Mesh bags range from featherweight produce sacks that weigh barely over an ounce to sturdy, doubled-yarn totes built to carry a full grocery haul. What separates them is mostly yarn weight and whether the yarn is worked single or doubled, not the mesh stitch itself, which stays fairly similar across all seven of these.
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Items you’ll need:
- Crochet hooks
- Cotton yarn
- Tapestry needles and stitch markers
- Embroidery scissors
- Blocking mat and pins
- Tally counter
Mesh bag patterns to explore
1. Willow Mesh Crochet Market Bag
Briana Kepner made this for anyone with a graveyard of canvas totes and a fistful of plastic bags, and it comes in three sizes with a video. It uses a cotton-acrylic blend (Herrschners Cottage Cotton), which she says is light enough to crochet for hours without the hand fatigue of worsted cotton. She has a list of substitutes.
2. Peek-A-Boo Mesh Bag
Michelle Moore’s Peek-A-Boo bag is a stylish and functional mesh bag in medium (worsted) weight yarn. It holds the yarn doubled throughout (four balls held as two strands), so the mesh is sturdy enough for loads.
3. Filet Crochet Market Bag
Joanne Loh’s mesh market bag comes in three sizes: large for larger grocery items, medium for a quick trip, and small. It uses raffia yarn, which she says is lightweight, stain-resistant and holds its shape, though you can substitute other yarns good for bags. Check the yarn quantity for each size in the materials list.
4. Easy Mesh Market Bag
Esther Thompson’s bag is simple by design: treble crochet for the body and single crochet for the top, and it takes 244 yards of size 3 cotton (KC Essential Cotton) on a 5.5 mm hook. It is 16 inches tall without the straps. Gauge is not important since it is not worn, and each treble round is about 1 inch tall. She notes that cotton is the best choice because it is durable, breathable and can be washed often.
5. Crochet Produce Bag
Faydra Kenning’s produce bag is one of four Green Living patterns by Knottie Hooks. They work up very fast, and she takes them everywhere, using them to hold all sorts of things, even her daughter’s little princess toys. It is a good pick if you want a quick reusable bag for the grocery store.
6. Reusable Produce Bag
Cintia’s reusable produce bag is the smallest at about 32 by 24 cm, and it uses only a third of a ball of yarn, so it is a fast use for leftovers.
7. La Via Market Tote Bag
Crystal Marin’s La Via is a market tote made with #4 medium weight yarn, which she used in cotton, though acrylic works if you know it will not absorb water. It starts with a solid bottom, then switches to a stretchy mesh, so a wide strap is recommended for wearing it crossbody, since it holds a lot. To make it shorter or less stretchy, leave off a few rounds of the mesh.
