This pear-shaped bag holder hangs neatly on a kitchen hook and keeps a stash of plastic bags in check. You push the bags in through the top and pull them out one at a time through the drawstring opening at the bottom.
The design pairs solid sage green front and back panels with airy cream mesh sides. The green rim, strap and drawstring tie the two colors together. The style is calm, farmhouse-simple and practical.
The pattern uses US crochet terms. The finished holder measures about 8 in (20.3 cm) wide at the belly and 13.2 in (33.5 cm) tall, not counting the strap, which adds a loop about 14 in (35.6 cm) long.
You work the body top-down in one piece, using joined, turned rounds and simple intarsia: two green sections and two cream mesh sections in every round. After that you add a short eyelet section, a green rim, a strap and a chain drawstring.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: 8 in (20.3 cm) wide at the belly × 13.2 in (33.5 cm) tall
- Skill level: Intermediate (intarsia in turned rounds, simple shaping)
- Terminology: US crochet terms
- Yarn weight: Worsted (#4) cotton or cotton blend
- Hook: 5.0 mm (US H-8)
- Number of pieces: 1 main body (strap worked onto it) + 1 drawstring cord
- Layout: 4 vertical sections per round: green front, cream side, green back, cream side
- Neck width (flat): 5.7 in (14.5 cm)
- Size before border: 12.4 in (31.5 cm) tall
- Border (top rim) depth: 0.8 in (2.0 cm)
- Bottom opening: 4.6 in (11.7 cm) circumference before gathering
Materials
Use a smooth, mercerized or soft cotton in worsted weight. Cotton holds the pear shape well and won’t stretch out under the weight of the bags. Avoid splitty or very fuzzy yarns, because the mesh needs crisp stitches to show.
- Sage green: 100 g, about 170 m (186 yd). Wind into 2 balls of about 50 g each.
- Cream: 50 g, about 85 m (93 yd). Wind into 2 balls of about 25 g each.
These quantities include a margin of about 15% for gauge swatching and weaving in ends.
Tools:
– 5.0 mm (US H-8) crochet hook
– Tapestry needle
– 2 locking stitch markers
– Scissors
– Measuring tape
– Spray bottle and a small towel for blocking
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch – chain
- sl st – slip stitch
- sc – single crochet
- hdc – half double crochet
- dc – double crochet
- hdc2tog – half double crochet 2 together
- sk – skip
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- sp – space
- G1, G2 – green ball 1, green ball 2
- C1, C2 – cream ball 1, cream ball 2
Special stitches:
- Mesh unit: hdc in next st, ch 1, sk next st. Each unit counts as 2 sts. Because the rounds turn, each hdc lands in the previous round’s ch-1 sp and each ch-1 bridges the previous hdc. That staggering creates the diamond lattice.
- Mesh increase (MInc): (hdc, ch 1, hdc) in next st, ch 1, sk next st. It uses 2 sts and makes 4 sts (+2).
- Mesh decrease (MDec): hdc2tog over the next 3 sts (first leg in st 1, sk st 2, second leg in st 3), ch 1, sk next st. It uses 4 sts and makes 2 sts (−2).
- Color change: work the last stitch of a section until 2 loops remain, then finish it with the next color. Keep all dropped yarns on the inside of the pouch.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Gauge: 14 sts and 11 rounds = 4 in (10.2 cm) in both hdc and mesh, worked in turned rounds.
Test one piece first. Chain 28, join, and work 8 turned rounds: 14 sts in hdc and 14 sts in mesh. Lay the tube flat: each half should measure 4 in (10.2 cm) across. If you have too many stitches per 4 in, go up a hook size. If you have too few, go down one.
Checkpoints:
– After Rnd 6: 2.2 in (5.6 cm) tall; neck 5.7 in (14.5 cm) across flat
– After Rnd 10: 3.6 in (9.1 cm) tall; 8 in (20.3 cm) across flat
– After Rnd 24: 8.7 in (22.1 cm) tall
– After Rnd 31: 11.3 in (28.7 cm) tall
If you’re more than 0.25 in (0.6 cm) off at any checkpoint, fix it before you go on. Rip back and change hook size; don’t add or skip rounds.
Body
Section order: odd rounds (RS) work A (G1) → B (C1) → C (G2) → D (C2). Even rounds (WS) work in reverse: D (C2) → C (G2) → B (C1) → A (G1). Turning every round leaves each yarn waiting at the boundary where it’s needed next, so no floats travel around the pouch.
At the start of each round, ch 2. This turning chain does not count as a stitch, so work the first stitch into the first st. Close each round with a sl st into the first stitch, made with the yarn currently in use, then turn.
Foundation: with G1, ch 40. Join with a sl st into the first ch, taking care not to twist the ring.
Rnd 1 (RS): with G1, ch 2, hdc in the first 12 ch (A). With C1, work 4 mesh units (B). With G2, hdc in the next 12 ch (C). With C2, work 4 mesh units (D). Join, turn.
Count: 40 sts (12 / 8 / 12 / 8).
Rnds 2–6: work even, with hdc in each green st and mesh units across each cream section. Join, turn.
Count: 40 sts. This is the neck. Check: 2.2 in (5.6 cm) tall, 5.7 in (14.5 cm) across flat.
Rnd 7 (increase):
– Each green section: 2 hdc in the first st, hdc in the next 10 sts, 2 hdc in the last st (14 sts).
– Each cream section: MInc, then 3 mesh units (10 sts).
Count: 48 sts (14 / 10 / 14 / 10).
Rnds 8–9: work even. Count: 48 sts.
Rnd 10 (increase):
– Each green section: 2 hdc in the first st, hdc in the next 12 sts, 2 hdc in the last st (16 sts).
– Each cream section: MInc, then 4 mesh units (12 sts).
Count: 56 sts (16 / 12 / 16 / 12). Check: 3.6 in (9.1 cm) tall, 8 in (20.3 cm) across flat. The circumference is 16 in (40.6 cm).
Rnds 11–24: work even. Count: 56 sts. This is the belly. Check: 8.7 in (22.1 cm) tall. At this width each green panel is 4.6 in (11.7 cm) wide and each cream side is 3.4 in (8.6 cm) wide.
Rnd 25 (decrease):
– Each green section: hdc2tog, hdc in the next 12 sts, hdc2tog (14 sts).
– Each cream section: MDec, then 4 mesh units (10 sts).
Count: 48 sts (14 / 10 / 14 / 10).
Rnd 26: work even. Count: 48 sts.
Rnd 27:
– Green: hdc2tog, hdc in the next 10 sts, hdc2tog (12 sts).
– Cream: MDec, then 3 units (8 sts).
Count: 40 sts.
Rnd 28:
– Green: hdc2tog, hdc in the next 8 sts, hdc2tog (10 sts).
– Cream: MDec, then 2 units (6 sts).
Count: 32 sts.
Rnd 29:
– Green: hdc2tog, hdc in the next 6 sts, hdc2tog (8 sts).
– Cream: 3 units (6 sts).
Count: 28 sts.
Rnd 30:
– Green: hdc2tog, hdc in the next 4 sts, hdc2tog (6 sts).
– Cream: MDec, then 1 unit (4 sts).
Count: 20 sts.
Rnd 31:
– Green: hdc2tog, hdc in the next 2 sts, hdc2tog (4 sts).
– Cream: 2 units (4 sts).
Count: 16 sts (4 / 4 / 4 / 4). Check: 11.3 in (28.7 cm) tall.
Fasten off all four yarns, leaving 6 in (15.2 cm) tails. Turn.
Bottom Outlet and Eyelets
Rnd 32 (WS): join green in the first st at the round join. Ch 2, hdc in each st around. Join, turn.
Count: 16 sts.
Rnd 33 (eyelet round): ch 4 (counts as dc + ch 1), sk next st. Then dc in next st, ch 1, sk next st, 7 times. Join with a sl st to the 3rd ch of the beginning ch-4. Turn.
Count: 8 dc + 8 ch-1 sps = 16 sts, giving 8 eyelets.
Rnd 34: ch 1, sc in each dc and in each ch-1 sp around. Join.
Count: 16 sc. Fasten off.
The outlet is 4.6 in (11.7 cm) around before gathering. Rnds 32–34 add about 1.1 in (2.8 cm), so the body before the border is 12.4 in (31.5 cm) tall.
Border: Top Rim
Border gauge: 15 sc = 4 in (10.2 cm) when worked into the foundation chain.
Turn the pouch so the foundation chain is at the top, with the RS facing.
Rnd 1: join green in the first ch at the join. Ch 1, then sc in each of the 40 free loops of the foundation chain. Join to the first sc.
Count: 40 sc. Each flat side has 20 sc: half a cream section (4) + one green section (12) + half a cream section (4).
Rnds 2–3: ch 1, sc in each sc around. Join. Do not turn.
Count: 40 sc per round (20 per side).
Why the math works: you work exactly one sc into each foundation chain, so the rim has the same 40 stitches as the neck. Nothing is added or skipped. At the border gauge, 40 sc measures 10.7 in (27.2 cm) around, slightly less than the neck’s 11.4 in (29.0 cm). That gentle snug firms the opening without puckering it. The rim is 0.8 in (2.0 cm) deep, bringing the total height to 13.2 in (33.5 cm).
Strap
The rim stitches line up with the sections below them: A = sts 1–12, B = sts 13–20, C = sts 21–32, D = sts 33–40.
- Place markers in st 15 and st 35 of Rnd 3.
- Row 1: join green in st 15. Ch 1, sc in sts 15–18. Turn. (4 sc)
- Following rows: ch 1, sc in each sc across. Turn.
- Repeat until the strap measures 14 in (35.6 cm) from the rim. The strap is 1.1 in (2.8 cm) wide.
- Without twisting the strap, whipstitch the last row to sts 35–38 on the inside of the rim. Go through twice to make the join secure.
Drawstring
With green, chain until the cord measures 30 in (76.2 cm). Sl st back along the chain into the back bumps to make a firm cord, then fasten off and knot both ends.
Start at the center of a green panel and weave the cord in and out through all 8 eyelets so both ends come out at the front. Pull the cord to gather the outlet and tie a bow.
Final Blocking
- Weave in all ends inside the pouch, running each one along its own color.
- Mist the whole piece lightly with water until it’s damp but not soaked.
- Stuff the pouch firmly with a rolled towel so it forms the pear shape: a narrow neck and a round belly.
- Ease the mesh diamonds open with your fingertips so the lattice lines up straight.
- Pat the green panels flat and centered between the cream sides.
- Let the strap dry hanging straight. Don’t stretch it.
- Let everything dry completely, then remove the towel.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- Every round from 1–31 has the correct section counts.
- The mesh shows a clean, staggered diamond lattice with no doubled hdcs.
- The color changes sit cleanly, with no cream showing on the green side or green on the cream.
- Widest width is 8 in (20.3 cm); neck is 5.7 in (14.5 cm).
- Total height is 13.2 in (33.5 cm).
- The rim lies flat with 40 sc.
- The strap is centered on both cream sides and isn’t twisted.
- All 8 eyelets are open, and the drawstring gathers smoothly.
Troubleshooting
- Yarns tangling: after each round, turn the pouch the opposite way to the previous round. This keeps the 4 balls from twisting together.
- Mesh holes too big: your tension is loose on the ch-1. Keep each chain the same height as the hdc.
- Diamonds not staggering: you’ve forgotten to turn. Every round must turn.
- Pouch leans or twists: your join is drifting. Always work the first stitch into the same st as the turning chain.
- Rim flares: redo the rim one hook size smaller.
- Bags fall out of the bottom: tighten the bow, or add a second knot.
Care
Hand wash in cool water and lay flat to dry, reshaping it over a towel. Don’t tumble dry, because the mesh can distort.
Final Notes
The measurement chain is simple. A 14-stitch gauge gives the 40-stitch neck at 5.7 in (14.5 cm) and the 56-stitch belly at 8 in (20.3 cm). Thirty-one shaped rounds come to 11.3 in (28.7 cm). The outlet adds 1.1 in (2.8 cm) and the rim 0.8 in (2.0 cm), for a total of 13.2 in (33.5 cm). If you hit each checkpoint, the pear shape takes care of itself.
Happy crocheting!