Paw Print Tote Bag (Free Pattern)

This tote bag was constructed using the colorwork technique and the thermal stitch, which gives it weight and good graphic definition.  It was designed for the adventurous beginner crocheter.

This project was made with 100% acrylic yarn category #4 worsted weight yarn by Red Heart Super Saver Solid in white and red.  The finished product is 9 ½ inch (width) by 10 ½ inch (height) and used a 4.00 mm hook (or 4.5 mm hook if you stitch tighter).  You may use any category #4 worsted weight yarn you like, using any color combination of your choice.

Gauge of Thermal Stitch Swatch: A 4” x 4” square = 19 stitches (width) x 16 stitches (height).

MATERIALS:

1 skein Red Heart Super Saver Solid Red #4

1 skein Red Heart Super Saver Solid White #4
4.00 mm (or 4.5 mm) crochet hook
Stitch marker
Tape measure

Darning needle
Scissors

ABBREVIATIONS:

CH – Chain (always use yellow-colored yarn)
SS – Slip Stitch
SC – Single Crochet
BLO – Single Crochet, Back Loop Only
STS – Starting Thermal Stitch
TS-R – Thermal Stitch using red colored yarn
TS-W – Thermal Stitch using white colored yarn
CTS – Closing Thermal Stitch

SPECIAL STITCHES: Thermal Stitch

STS (Starting Thermal Stitch) – Flip your foundation chain to show the spine or back loops. Chain 1 and insert your hook on the spine/back loop of your foundation chain, yarn over and draw up a loop, then pull through the two (2) loops to make a single crochet. Keep repeating until you have stitched single crochets on all the spines/back loops of the foundation chain.

TS (Thermal Stitch) – Chain 1 and flip your work sideways so you can easily the unworked stitch of the foundation chain and the top stitches of the single crochets. Insert you hook on the unworked chain of the foundation chain and the back look of the starting thermal stitch’s single crochet. Yarn over and draw up a loop, then pull through the two (2) loops to make a single crochet. Keep repeating until you have stitched single crochets on all the unworked loops of the foundation chain and back loops of the starting thermal stitch’s single crochets.

CTS (Closing Thermal Stitch) – Chain 1 and flip your work sideways so you can see the unworked stitches of the thermal stitches of both last two rows. Inset your hook on both the stitches of the thermal stitch’s single crochet and the unworked stitch below it. Yarn over and draw up a loop, then pull through all the three (3) loops. Keep doing this stitch until you have reached the end of your project.

WRITTEN INSTRUCTIONS:

Making the base/bottom of the tote bag:

FC – Using red-colored yarn, 30 CH + 1 CH, turn.
Row 1 (Underside) – Using red-colored yarn, work 30 STS, 1 CH, turn.
Row 2 (Public Side) – Work 30 TS-Y, 1 CH, turn.
Row 3 to 20 and border of base/bottom – Still using red-colored yarn, work 30 CTS, 1 CH. Then, work 1 SC on each stitch on the border of the tote bag base/bottom, going from right to left. Count your SC’s for all 3 sides/borders. There should be a total of 50 SC’s or including CTS, a total of 80 all around the border base/bottom of the tote bag; each corner should have 2 stitches in them.

Making the body of the tote bag:

To create the foundation for the body of the tote bag, using the red-colored yarn, BLO around the border. Closing row with a SS, 1 CH, turn. Mark all corners with a stitch marker, making sure sides have the following number of stitches on them: 30 for front and back, 10 for each side.

Row 1 to 10 (Underside) – Using red-colored yarn, STS all around, SS to join ends of row, 1 CH, turn. (80)
Row 11 (Public Side) – 59 TS-R, 5 TS-W, 2 TS-R, 5 TS-W, 9 TS-R, SS to join ends of row, 1 CH, turn. (80)
Row 12 (Underside) – 80 TS-R, SS to join ends of row, 1 CH, turn. (80)
Row 13 (Public Side) – 58 TS-R, 14 TS-W, 8 TS-R, SS to join ends of row, 1 CH, turn. (80)
Row 14 (Underside) – 80 TS-R, SS to join ends of row, 1 CH, turn. (80)
Row 15 (Public Side) – 58 TS-R, 14 TS-W, 8 TS-R, SS to join ends of row, 1 CH, turn. (80)
Row 16 (Underside) – 80 TS-R, SS to join ends of row, 1 CH, turn. (80)
Row 17 (Public Side) – 58 TS-R, 14 TS-W, 8 TS-R, SS to join ends of row, 1 CH, turn. (80)
Row 18 (Underside) – 80 TS-R, SS to join ends of row, 1 CH, turn. (80)
Row 19 (Public Side) – 58 TS-R, 14 TS-W, 8 TS-R, SS to join ends of row, 1 CH, turn. (80)
Row 20 (Underside) – 80 TS-R, SS to join ends of row, 1 CH, turn. (80)
Row 21 (Public Side) – 59 ST-R, 12 TS-W, 9 TS-R, SS to join ends of row, 1 CH, turn. (80)
Row 22 (Underside) – 80 TS-R, SS to join ends of row, 1 CH, turn. (80)
Row 23 (Public Side) – 54 TS-R, 4 TS-W, 1 TS-R, 12 TS-W, 1 TS-R, 4 TS-W, 4 TS-R, SS to join ends of row, 1 CH, turn. (80)
Row 24 (Underside) – 80 TS-R, SS to join ends of row, 1 CH, turn. (80)
Row 25 (Public Side) – 53 TS-R, 5 TS-W, 2 TS-R, 10 TS-W, 2 TS-R, 5 TS-W, 3 TS-R, SS to join ends of row, 1 CH, turn. (80)
Row 26 (Underside) – 80 TS-R, SS to join ends of row, 1 CH, turn. (80)
Row 27 (Public Side) – 52 TS-R, 6 TS-W, 3 TS-R, 8 TS-W, 3 TS-R, 6 TS-W, 2 TS-R, SS to join ends of row, 1 CH, turn. (80)
Row 28 (Underside) – 80 TS-R, SS to join ends of row, 1 CH, turn. (80)
Row 29 (Public Side) – 52 TS-R, 6 TS-W, 4 TS-R, 6 TS-W, 4 TS-R, 6 TS-W, 2 TS-R, SS to join ends of row, 1 CH, turn. (80)
Row 30 (Underside) – 80 TS-R, SS to join ends of row, 1 CH, turn. (80)
Row 31 (Public Side) – 52 TS-R, 6 TS-W, 6 TS-R, 2 TS-W, 6 TS-R, 6 TS-W, 2 TS-R, SS to join ends of row, 1 CH, turn. (80)
Row 32 (Underside) – 80 TS-R, SS to join ends of row, 1 CH, turn. (80)
Row 33 (Public Side) – 52 TS-R, 6 TS-W, 3 TS-R, 2 TS-W, 4 TS-R, 2 TS-W, 3 TS-R, 6 TS-W, 2 TS-R, SS to join ends of row, 1 CH, turn. (80)
Row 34 (Underside) – 80 TS-R, SS to join ends of row, 1 CH, turn. (80)
Row 35 (Public Side) – 52 TS-R, 5 TS-W, 2 TS-R, 5 TS-W, 2 TS-R, 5 TS-W, 2 TS-R, 5 TS-W, 2 TS-R, SS to join ends of row, 1 CH, turn. (80)
Row 36 (Underside) – 80 TS-R, SS to join ends of row, 1 CH, turn. (80)
Row 37 (Public Side) – 53 TS-R, 3 TS-W, 3 TS-R, 5 TS-W, 2 TS-R, 5 TS-W, 3 TS-R, 3 TS-W, 3 TS-R, SS to join ends of row, 1 CH, turn. (80)
Row 38 (Underside) – 80 TS-R, SS to join ends of row, 1 CH, turn. (80)
Row 39 (Public Side) – 58 TS-R, 6 TS-W, 2 TS-R, 6 TS-W, 8 TS-R, SS to join ends of row, 1 CH, turn. (80)
Row 40 (Underside) – 80 TS-R, SS to join ends of row, 1 CH, turn. (80)
Row 41 (Public Side) – 58 TS-R, 6 TS-W, 2 TS-R, 6 TS-W, 8 TS-R, SS to join ends of row, 1 CH, turn. (80)
Row 42 (Underside) – 80 TS-R, SS to join ends of row, 1 CH, turn. (80)
Row 43 (Public Side) – 58 TS-R, 6 TS-W, 2 TS-R, 6 TS-W, 8 TS-R, SS to join ends of row, 1 CH, turn. (80)
Row 44 (Underside) – 80 TS-R, SS to join ends of row, 1 CH, turn. (80)
Row 45 (Public Side) – 58 TS-R, 6 TS-W, 2 TS-R, 6 TS-W, 8 TS-R, SS to join ends of row, 1 CH, turn. (80)
Row 46 (Underside) – 80 TS-R, SS to join ends of row, 1 CH, turn. (80)
Row 47 (Public Side) – 58 TS-R, 5 TS-W, 4 TS-R, 5 TS-W, 8 TS-R, SS to join ends of row, 1 CH, turn. (80)
Row 48 (Underside) – 80 TS-R, SS to join ends of row, 1 CH, turn. (80)
Row 49 (Public Side) – 59 TS-R, 3 TS-W, 6 TS-R, 3 TS-W, 9 TS-R, SS to join ends of row, 1 CH, turn. (80)
Row 50 to 60 (Underside) – 80 TS-R, SS to join ends of row, 1 CH, turn. (80)

To make the handles of the tote:

Row 1 (Public Side) – 15 TS-R, 21 CH, 20 TS-R, 21 CH, 5 TS-R, SS to join ends of row, 1 CH, turn. (82)
Row 2 (Underside) – 82 TS-R, SS to join ends of row, 1 CH, turn. (82)
Row 3 (Public Side) – 15 TS-R, 21 STS, 20 TS-R, 21 STS, 3 TS-R, SS to join ends of row, 1 CH, turn. (82)
Row 4 to 9 (Public Side) – 82 TS-R, SS to join ends of row, 1 CH, turn. (82)
Row 10 (Underside) – 82 CTS, SS to join ends of row, fasten off. (82)
 
*To finish, thread beginning and end tails on underside side of the project.  Block if you wish/necessary to get a nicer finish.
 
Thank you for your interest in this design and hope you will enjoy making this project.  Link up with the designer via Instagram.  Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the designer.  If you want an ad-free PDF copy of this pattern, complete with graph, you may purchase it from the designer's Ravelry store.

Design by Kitty Marsh of Made By Marsh
 
IMPORTANT NOTE: This pattern is protected by copyright law.  Purchasing it allows you to use it for personal use.  You may sell products made with the pattern as guide provided you give credit to the designer (Kitty Marsh) and her company (Made By Marsh).