Ocean Vibes Bag – Free Crochet Pattern

Do you love crocheting bags? I’ve been loving designing bags lately and the Ocean Waves Bag was really fun (and pretty quick) to make! If you’re looking for a roomy bag that is easy to make, has fun texture, and would look great in all different color combinations, this is the bag for you. 

The Ocean Vibes Bag makes a great day trip bag no matter what season you’re in, as well as an awesome crocheting on-the-go bag, beach/pool bag, shopping bag, and just an overall holds-anything-you-need bag!  Make one for yourself or for someone special as a gift over the holidays, or both! A bag is such a practical gift that has so much potential that I bet your thoughtful, handmade gift will make someone’s day (or holidays)!

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This pattern is available for FREE on this website. If you’d like an ad-free, printable PDF version, you may purchase it for a small fee from my Etsy or Ravelry shops. Thank you so much for supporting Loops & Love Crochet!

Keep reading on for the free Ocean Vibes Bag crochet pattern! If you are interested in another large crochet tote, check out the Beach Please Summer (but great for all seasons) Tote!

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission if you click a link and purchase something that I have recommended. This is done at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting Loops & Love Crochet!

Supply List:

• Bulky Weight Yarn – I used Bernat Maker Home Dec yarn in Steel Blue, Aqua, and Cream. You can also find this yarn on Amazon HERE. This project took about two thirds of a skein of the main color (Steel Blue) and then a little bit of the other two accent colors.  This yarn is a cotton and nylon blend so the bag is sturdy, but soft as well. You can substitute another bulky weight yarn for this bag, or double strand a thinner yarn, like a worsted-weight cotton. Just make sure you check the gauge below to help you with your yarn substitutions so you aren’t surprised with a much smaller/larger bag.
• 6mm Crochet Hook – I love my Clover Amour hooks!
• Yarn needle for weaving in ends

Stitch Key:

• Ch – Chain
• Sl St – Slip Stitch
• SC – Single crochet
• DC – Double crochet
• BLO – Back Loops Only – work the stitches of this round in the back loop only.
• 2DC Cluster – Two Double Crochet Cluster (same as DC2TOG except in same stitch)  – Yarn over, insert hook into next stitch, pull up a loop (3 loops on hook), yarn over and pull through 2 loops. Yarn over, insert hook into same stitch, pull up a loop (4 loops on hook), yarn over, pull through 2 loops, yarn over and pull through all 3 remaining loops. (See the tutorial photo later in this pattern for the 2DC Cluster Stitch)

Gauge:

• 2” x 2” square = 7 rows of 8 SC stitches = 2 inches wide, 7 rows of SC stitches = 2 inches tall

Finished Size:

• When laying flat, this bag is approx. 16 inches wide and 12 inches tall , not including the handles.  

Important Notes:

• Joined Rounds – This bag is worked in joined rounds. At the end of each round, you will be joining the last stitch of the round to the first stitch with a slip stitch.
• Starting Each Round – Start the first stitch of each round in the same stitch as the chain 1 or chain 2.  The chain 1 or 2 stitches at the start of each round do not count towards the stitch count of each round, however the rest of the chain stitches throughout the round count towards the total.
• Color Changes – Change colors at the end of the round before joining. Complete the last stitch of the round up until the last yarn over. Yarn over with new color and pull through the last step of the stitch you are making. If you aren’t sure how to work the color changes in the last step before joining, I do show this in the video tutorial for this bag on my YouTube channel. More details and link below.
• Carrying Yarn – In working this bag, I left the steel blue yarn attached for the whole bag and just let it hang inside the bag and pulled it up when I needed it again. This is slightly visible on the inside of the bag.  For the other two colors, I left them attached while working the 3 rounds of 2DC Cluster stitches and then when I switched back to the main blue color, I cut the cream and aqua yarn and weaved in the ends.  You can leave the cream and aqua colored yarn attached like the steel blue yarn, but because the color sections are farther apart, there would be a longer way to pull the color up when you need it, making it quite a bit more noticeable on the inside of the bag.
• How to Change the Size of the Bag – You can easily change the height of bag by adding or removing one or more of the 2DC Cluster rounds repeated throughout the pattern. You can also add/remove rounds of BLO SC stitches for changing the height as well.  This will leave the stitch count the same and the handle will work up as written in the pattern. As an alternative, if you’d like to change the width of the bag, you can choose to work less of the increase rounds at the base of the bag and then jump right to the section working the height of the bag. Note that the stitch count on your last increase round will be the count for the rest of the rounds for the height of the bag. Keep in mind that if you change the width of the bag, this will affect how the handles are worked as a result of the different stitch count so you’ll have to account for that in placing your handles (some math will be needed).
• Video Tutorial – I have a video tutorial to show how the 2DC cluster stitch rounds work for this bag, as well as the color changes. You can find it on my YouTube Channel.
  • There are a couple other video tutorials on my channel that you might also find helpful in working up this bag:
    • How to Crochet a Bag Base – Video Tutorial
    • How to add Handles to Crochet Bags – Video Tutorial

Click HERE for the VIDEO TUTORIAL for this pattern!

The Pattern

* In reading this pattern, the colors are as follows. “Steel Blue” = Color A, “Cream” = Color B, “Aqua” = Color C.

Base of Bag

Start with color A (main bag color).

Check out this video tutorial if you need some help with working the rounds for base of the bag!

Row/Round 1: Ch 37, SC in 2^nd chain from hook and in each chain across, make 4 SC in the last chain. Now continue around so you are working on the other side of the chain. SC in each stitch across, make 3 SC in last stitch. Join with a sl st to first SC, ch 1. (76)

Round 2: 2 SC in first stitch, SC in next 34. 2 SC in each of the next 4 stitches, SC next 34, 2 SC in the last 3 stitches. Join, ch 1. (84)

Round 3: 2 SC in first stitch, SC in next 35. *2 SC in next stitch, 1 SC in next. Repeat from * three more times, then SC in next 34 stitches. *2 SC in next stitch, 1 SC in next. Repeat from * two more times. Join, ch 1. (92)

Round 4: 2 SC in first stitch, SC in next 36 stitches. *2 SC in next stitch, SC in next 2 stitches. Repeat from * three more times. SC in next 34 stitches. *2 SC in next stitch, SC in next 2 stitches. Repeat from * two more times. Join, chain 1. (100)

Round 5: 2 SC in first stitch, SC in next 37 stitches. *2 SC in next stitch, SC in next 3 stitches. Repeat from * three more times. SC in next 34 stitches. *2 SC in next stitch, SC in next 3 stitches. Repeat from * two more times. Join, chain 1. (108)

Round 6: 2 SC in first stitch, SC in next 38 stitches. 2 SC in next stitch, SC in next 4 stitches. Repeat from * three more times. SC in next 34 stitches. *2 SC in next stitch, SC in next 4 stitches. Repeat from * two more times. Join, chain 1. (116)

*At this point, the bag base should measure approximately 13 inches long and 3 inches wide.  Next you will start working on the height/body of the bag.

Rounds 7-14: Work these rounds in the back loops only.  SC in each stitch around. Join, ch 1. (116)

*At the end of round 14, change to color B before joining, chain 2. (see notes and the video tutorial for help with how to make the color changes at the end of the round).

Next, you will start with the first section of 2DC Cluster Stitches. I’ve included a photo tutorial below to help you with this, if needed.

Round 15: 2DC Cluster in first stitch, ch 1, skip next stitch, *2DC Cluster in next, ch 1, skip next stitch, repeat from * around. Change to color C before joining, join with a sl st to the first stitch, ch 2. (58 Clusters/116 stitches total)

Round16: Ch 1, 2DC Cluster in first 2DC Cluster space from previous round, *ch 1, 2DC Cluster in next 2DC Cluster space, repeat from * around. Change to color B before joining, join with a sl st into the first chain space from the previous round, ch 2. (58 Clusters/116 stitches total)

Round17: 2DC Cluster in first 2DC Cluster space from previous round (this in the same chain space where you joined at the end of the last round where there is a space before the first 2DC Cluster), ch 1,* 2DC Cluster in next 2DC Cluster space, ch 1, repeat from * around. Change to color A before joining, join to first stitch, ch 1. (58 Clusters/116 stitches total)

Rounds 18-21: Work these rounds in the back loops only.  SC in each stitch around. Join, ch 1. (116)   *After round 21, change to color C before joining. Join to first stitch, chain 2.

Round 22: 2DC Cluster in first stitch, ch 1, skip next stitch, *2DC Cluster in next, ch 1, skip next stitch, repeat from * around. Change to color B before joining, join to first stitch, ch 2. (58 Clusters/116 stitches total)

Round 23: Ch 1, 2DC Cluster in first 2DC Cluster space from previous round (this in the same chain space where you joined at the end of the last round where there is a space before the first 2DC Cluster), *ch 1, 2DC Cluster in next 2DC Cluster space, repeat from * around. Change to color C before joining, join with a sl st into the first chain space from the previous round, ch 2. (58 Clusters/116 stitches total)

Round 24: 2DC Cluster in first 2DC Cluster space from previous round, ch 1,* 2DC Cluster in next 2DC Cluster space, ch 1, repeat from * around. Change to color A before joining, join to first stitch, ch 1. (58 Clusters/116 stitches total)

Rounds 25-28: Work these rounds in the back loops only.  SC in each stitch around. Join, ch 1. (116)   *After round 28, change to color B before joining. Join to first stitch, chain 2.

Round 29: 2DC Cluster in first stitch, ch 1, skip next stitch, *2DC Cluster in next, ch 1, skip next stitch, repeat from * around. Change to color C before joining, join to first stitch, ch 2. (58 Clusters/116 stitches total)

Round 30: Ch 1, 2DC Cluster in first 2DC Cluster space from previous round, *ch 1, 2DC Cluster in next 2DC Cluster space, repeat from * around. Change to color B before joining, join with a sl st into the first chain space from the previous round, ch 2. (58 Clusters/116 stitches total)

Round 31: 2DC Cluster in first 2DC Cluster space from previous round (this in the same chain space where you joined at the end of the last round where there is a space before the first 2DC Cluster), ch 1,* 2DC Cluster in next 2DC Cluster space, ch 1, repeat from * around. Change to color A before joining, join to first stitch, ch 1. (58 Clusters/116 stitches total)

Rounds 32-35: Work these rounds in the back loops only.  SC in each stitch around. Join, ch 1. (116)  

In these next few rounds, you will be working the handle for the bag. If you would like a longer handle/strap, you can add chain stitches as needed to increase the length.

*If you need help working the rounds of the handle, check out this video for a tutorial on adding handles onto crochet tote bags using the same technique as for this pattern!

Round 36: SC in first 15 stitches, chain 50, skip 23 stitches, SC in next 33, chain 50, skip 23 stitches, SC in last 22, join, ch 1.

Round 37: SC in each stitch around and in each of the chain stitches (to form the handles), join, ch 1.

Rounds 38-39: SC in each stitch around, join, ch 1. *after round 39, do not chain 1. Fasten off and weave in ends.  *Note: If you’d like a wider handle, you can repeat round 38 one or two more times before fastening off.

You’re all finished! I hope you enjoyed this pattern and love the bag that you made! I bet you’ll get lots of compliments on it!

**Want to be kept in the loop? Be sure to like Loops and Love Crochet on Facebook and join the Loops and Love Crochet Group! Don’t forget to follow @loopsandlovecrochet on Instagram! Remember to tag Loops and Love Crochet when you post your fnished projects on social media! I’d love to see them! **

*You may make and sell any items made from my patterns, but please link back to my blog or Loops & Love Crochet as the designer. Please do not copy this pattern or photos and share as your own, in part or in whole.  Instead, link back to the Loops and Love Crochet blog (especially when selling items you make from my patterns). Thank you!