Raffia Tote
New, fun tote bag for summer? Yes please!
I’ve been seeing Raffia bags all over the city lately. They’ve been all the rage. I saw a similar bag in Banana Republic one day that I loved, but it was a whopping $300. I thought, “I could make that!”
Pattern: Wool and the Gang’s Million Reasons Bag in Espresso Brown
I love the texture of this bag! The criss cross stitches give enough interest, but still keeps a classic look. Chocolate brown has been my favorite color lately because it’s light enough for summer, but will transition well into fall too.
For some reason all of my stitches were a lot taller than the gauge described in the pattern, so I ended up doing less rows for the base of the bag, less rows for the body, and less criss cross rows as well. For example, you can see from the photo I did 5 rows of criss cross stiches, while the pattern has 7 rows.
Another thing I noticed is that the bag stretches a little bit with items in it, so keep that in mind when deciding the height of your bag. If I were to make the bag over again, I might make it a couple rows shorter.
Overall, the pattern was very easy to follow and I had a blast making this bag!
Bring your tote to the farmers market, to the beach, or just a walk around the block to show off your beautiful work!
Happy crocheting!
