This purse may look all dressed up, but we know that a 100% crochet handbag will hold up under real use! The main body of the bag is a special woven-look crochet stitch that’s ‘close-knit’, light weight, and flexible.

Perhaps the best feature for some crocheters is that adding an inner fabric lining is optional. Begin with a sturdy light weight yarn then embellish with a fun and quick-to-crochet overskirt of, say, fancy beaded silk! (pictured).

This is an updated and streamlined edition of the Chain Link Bag. I originally designed it for the Crochet Guild of America (CGOA) Pattern Line in 2005; however, CGOA’s patterns have since gone out of print, and the original yarn has long been discontinued.

I’m proud to be able to self-publish this ‘remastered’ edition of one of my signature designs. I’ve added step-by-step photos and other details. I’ve fallen in love with this design all over again because of the newer yarns I used here. They’re commonly available in yarn shops, are less stretchy, a pleasure to crochet, and are easy to substitute with other yarns if desired.

International English equivalents to American measurements, yarn weights, and stitch terms are provided in brackets.

Skill Level: Intermediate. After using this pattern you will know (if you didn’t already):
-How to shape a bag while working rows vertically (a.k.a. “side to side”)
-A handy stitch for crocheting bags that don’t require fabric linings
-A fun way to show off one skein of an exquisite yarn while letting a workhorse yarn do the heavy lifting
-The design appeal of chain stitch strands worked in a spiral

About the Supplies Needed
Yarn: Mercerized cotton or other inelastic plant fibers like linen work well for the main body of the bag; too much of the bouncy type of wool or acrylic stretch out of shape. Choose a yarn that recommends a crochet hook size range somewhere between 4mm-5.5mm on the label.
Main Yarn used for body of handbag pictured: Tahki Cotton Classic (100% mercerized cotton; 108yds/100m per 1.75oz/50g), color #3004, 2 skeins.
Contrast Yarn used for fancy overskirt: Tilli Tomas Beaded Plié (100% silk plied with beads; 120yd/110m per 1.75oz/50g), color #3303, 1 skein. (I think the beads help the chain strands to drape especially well; probably acrylic or wool yarns would drape the least of all.)
4 stitch markers, briefly :-)
Yarn needle
Optional: Button, about 1/2” diameter or preferred clasp; Fabric for sewn lining, 14” X 14” piece (36 cm square); Sewing needle and thread for button and lining

(For reference, the original yarn used for the 2005 edition of this design: Berroco Crystal FX 100% chained nylon; 1.75oz/146yds/50g per skein, #4710, “Mica,” 3 balls. It’s no longer my first choice for this design because it’s quite stretchy, which makes a fabric lining necessary for it to maintain its shape.)