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Last year I released the Atlantis Market Bag pattern and it’s a favorite of mine! I got the urge to make another bag this year, and while I started this one out as a regular shoulder bag, it very quickly told me it wanted to be a backpack. A backpack? What? Well, I’ve learned to listen to my projects and go with it, and I LOVE how this one turned out!

I used Caron Cotton Cakes in Watermelon, but some of my testers used acrylic worsted weight yarns with success. Play around with it and see what works for you!

This post may contain affiliate links that support YarnyBird content. All opinions are my own.

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Keep scrolling for the FREE version of the Arrosa Backpack, or find a printer-friendly PDF version on Ravelry and Etsy. 

ARROSA BACKPACK

FINISHED SIZE: 16 ½ inches tall x 14 ½ inches wide when laid flat without top cinched

GAUGE: 2 inches = 8 stitches, 5 rows, worked in half double crochet

MATERIALS:

• Caron Cotton Cakes Solid – 530 yards/8.8 oz/250g – 60% cotton/40% acrylic
• US H/5.00mm hook
• Scissors
• Yarn needle

ABBREVIATIONS:

• beg = beginning
• bo = bobble**
• ch(s) = chain(s)
• ch-sp = chain space
• dc = double crochet
• hdc = half double crochet
• sc = single crochet
• sc2tog = single crochet 2 together
• sk = skip
• st(s) = stitch(es)

**Bobble – Working all into the same stitch, *yarn over, insert hook into stitch, yarn over and pull through, yarn over and pull through 2 loops. Repeat from * 4 more times. Yarn over and pull through all 6 loops on the hook.

NOTES

Unless noted otherwise in pattern, chat beg of row/round does NOT count as a stitch.

 

Bottom of Bag

Row 1 – Ch 21, sc in 2nd ch from hook and across. (20)

Rows 2-56 – Ch 1, sc across. (20)

DO NOT CUT YARN.

Ch 1. Fold long edges together and scalong the short edge. (10) Cut yarn & fasten off. Attach yarn to the other short end and repeat. Turn the piece inside out so the right side is facing out.

Body of Bag

Round 1 – Attach yarn to one end of the bottom piece. Ch 1, sc around picking up a total of 116 sts. Slip stitch to join.

Round 2 – Ch 1, sc halfway around the bag (56 sts), sc2tog, sc next 56 sts, sc2tog over last 2 sts. (114)

(Your stitch count will remain at 114 for the rest of the body of the bag.)

Round 3– Ch 4 (counts as dc + ch 1), sk 1, *dc in next st, ch 1, sk 1.* Repeat to end of round. Slip stitch to 3rd beg ch to join.

Round 4 – Ch 1, sc in same ch as you joined, sc in each ch-sp and dc around. Slip stitch to 1st sc to join.

Round 5– Ch 1, sc around. Slip stitch to 1st sc to join.

Round 6– Ch 3 (counts as hdc+ ch 1), sk 1, *bo in next st, ch 1, sk 1, hdc in next st, ch 1, sk 1* to end of round. Slip stitch to 2nd beg ch to join.

Round 7– Ch 1, sc in same ch as you joined, sc in each ch-sp and hdc around. Slip stitch to 1st sc to join.

Round 8– Ch 1, sc around. Slip stitch to 1st sc to join.

Round 9– Ch 4 (counts as dc + ch 1), sk 1, *dc in next st, ch 1, sk 1.* Repeat to end of round. Slip stitch to 3rd beg ch to join.

Round 10 – Ch 1, sc in same ch as you joined, sc in each ch-sp and dc around. Slip stitch to 1st sc to join.

Round 11– Ch 1, sc around. Slip stitch to 1st sc to join.

Rounds 12-16 – Ch 1, hdc around. Slip stitch to 1st hdc to join.

Round 17 – Ch 4 (counts as dc + ch 1), sk 1, *dc in next st, ch 1, sk 1.* Repeat to end of round. Slip stitch to 3rd beg ch to join.

Round 18 – Ch 1, hdc in same ch as you joined, hdc in each ch-sp and dc around. Slip stitch to 1st hdc to join.

Rounds 19-22 – Ch 1, hdc around. Slip stitch to 1st hdc to join.

Round 23 – Ch 4 (counts as dc + ch 1), sk 1, *dc in next st, ch 1, sk 1.* Repeat to end of round. Slip stitch to 3rd beg ch to join.

Round 24 – Ch 1, hdc in same ch as you joined, hdc in each ch-sp and dc around. Slip stitch to 1st hdc to join.

Rounds 25-28 – Ch 1, hdc around. Slip stitch to 1st hdc to join.

Rounds 29-30 – Ch 1, sc around. Slip stitch to 1st sc to join.

Round 31 – Ch 4 (counts as dc + ch 1), sk 1, *dc in next st, ch 1, sk 1.* Repeat to end of round. Slip stitch to 3rd beg ch to join.

Round 32 – Ch 1, sc in same ch as you joined, sc in each ch-sp and dc around. Slip stitch to 1st sc to join.

Round 33– Ch 1, sc around. Slip stitch to 1st sc to join.

Round 34 – Ch 3 (counts as hdc+ ch 1), sk 1, *bo in next st, ch 1, sk 1, hdc in next st, ch 1, sk 1* to end of round. Slip stitch to 2nd beg ch to join.

Round 35 – Ch 1, sc in same ch as you joined, sc in each ch-sp and hdc around. Slip stitch to 1st sc to join.

Round 36– Ch 1, sc around. Slip stitch to 1st sc to join.

Round 37– Ch 4 (counts as dc + ch 1), sk 1, *dc in next st, ch 1, sk 1.* Repeat to end of round. Slip stitch to 3rd beg ch to join.

Round 38 – Ch 1, sc in same ch as you joined, sc in each ch-sp and dc around. Slip stitch to 1st sc to join.

Round 39– Ch 1, sc around. Slip stitch to 1st sc to join. Don’t fasten off.

Top Edging

(working perpendicular to the body of the bag)

Row 1 – Ch 6, sc in 2nd ch from hook and next 4. (5 sts) Slip stitch to the next 2 sts on the top of the bag. Turn your work.

(You will not work into the slip stitches – only sc and ch-sp stitches.)

Row 2 – Sc in next 2 sts, ch 2, sk next st, sc in last 2 sts. Turn.

Row 3– Ch 1, sc 5. Slip stitch to the next 2 sts on the top of the bag. Turn.

Row 4 – Sc 5 sts. Turn.

Row 5– Ch 1, sc 5. Slip stitch to the next 2 sts on the top of the bag. Turn.

Repeat rows 2-5 all the way around the bag.

Slip stitch first and last rows together with right sides together. Fasten off.

Handle

Holding 2 strands of yarn together, work a Romanian cord until it measures 55 inches long.

Here’s a link to Make & Do Crew’s Romanian Cord video – https://youtu.be/fITN-NuEImg

Ch 2, sc in 2nd ch from hook.

Rotate 180 degrees and look for the 3rd loop on the back of the stitch (this 3rd loop will be 2 strands). Sc into this 3rd loop.

Rotate 180 degrees and look for 2 3rd loops on the back of the stitch (4 strands for the 3rd loops). Sc into this double 3rd loop. Repeat this step until cord measures 55 inches.

To attach handle to bag:

Sew one end of the handle to the bottom left back corner of the bag.

Find the 3 center chain spaces on the bag of the bag at the top. Weave the unattached end of the handle clockwise through every other chain space until you reach the back center of the bag again.

Sew the end to the bottom right back corner of the bag.

Pull the 2 straps in back to cinch the bag closed and lengthen the straps to carry as a backpack.

FINISHING

Weave in ends.

I love to see your finished projects, so be sure to use #arrosabackpack and #yarnybirdmakes when you post your photos on social media!

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