This bag holder is a tall, slim tube with a solid single crochet band at each end and a column of open fan lace in between. Each fan is a seven-stitch shell. A small V-stitch sits between the fans, and the fans stagger from round to round, so the bags inside show through as rows of little diamond windows.
The sample shown is a warm mustard gold. A dusty rose version uses exactly the same pattern and yardage. Cotton works best because it holds the lace shape, wipes clean, and handles the friction of bags being pulled in and out.
The finished holder measures 19 in (48.3 cm) long, not counting the hanging loop. It is 8 in (20.3 cm) wide laid flat, for a circumference of 16 in (40.6 cm). The pattern uses US crochet terms.
You work the holder in one piece from the bottom up, in joined rounds. You start with a single crochet cuff that has an eyelet round for the drawstring, then work the fan lace body, then a single crochet top band. A narrow strap worked off the top band makes the hanging loop. To finish, you make a chain cord, thread it through the eyelets, and tie it in a bow to cinch the bottom opening.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: 8 in (20.3 cm) wide flat x 19 in (48.3 cm) long; circumference 16 in (40.6 cm)
- Skill level: Easy-intermediate
- Terminology: US crochet terms
- Yarn weight: Worsted (#4), cotton or cotton blend
- Hook: 5.0 mm (H-8)
- Number of pieces: 1 tube (hanging loop worked on) plus 1 chain-cord drawstring
- Layout: Single tubular piece, no joining
- Piece size before top band: 8 in (20.3 cm) wide flat x 17.25 in (43.8 cm) long
- Top band (“border”) depth: 1.75 in (4.4 cm)
- Bottom cuff depth: 3 in (7.6 cm)
- Hanging loop: about 4 in (10.2 cm) tall
Materials
Yarn: Use a smooth worsted weight cotton or a cotton blend with at least 50% cotton. Acrylic will work, but the fans relax more and the tube can stretch lengthwise when it is full of bags. Avoid splitty or very fuzzy yarns, because the lace needs crisp stitch definition.
- Main color (mustard gold, or dusty rose for the second colorway): 150 g, about 285 m (312 yd)
These amounts include a margin of about 20% for your gauge swatch and the drawstring.
Tools:
- 5.0 mm (H-8) crochet hook
- Tapestry needle
- 4 locking stitch markers
- Scissors
- Measuring tape
- Rust-proof pins and a rolled towel for blocking
- A wall hook or cabinet knob for hanging
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch – chain
- sl st – slip stitch
- sc – single crochet
- hdc – half double crochet
- dc – double crochet
- sk – skip
- sp – space
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- rep – repeat
- rnd(s) – round(s)
Special stitches:
- Fan: 7 dc in the same stitch or space.
- V-st (V-stitch): (dc, ch 2, dc) in the same stitch.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Single crochet gauge: 16 sc and 16 rnds = 4 in (10.2 cm).
Lace gauge: 1 pattern repeat (one fan plus one V-st) = 2 in (5.1 cm) wide; 2 lace rnds = 1.5 in (3.8 cm) tall.
The bottom cuff is your gauge test. Before you go on to the lace, work through Rnd 11 and check it:
- After Rnd 3: about 0.75 in (1.9 cm) tall.
- After Rnd 11: the cuff measures 8 in (20.3 cm) wide flat and 3 in (7.6 cm) tall.
- After Rnd 20: total length is 9.75 in (24.8 cm), and each fan repeat is 2 in (5.1 cm) wide.
- After Rnd 30: total length is 17.25 in (43.8 cm).
- After Rnd 37: total length is 19 in (48.3 cm).
If the cuff is wider than 8 in (20.3 cm): go down half a hook size and start again. If it is narrower: go up half a hook size. Don’t change the stitch count. The lace repeat needs 64 sts, which is 8 repeats of 8 sts.
Pattern
Make the beginning ch at the start of each round, and join each round with a sl st to the first stitch unless the instructions say otherwise. Don’t turn. Keep each round’s join in a straight line. That line will be the center back of the holder, where the hanging loop goes.
Bottom Cuff
Foundation: Ch 64. Make sure the chain isn’t twisted, then sl st to the first ch to form a ring.
Rnd 1: Ch 1, sc in each ch around, join. (64 sc)
Rnds 2–3: Ch 1, sc in each st around, join. (64 sc)
Rnd 4 (eyelet round): Ch 4 (counts as dc + ch 1), sk next st, *dc in next st, ch 1, sk next st; rep from * 30 more times, join to 3rd ch of beg ch-4. (32 dc and 32 ch-1 sps)
Rnd 5 (conversion): Ch 1, sc in each dc and in each ch-1 sp around, join. (32 sc in dc + 32 sc in ch-1 sps = 64 sc)
Rnds 6–11: Ch 1, sc in each st around, join. (64 sc)
Checkpoint: the cuff is 3 in (7.6 cm) tall and 8 in (20.3 cm) wide flat. The eyelets sit 0.75 in (1.9 cm) above the bottom edge, so a short cuff ruffles out below the bow once the drawstring is cinched.
Fan Lace Body
Rnd 12 (set-up): Ch 5 (counts as dc + ch 2), dc in same st (first V-st made), *sk 3 sts, fan in next st, sk 3 sts, V-st in next st; rep from * 6 more times, sk 3 sts, fan in next st, sk 3 sts, join to 3rd ch of beg ch-5. (8 fans and 8 V-sts = 72 dc and 8 ch-2 sps)
Each repeat uses exactly 8 sc from Rnd 11: 1 for the V-st, 3 skipped, 1 for the fan, and 3 skipped. 8 repeats x 8 sts = 64.
Rnd 13 (Rnd A): Sl st into first ch-2 sp, ch 3 (counts as dc), 6 dc in same sp (first fan made), *ch 1, V-st in 4th dc of next fan, ch 1, fan in ch-2 sp of next V-st; rep from * 6 more times, ch 1, V-st in 4th dc of next fan, ch 1, join to top of beg ch-3. (8 fans and 8 V-sts = 72 dc, 8 ch-2 sps, 16 ch-1 sps)
Rnd 14 (Rnd B): Sl st in next 3 dc (you are now in the 4th dc of the first fan), ch 5 (counts as dc + ch 2), dc in same st (first V-st made), *ch 1, fan in ch-2 sp of next V-st, ch 1, V-st in 4th dc of next fan; rep from * 6 more times, ch 1, fan in ch-2 sp of next V-st, ch 1, join to 3rd ch of beg ch-5. (8 fans and 8 V-sts = 72 dc, 8 ch-2 sps, 16 ch-1 sps)
Every round, each fan sits on a V-st from the round below and each V-st sits on the center of a fan. This is what staggers the fans and opens up the diamond windows between them. Don’t work into the ch-1 sps. They only add air beside each V-st.
Rnds 15–30: Repeat Rnds 13 and 14 eight more times. You finish with a Rnd B. (Every round: 72 dc, 8 ch-2 sps, 16 ch-1 sps)
Checkpoint after Rnd 20: the piece measures 9.75 in (24.8 cm). After Rnd 30, the lace section (Rnds 12–30, 19 rnds) measures 14.25 in (36.2 cm), and the whole piece measures 17.25 in (43.8 cm).
Trim Round
Rnd 31 (conversion): Ch 1, sc in same st, sc in ch-2 sp, sc in next dc, hdc in next ch-1 sp, [sk 1st dc of fan, sc in 2nd dc, sk 3rd dc, sc in 4th dc, sk 5th dc, sc in 6th dc, sk 7th dc], hdc in next ch-1 sp, *sc in next dc, sc in ch-2 sp, sc in next dc, hdc in next ch-1 sp, rep bracketed fan sequence, hdc in next ch-1 sp; rep from * 6 more times, join to first sc.
Count: 16 sc in the V-st dc + 8 sc in the ch-2 sps + 16 hdc in the ch-1 sps + 24 sc in the fans = 64 sts. That is 8 per repeat, the same count you had before the lace.
The hdc stitches fill the low spots between the fans and V-sts, so the top band starts on a level line.
Border: Top Band and Hanging Loop
Border gauge: 16 sc and 16 rnds = 4 in (10.2 cm), the same as the cuff.
When the tube lies flat, the 64 sts split into 32 sts across the front and 32 across the back. Since a tube has no corners, there are no corner stitches.
Rnds 32–37: Ch 1, sc in each st around, join. (64 sc: 32 front, 32 back)
Rnds 31–37 make 7 rnds of short stitches at 4 rnds per inch, which gives a 1.75 in (4.4 cm) band. 17.25 in + 1.75 in = 19 in (48.3 cm).
Why the math works: The cuff, the trim round, and the band all hold 64 sts. The lace is 8 repeats that each use 8 sts. The band ends up the same width as the cuff, 8 in (20.3 cm) flat, so the holder hangs straight and doesn’t flare.
Hanging Loop
Don’t fasten off after Rnd 37. The join is at center back.
Row 1: Ch 1, sc in first 3 sts, turn. (3 sc)
Rows 2–32: Ch 1, sc in each st across, turn. (3 sc)
The strap is 0.75 in (1.9 cm) wide and 8 in (20.3 cm) long. Fasten off, leaving an 8 in (20.3 cm) tail. Fold the strap over toward the inside of the tube and whipstitch Row 32 to the inside of Rnd 34, directly below the base of the strap. This gives you a loop about 4 in (10.2 cm) tall. Make sure the strap isn’t twisted before you sew it down.
Drawstring
Leave a 4 in (10.2 cm) tail and ch 110 loosely. The chain should measure about 26 in (66.0 cm). Sl st in the back bump of each ch back to the start, then fasten off. This makes a firm cord that won’t stretch.
Find the center front of Rnd 4, which is opposite the strap. Starting there, weave the cord over and under around the round, going in through one ch-1 eyelet and out through the next, until both ends come out of neighboring eyelets at center front. Tie an overhand knot near each end and trim the tails to 0.5 in (1.3 cm).
Final Blocking
- Weave in all ends along the sc bands, where they stay hidden. Don’t weave them into the lace.
- Soak the holder in cool water for 10 minutes, then press the water out gently. Don’t wring it.
- Roll up a towel until it is about 5 in (12.7 cm) across and slide it into the tube as a form.
- Lay the holder flat with the strap at center back. Ease the fans open so each repeat is 2 in (5.1 cm) wide.
- Pull the tube to 19 in (48.3 cm) long and pin the ends of the top band and cuff in place.
- Let it dry completely, then take out the form.
- Cinch the drawstring until the bottom opening is about 2 in (5.1 cm) across, and tie a bow.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- The cuff and top band each have 64 sts and measure 8 in (20.3 cm) flat.
- All 19 lace rounds have 8 fans and 8 V-sts.
- The fans stagger from one round to the next, with no two stacked directly on top of each other.
- The round joins line up in a straight line at center back.
- Length is 19 in (48.3 cm), not counting the loop.
- The strap is sewn down flat, without a twist, and the loop is about 4 in (10.2 cm) tall.
- The drawstring goes through all 32 eyelets, and both ends come out at center front.
- All ends are woven in and none show through the lace.
Troubleshooting
The tube is twisting in a spiral. Joining into the wrong stitch moves the join a little each round. Mark the first stitch of every round and join only into that stitch.
The lace flares wider than the cuff. Your dc stitches are too loose. Shorten them by pulling the yarn snug before each yarn over, or go down half a hook size for the lace rounds only.
The fans pull in or pucker. The skipped stitches in Rnd 12 are too tight. Work Rnd 12 more loosely, and check that you skip exactly 3 sts each time.
My count is off in Rnd 31. Count one repeat at a time: 3 sc on the V-st, 1 hdc, 3 sc on the fan, and 1 hdc, for 8 sts. Place a marker after each repeat.
The loop stretches. Sew the strap through both layers of the band, and keep your strap tension firm. For extra strength, sc around the edges of the loop.
Bags slide out the bottom. Pull the drawstring tighter. If the bags are very small, add one more sc round before Rnd 4 on your next holder.
Care
Hand wash or machine wash on gentle in cool water, then reshape and dry flat. Don’t put it in the dryer, because this can shrink cotton and distort the fans.
Final Notes
The measurements build on each other. The cuff is 3 in (7.6 cm), the lace body adds 14.25 in (36.2 cm) to reach 17.25 in (43.8 cm), and the top band adds 1.75 in (4.4 cm) for a finished length of 19 in (48.3 cm). Throughout, the holder stays 64 sts around and 8 in (20.3 cm) wide flat. If your cuff matches the gauge, the rest of the holder will come out to these measurements.
Happy crocheting!