8
Stylecraft Special Chunky Aspen
Join the yarn in one of the spaces between the treble clusters along one of the sides of the square. Make 3 chains and 2 trebles into that space. Make 3 trebles into each of the spaces along the sides of the square and 2 trebles, 2 chains, 2 trebles into each of the corner spaces. Join with a slip stitch. Cut the yarn and weave in the ends as before.
Square 1 round 9
Stylecraft Special Chunky Silver
Join the yarn in one of the spaces between the treble clusters along one of the sides of the square. Make 3 chains and 2 trebles into that space. Make 3 trebles into each of the spaces along the sides of the square and 2 trebles, 2 chains, 2 trebles into each of the corner spaces. Join with a slip stitch. Cut the yarn and weave in the ends as before.
Square 1 round 10
Stylecraft Special Chunky Cloud blue
Join the yarn in one of the spaces between the treble clusters along one of the sides of the square. Make 3 chains and 2 trebles into that space. Make 3 trebles into each of the spaces along the sides of the square and 2 trebles, 2 chains, 2 trebles into each of the corner spaces. Join with a slip stitch. Cut the yarn and weave in the ends as before.
Square 1 round 11
Stylecraft Special Chunky Midnight
Join the yarn in one of the spaces between the treble clusters along one of the sides of the square. Make 3 chains and 2 trebles into that space. Make 3 trebles into each of the spaces along the sides of the square and 2 trebles, 2 chains, 2 trebles into each of the corner spaces. Join with a slip stitch. Cut the yarn and weave in the ends as before.
Square 1 round 12
Stylecraft Special Chunky Denim
Join the yarn in one of the spaces between the treble clusters along one of the sides of the square. Make 3 chains and 2 trebles into that space. Make 3 trebles into each of the spaces along the sides of the square and 2 trebles, 2 chains, 2 trebles into each of the corner spaces. Join with a slip stitch. Cut the yarn and weave in the ends as before.
My square measured 12 inches, 30cm at this point.
Enjoyed this pattern and tutorial?
This pattern and tutorial is free and you can use it to make bags for yourself or for others. You can sell your bags but it would be nice to credit me for the design. Please do not take the photos or the text of the tutorials and publish them, even with a link back to my site, as that is against UK Copyright Law. Pinning my pics on Pinterest is fine – as long as you pin from here.
If you find the tutorial useful please consider donating £2 to the Just Giving page below – I raised over £10800 for Marie Curie Cancer Care recently and I want to keep up the good work!!
You can text a donation to 70070 adding YARN55 and then your donation amount if you prefer xxxxxxxxx
Newbie to crocheting here. Granny squares were the first thing i learned, and promptly forgot. I am currently making a blanket for my neice for college, and was trying to figure out how to trim the blanket (i made a basket weave pattern for the main body of the blanket). This pattern is beautiful, and so easy to work with. I only had 4 colors, and only went out to 5 rows, but it works perfectly and looks so nice. Thank you for this!
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Lovely
Can’t wait to see the newest ideas!
I would love to make this fabulous bag as I have some lovely yarn in various shades of blue that will look fab. I’m a fairly new crocheter though (taught myself from last summer) so I just need some advice? I have yarn in aran weight and DK, how many strands would I need to use to get the equivalent of using a chunky yarn and what size hook should I go for? Would it be OK to mix the yarns or would my square be likely to turn out shockingly bad? Thanks!
Hi Joanne I would recommend that you don’t mix aran and DK… Two strands of DK is gives a very similar result to chunky, so you could combine doubled DK and chunky. However, aran is half way between DK and chunky so you can’t really compensate for that. If you really have no choice and still wanted to mix doubled up DK and aran you would have to do so consistently in each square of the bag so that they would join together easily. Sound, if you did round 2 and round 6 in aran in one square and doubled DK in the rest of the rounds, you would have to repeat that ‘yarn fatness’ pattern in your other squares, if that makes sense 🙂
Thank you Crafternoontreats I have enjoyed joining in on this bagalong craft and even though I have made a few wee mistakes my first square is looking pretty good. Will start the second square before I go to work 🙂
Use that first square as your base (noone will notice those wee mistakes) xxx
Realized the Bernal softee chunky is a 6 super bulky which explains why it was hard to work with, thought it was a 5 bulky. 5 rows in on first square and already 8″ across. Ugh!
The upside Karen is that you will have fewer rounds to do to reach 10 or 11 or 12 inches, however big you want your bag. Will be nice and firm too xxx
Looks beautiful. For those of us who want to copy your colours,is it possible to have the complete list so that they can be ordered in one go? Many thanks
Lovely granny square, Kathryn! I’ll start tomorrow again, with other yarn.
Have a nice evening,
Corine
x
I’ve started. On round 6, will do a bit more later. Loving it and your instructions are so easy to follow. Thank you so much for this. 🙂
Count me in! Though I have enough WIPs & UFOs to fill a room, and I’m hooked on sock knitting at the moment too. J x