A slice handbag is a round bag crocheted in one piece from a flat oval, with the side walls worked straight up from it and a flap that closes over the top. This one is made in 4 mm polypropylene cord on a 5.5 mm hook, so it holds its shape without a lining: 23 cm long, 17 cm high, 10 cm deep.
The construction is unusual and worth understanding before the first stitch. Every odd row is single crochet; every even row is slip stitch worked into the back loops only. That alternation is what makes the fabric dense enough to stand up. The oval is closed at the end of each row with the long tail you left at the start, not with a join.
Every row is written out below.
What you need
- Cord: 4 mm polypropylene or macramé cord, about 165 m (2 skeins of 82 m)
- Hook: 5.5 mm
- Hardware: one 18 mm magnetic button, two 20 mm rings, two 30 mm snap hooks
- Notions: four stitch markers, sewing needle and thread, scissors
Abbreviations
ch chain, slst slip stitch, sc single crochet, inc two sc in one stitch, dec two stitches together, BLO back loop only.
The oval
Leave a 2 m tail before you start: it closes every row. Work with two strands held together, ch 13 loosely.
- R1: 11 sc from the second chain, 3 sc in the last chain, 11 sc back along the other side, close with the tail (26)
- R2: 25 slst BLO, close with the tail (26)
- R3: 8 sc, 3 inc, 10 sc, 3 inc, 1 sc (32)
- R4: 31 slst BLO (32)
- R5: 5 sc, (sc, inc) x3, 10 sc, (sc, inc) x3, 4 sc (38)
- R6: 37 slst BLO (38)
- R7: 5 sc, (2 sc, inc) x3, 10 sc, (2 sc, inc) x3, 4 sc (44)
- R8: 43 slst BLO (44)
- R9: 5 sc, (inc, 3 sc) x3, 10 sc, (inc, 3 sc) x3, 4 sc (50)
- R10: 49 slst BLO (50)
- R11: 5 sc, (4 sc, inc) x3, 10 sc, (4 sc, inc) x3, 4 sc (56)
- R12: 55 slst BLO (56)
- R13: 5 sc, 2 sc, inc, (5 sc, inc) x2, 3 sc, 10 sc, 2 sc, inc, (5 sc, inc) x2, 3 sc, 4 sc (62)
- R14: 61 slst BLO (62)
- R15: 5 sc, (6 sc, inc) x3, 10 sc, (6 sc, inc) x3, 4 sc (68)
The oval ends up about 32 x 23 cm. Mark the first and tenth stitch of each side: those four markers travel with the increases.
Side walls
Turn the oval seam side up and move the two left markers five stitches to the left.
- R16: 32 slst BLO to the second marker
- R17: 32 sc, ch
- R18: 27 slst BLO to the second marker
- R19: 22 sc to the first marker, ch
- R20: 17 slst BLO to the third marker
- R21: 12 sc to the second marker, ch
- R22: 17 slst BLO to the last marker
- R23: 22 sc to the first marker, ch
- R24: 27 slst BLO
- R25: 32 sc, ch
- R26: 32 slst BLO
This is the part that turns a flat oval into a bag with a base: the short rows stack the wall up on one side, then on the other.
Front flap
Place markers four loops in from each side and move them up every odd row.
- R27: 4 sc, (6 sc, dec) x3, 4 sc, ch (29)
- R28: 29 slst BLO (29)
- R29: 4 sc, 2 sc, dec, (5 sc, dec) x2, 3 sc, 4 sc, ch (26)
- R30: 26 slst BLO (26)
- R31: 4 sc, (4 sc, dec) x3, 4 sc, ch (23)
- R32: 23 slst BLO (23)
- R33: 4 sc, (dec, 3 sc) x3, 4 sc, ch (20)
- R34: 20 slst BLO (20)
- R35: 4 sc, (2 sc, dec) x3, 4 sc, ch (17)
- R36: 17 slst BLO (17)
- R37: 4 sc, (sc, dec) x3, 4 sc, ch (14)
- R38: 14 slst BLO (14)
- R39: 4 sc, 3 dec, 4 sc, ch (11)
- R40: 11 slst BLO (11)
Leave a 75 cm tail: it joins the middle of the flap to the bag.
Finishing
- Join the flap: insert the hook under the chain of R39 and slip stitch each stitch of the last row, five stitches, twice.
- Press the bag into shape with your hands, not with an iron.
- Fit the 20 mm rings into R19, between the first and second stitch from each side.
- Sew the lower half of the magnetic button just under the seam, then the upper half on the flap.
- Work an i-cord 60 cm long and thread it through the rings, then add the snap hooks.
Notes
Pull each single crochet loop up to the hook instead of tightening it: the cord has no give, and a tight stitch makes a stiff, narrow bag. If your oval curls at the ends, you are working the three increases into the same stitch twice.
More bags and small accessories: Penny is the palm-sized one, Cat Keychain with a Donut is the 7 cm one, and Mini Ribbed Pumpkin uses the same back-loop trick. Everything is on the patterns page.
Pattern source: Slice handbag, @smachna.torba.