The plastic grocery sack tote

            I have had several people ask for the pattern for my plastic grocery sack totes, so I’ve tried to recreate the patterns here. But first, a few words about plarn and color.
            The plastic yarn I make from plastic grocery bags really reflects the stores I frequent. In central Ohio, brown sacks come from Kroger, blue from Giant Eagle, gray from Walmart, yellow from Dollar General, and white from Walmart, Meijer, Joann's, Michaels, Hobby Lobby, Big Lots and many others.
            I’ve mixed the colors in several different ways. Sometimes, I’ll cut up the different bags (see the previous blog entry on how to do this) and throw all the different colors together in the same bag and connect them together randomly. I just stick my hand in the bag and whatever color comes out next is the next color in the ball of plarn.
            Now, the OCD way of doing things is to separate the bags into colors, cut them each up keeping the colors separated. This way, you can string together balls of plarn that are the same color.
            It really doesn’t matter which way you do it. Choose what makes you happy.
            Now on to the patterns for the totes.
            I basically use two different types of patterns and whatever size crochet hook feels the best. You can’t use a really small hook because you won’t be able to grab the plarn to make individual stitches. A really big hook means you’ll have large holes that “stuff” might fall through once you start using your tote. Just experiment until you find something that feels right.

Pattern One
     Crochet the bottom of the bag. Do this by chaining however many stitches that will make a bag the length you’d like it to be. Then start single crocheting every row until the rectangle you get is the size of the bottom of the bag.


This is the bottom rectangle.

     Then start crocheting in the round by picking up stitches on the ends (make sure you get roughly the same number of stitches on each end) and picking up stitches on the chain edge of the bottom rectangle.

This is what the bag will look like after you continue crocheting in the round for awhile.

     Sometimes, I find it necessary to reduce stitches in the four corners to make them more pronounced. Single crochet in the round until your tote is the height you’d like it to be. When you get to your last round, do one round of reverse single crochet to make a nice ridge at the top of the tote.

One round of reverse single crochet puts a nice edge on the top of the bag.

Pattern Two
            Again, crochet a chain that’s as long as you want the bag to be, Then start single crocheting each row until you get a large rectangle that is the size of one side of your tote.

It looks a little wonky, but this is the size square I'll use as the basic size of this bag.

            After I finish the last row of the side of your tote, do NOT turn to go back; instead, turn your work clockwise 90 degrees and pick up stitches along the end of the rows (I usually do one single crochet in each row), until you get to the bottom chain row.

           Again turn your work clockwise 90 degrees and pick up stitches in each chain along the bottom edge. When you get to the end, again turn your work clockwise 90 degrees and single crochet in each row until you reach the top. Don’t put extra stitches in the corners as you turn the tote to pick up stitches. You want this “U” shape to start forming the sides and bottom of the tote.

 

           When you get to the end, chain one and turn. Continue to single crochet each row until your edge piece makes the tote as wide as you’d like it to be.

           When you finish the last row of the sides, chain one and turn. Single crochet down the side until you reach the bottom. Now it’s time to start crocheting the other main side of the tote. You’ll complete rows of single crochet and crochet the last stitch in the row together with a stitch in the side.

 

This is what the bag will look like as you crochet up the last side of the bag.

           Please refer to the photos as I try to explain how I do this. (I’m sure there’s a better way. I’ve tried several different methods and this seems to work the best for me. If you’ve got another method, stick with what works for you.)

Crochet to the last stitch in the row.

Single crochet in the last stitch but don't pull the plarn through to
make the last stitch. Instead, pick up the stitch in the side.

 

Then pull the plarn through all three loops on the hook.
This is kind of like a single crochet decrease.

The slip stitch in the stitch on the side
above the row you've just completed.

After you slip stitch turn your work and
continue in single crochet across the row.

          Complete the fourth side when you've used all the side stitches and then fasten off.

This is the final tote using Pattern Two.

Handles
            It seems to me that a really cool plastic grocery sack tote can be ruined if the handles aren’t strong enough. Believe it or not, the handles will give way before the rest of the bag does. Again, I’ve tried several different types of handles, and these are the ones that work best for me. But if you’ve got a different way of doing it, go for it! These are, after all, totes made from plastic grocery sacks. We’re not talking life or death here! J Use your own creativity!
           I chain 11, turn and single crochet in the second chain from the hook and single crochet across. Continue until the handle is as long as you want it. Then I fold the handles in half lengthwise and crochet along the open edge to create a double thickness handle. Leave a long tale when you get to the end and fasten off and use the long tail to whip stitch the handle where you want it. I whip stitch around all four edges. This creates a very firm and secure attachment.

Place the handles wherever you think they'll be the strongest.

These are the handles whip-stitched in place.

           For one of these totes, I used a single thickness of the plarn and a size K crochet hook. The other is made using a double thickness of plarn and a size M crochet hook. I used the same thickness and crochet hook size for the handles of each bag. You can attach the handles to the outside or inside of the bag. It's your preference.

The bag on the left is crocheted with a double thickness and used Pattern Two.
The bag on the right is single thickness and Pattern One.

The two bags on the ends are made using Pattern Two
and the bag in the middle used Pattern One.

          I really enjoy making these and it's always fun to take them to the store and use these to bag my groceries. The folks at checkout are enthralled with them. I've become a good "recycling center" for my friends who want to get rid of their grocery sacks. My kids make fun of me all the time. They tease that I could figure out how to make a formal dress out of old pieces of garden hose. I'm not that thrifty, but if I could figure out a way to do it, I'd probably try.     

Enjoy and keep on creating!

Susie