Sweetcrop Produce Bags
Developing A Trio of Lovely Crochet Sweetcrop Produce Bags
My sister has been making a dedicated effort to reduce the plastic in her life. And since we’ve both been using re-usable bags now for nearly a decade, she’s been trying to find other ways to help out the planet.
She ordered some different produce bags online and was excited to see them when they came. But when they finally arrived they looked like, well, like they had been made in China. The seams were shoddy, the sizes were off and there was no way they were actual cotton.
She showed me what she was returning. I agreed completely and then said, well, I can make you some! And my adventure into crocheting produce bags began. I did some searches on Pinterest and Google. I even tried some of the patterns. But none of them were quite right. So I ended up writing my own.
I ended up making three sizes, all with the same base. It is just a matter of additional increase rounds at the right spot to make the bigger sizes. My sister ended up wanting two smalls, two mediums and one large. This, she said, was the perfect set! 😉
I think you’ll find the pattern is very easy and works up quickly. You could make the whole set over a weekend.
The toughest part might be the supplies…
Crochet Thread #5
I honestly don’t remember the last time I bought crochet thread and yet I had a whole basket of it. And all of it was unlabeled. I didn’t give it much thought – crochet thread is so basic! Surely they still make and sell it – I see it all the time at the craft stores.
I started working on the pattern, picked a nice – but heavier- natural thread and went for it.
I was all finished with the first bag. The pattern was ironed out, I just needed to make other sizes and take photos.
Then I realized that I had used a #5 crochet thread. And I don’t know if you know this but that is a difficult size to find. I checked the big box chains to find I couldn’t even order it online. Then I went to places like Amazon and still couldn’t find exactly what I was looking for. I started searching specific brands like Aunt Lydia’s and Red Heart hoping to find something similar.
Finally – finally! – I found that DMC offered the size and color through their site. I quickly filled up a basket, got the free shipping and submitted the order. It took a few days to get it but once I did I was impressed!
It is by far the nicest cotton thread I’ve ever worked with. I know that my stash is easily over a decade old so maybe time had degraded it slightly. But this DMC Petra thread – I’m telling you – it is so buttery soft. And I know it doesn’t really matter much for produce bags but the drape! It is just gorgeous!
Ready To Get Started?
Now that I’m done sharing about my adventures in crochet thread, you’re probably wondering what all you’ll need to make this set of three produce bags. Here are the exact items I used to make the bags in the photos.
- Clover Amour Crochet Hook F (3.75mm)
- DMC Petra Cotton Crochet Thread Size #5, Color 5712, 446 yds
- Hildie & Jo Cotton Macrame Cord 3mm, natrual color, 2.5 yds
- Hildie & Jo Big Value Wood Beads (I used (6) 5/8” wide x 7/16” high in the lighter wood color)
- My Sweetcrop Produce Bag Crochet Pattern PDF (Also available on Etsy)
- Various notions like scissors, tapestry needles, etc.
And no, I didn’t use the wood crochet hooks pictured to make these bags. They are gorgeous hooks but they weren’t small enough for this particular pattern. If you are interested in getting custom wood hooks I highly recommend Turn of the Century. Their site is a little outdated but their hooks are phenomenal and Bill is great to work with – fast and responsive! The hooks pictured are from left to right: size K in Bloodwood, size G in Tulipwood and size H in Bocote.
When you’re done making your crochet Sweetcrop Produce Bags I’d love to see them! Please tag your Instagram and Facebook posts with #sweetcropproducebags and #cnccrocheters so we can see what you made!
Note: I am in no way affiliated with any of the vendors, manufacturers or websites listed on this page. I receive no compensation whatsoever for the opinions expressed on this page.
