This hanging grocery-bag holder pairs a dense, ribbed rust body with a single cream lace panel of stacked fans down the front. You push bags in through the open top and pull them out one at a time through a round opening at the bottom. It hangs from a wooden ring, so it looks tidy on a kitchen wall, inside a pantry door, or on a hook by the back door.
The palette is warm and simple: terracotta rust for the body and strap, cream for the lace panel, top rim, and bottom edge. The ribs run vertically and frame the lace like the edges of a picture. A cool gray body with the same cream lace works just as well.
This pattern uses US crochet terms. The finished body is 15.5 in (39.4 cm) tall and 5.5 in (14.0 cm) wide laid flat, which is 11 in (27.9 cm) around. The strap adds 3.5 in (8.9 cm) above the rim, plus the ring.
Construction is modular but finishes as one piece. You work the rust body flat and sideways in back-loop half double crochet, so the ridges stand up vertically. You work the cream lace panel bottom to top in rows. Seam the two long edges together into a tube, then crochet the top rim, shape the bottom opening, and work the strap straight off the rim.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: 15.5 in (39.4 cm) tall × 5.5 in (14.0 cm) wide flat; 11 in (27.9 cm) circumference
- Skill level: Intermediate
- Terminology: US
- Yarn weight: Worsted (#4), cotton or cotton blend
- Hook: 4.5 mm (US 7)
- Number of pieces: 1 finished holder (made from 2 flat parts seamed into a tube)
- Layout: Rust ribbed body 8 in (20.3 cm) wide + cream lace panel 3 in (7.6 cm) wide = 11 in (27.9 cm) around
- Body length before edging: 14 in (35.6 cm)
- Size before rim and bottom: 14 in (35.6 cm) tall × 11 in (27.9 cm) around
- Edging depth: top rim 0.5 in (1.3 cm); bottom shaping adds about 1 in (2.5 cm)
Materials
Choose a smooth worsted cotton or cotton blend. Cotton holds its shape when the holder is full of bags, and it shows the ribs and lace clearly. Avoid fuzzy or very stretchy yarns, because the tube will sag.
- Rust (Color A): 75 g / about 128 m (140 yd) — body, bottom shaping, strap
- Cream (Color B): 35 g / about 60 m (66 yd) — lace panel, top rim, bottom edge
Quantities assume about 170 m per 100 g and include a margin of roughly 15% for your gauge swatch and seaming.
Tools:
- 4.5 mm (US 7) crochet hook
- Wooden ring, 2.5 in (6.4 cm) diameter
- Yarn needle
- 4–6 locking stitch markers
- Straight pins
- Tape measure
- Spray bottle and blocking mat
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch – chain
- sl st – slip stitch
- sc – single crochet
- hdc – half double crochet
- dc – double crochet
- BLO – back loop only
- sc2tog – single crochet 2 together
- hdc2tog – half double crochet 2 together
- sk – skip
- sp – space
- RS / WS – right side / wrong side
Special stitch – V-st: (dc, ch 3, dc) all in the same stitch.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Rib gauge (rust): 14 hdc BLO and 10 rows = 4 in (10.2 cm).
Lace gauge (cream): 11 sts = 3 in (7.6 cm) wide; one 3-row fan repeat = 1.5 in (3.8 cm) tall.
Edging gauge: 14 sc = 4 in (10.2 cm).
Make the lace panel first and treat it as your test piece. After Row 4, it should be 3 in (7.6 cm) wide and about 1.75 in (4.4 cm) tall.
Checkpoints:
- Rust body, Row 1: 14 in (35.6 cm) long.
- Rust body, Row 20: 8 in (20.3 cm) wide.
- Lace panel, Row 29: 14 in (35.6 cm) long and 3 in (7.6 cm) wide.
- Tube after seaming: 11 in (27.9 cm) around.
If your pieces come out too big, go down half a millimeter in hook size. If they are too small, go up half a millimeter. The two long edges must match in length, so check the panel against Row 1 of the body before you seam.
Part 1: Rust Ribbed Body
Work flat in rows with Color A. The rows run the length of the holder, so the back-loop ridges become vertical ribs.
Foundation: Ch 51.
Row 1: Hdc in 3rd ch from hook and in each ch across, turn. (49 hdc)
Row 2: Ch 1 (does not count as a stitch), hdc BLO in each st across, turn. (49 hdc)
Rows 3–20: Repeat Row 2. (49 hdc each row)
Fasten off and leave a 24 in (61.0 cm) tail for seaming.
Check: The piece measures 14 in (35.6 cm) long and 8 in (20.3 cm) wide, with 10 raised ridges on each face.
Part 2: Cream Fan Lace Panel
Work flat in rows with Color B, from the bottom of the holder to the top. The fans open upward.
Foundation: Ch 12.
Row 1 (WS): Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across, turn. (11 sc)
Row 2 (RS, V-st row): Ch 3 (counts as dc), dc in next st, ch 2, sk 3 sts, V-st in next st, ch 2, sk 3 sts, dc in last 2 sts, turn. (4 edge dc, 1 V-st, 2 ch-2 sps)
Row 3 (fan row): Ch 3, dc in next dc, ch 1, sk ch-2 sp, 9 dc in ch-3 sp of V-st, ch 1, sk ch-2 sp, dc in last 2 sts, turn. (13 dc: 2 + 9 + 2; 2 ch-1 sps)
Row 4 (open fan row): Ch 3, dc in next dc, ch 1, sk ch-1 sp, (dc in next fan dc, ch 1) 8 times, dc in last fan dc, ch 1, sk ch-1 sp, dc in last 2 sts, turn. (13 dc; 10 ch-1 sps)
Row 5 (V-st row): Ch 3, dc in next dc, ch 2, sk first ch-1 sp and next 4 fan dc, V-st in 5th (center) fan dc, ch 2, sk last 4 fan dc and ch-1 sp, dc in last 2 sts, turn. (4 edge dc, 1 V-st, 2 ch-2 sps)
Rows 6–28: Repeat Rows 3, 4, and 5 in order, ending after a Row 4 (open fan row). You now have 9 fans in total.
Row 29 (leveling row): Ch 3, dc in next dc, sk ch-1 sp, hdc2tog over next 2 fan dc, sc in each of next 5 fan dc, hdc2tog over last 2 fan dc, sk ch-1 sp, dc in last 2 sts. (11 sts: 2 + 1 + 5 + 1 + 2)
Skip all the ch-1 spaces in Row 29 and work only into the fan dc. This brings the top back to 11 stitches to match Row 1. Fasten off.
Check: Row 1 (0.25 in / 0.6 cm) + 27 pattern rows (13.5 in / 34.3 cm) + Row 29 (0.25 in / 0.6 cm) = 14 in (35.6 cm). Lightly steam the panel and pin it to 14 in × 3 in (35.6 cm × 7.6 cm) before you seam.
Part 3: Seaming the Tube
Lay the panel RS up with Row 1 at the bottom. Lay the rust body next to it so its long edges run alongside the panel’s row-end edges.
- Pin the rust Row 1 edge (foundation side) to the right edge of the panel, matching bottom corners and top corners.
- Add pins at 7 evenly spaced points. Each section matches 7 rust stitches to about 4 panel rows.
- With the rust tail, whipstitch from the WS. Go through one loop of each rust stitch and around the edge dc post of the panel.
- Bring the rust Row 20 edge around to the left edge of the panel and pin and seam it the same way.
Keep your stitches snug but not tight. A tight seam puckers the lace, and a loose one leaves gaps where bags can poke through.
Check: Turn RS out. The tube should be 11 in (27.9 cm) around and 14 in (35.6 cm) tall, with no pulling at either seam.
Part 4: Border – Top Rim, Bottom Opening, and Strap
Work all edging at 14 sc = 4 in (10.2 cm), or 3.5 sc per inch.
Stitch Math
The top and bottom edges each have two segments: the panel and the rust body.
- Panel segment: 11 sts, one sc per stitch = 11 sc, about 3 in (7.6 cm).
- Rust segment: 20 row-ends. At 3.5 sc per inch, 8 in (20.3 cm) needs 28 sc. Work (sc, 2 sc, sc, 2 sc, sc) over every 5 row-ends: 7 sc per 5 rows × 4 = 28 sc.
- Total: 11 + 28 = 39 sc, which is 11.1 in (28.2 cm) at gauge. This matches the 11 in (27.9 cm) tube, so the rim neither flares nor pulls in.
Top Rim (Color B)
Rnd 1: With RS facing, join B in the first st of panel Row 29. Ch 1, sc in each of the 11 panel sts. Across the rust row-ends, work (sc in next row-end, 2 sc in next, sc in next, 2 sc in next, sc in next) 4 times. Join with sl st to first sc. (39 sc: 11 + 28)
Rnd 2: Ch 1, sc in each st around, join. (39 sc)
Fasten off and weave in the ends. The rim is 0.5 in (1.3 cm) deep. Its stitches are numbered 1–11 above the panel and 12–39 above the rust body.
Bottom Opening (Color A, then B)
Turn the holder upside down. The panel’s foundation edge is now on top.
Rnd 1: With RS facing, join A in the first foundation st of the panel. Ch 1, sc in each of the 11 foundation sts. Across the rust row-ends, work (sc, 2 sc, sc, 2 sc, sc) over every 5 row-ends 4 times. Join. (39 sc: 11 + 28)
Rnd 2: Ch 1, sc in each st around, join. (39 sc)
Rnd 3: Ch 1, (sc in next 2 sts, sc2tog) 9 times, sc in last 3 sts, join. (30 sc: 27 + 3)
Rnd 4: Ch 1, (sc in next 3 sts, sc2tog) 6 times, join. Fasten off A. (24 sc)
Rnd 5: Join B in any st. Ch 1, sc in each st around, join. (24 sc)
Fasten off and weave in the ends. The opening is 6.9 in (17.5 cm) around, about 2.25 in (5.7 cm) across. The bottom curves inward and adds about 1 in (2.5 cm) to the height.
Strap (Color A)
The strap sits on the back, centered on the rust body opposite the lace panel.
Row 1: With RS facing, join A in st 22 of top rim Rnd 2. Ch 1, sc in sts 22–29, turn. (8 sc)
Row 2: Ch 1, sc2tog, sc in next 4 sts, sc2tog, turn. (6 sc)
Rows 3–20: Ch 1, sc BLO in each st across, turn. (6 sc each row)
The strap is 5 in (12.7 cm) long and 1.7 in (4.3 cm) wide. Pass it through the wooden ring from front to back and fold 1.5 in (3.8 cm) down the back. Sew Row 20 across Row 14 with the tail. That leaves 3.5 in (8.9 cm) of strap showing above the rim.
Final Blocking
- Weave in all remaining ends along the seams, not through the lace.
- Spritz the whole holder lightly with water until it is damp, not soaked.
- Stuff it with a rolled towel to 11 in (27.9 cm) around.
- Pin the lace panel flat and straight down the front, opening each fan evenly.
- Check the height: 15.5 in (39.4 cm) from the bottom edge to the top rim.
- Let it dry completely, then remove the towel.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- Body ribs run vertically and the count is 10 ridges per face.
- The lace panel has 9 fans, all opening upward.
- Both seams lie flat, with no gaps or puckers.
- Top rim: 39 sc, no ripple.
- Bottom opening: 24 sc, round and centered.
- The strap is centered on the back, and the fold is sewn securely.
- The holder measures 15.5 in (39.4 cm) tall and 5.5 in (14.0 cm) wide flat.
Troubleshooting
Panel is shorter than the body: Your dc rows are short. Block the panel firmly to 14 in (35.6 cm), or remake it with a hook half a millimeter larger.
Fans curl or cup: You are working the 9 dc too tightly. Loosen the yarn over the V-st space, or go up to a 5.0 mm hook for the panel only.
Top rim flares: Change the rust segment to 26 sc by working (sc, 2 sc, sc, sc, sc) over each 5 row-ends on two of the groups.
Bottom opening too large: Add one more decrease round: (sc in next 4 sts, sc2tog) 4 times = 20 sc.
Strap stretches over time: Work a sl st row along each long edge of the strap to firm it up.
Care
Hand wash in cool water, press out the water in a towel, and dry flat over a rolled towel to keep the tube shape. Do not tumble dry.
Final Notes
The whole design comes down to one measurement chain. A 49-stitch rust body is 14 in (35.6 cm) long and 8 in (20.3 cm) wide. A 29-row lace panel is 14 in (35.6 cm) long and 3 in (7.6 cm) wide. Together they make an 11 in (27.9 cm) tube. Thirty-nine rim stitches match that tube exactly, and the bottom closes from 39 to 24 stitches for a smooth dispensing opening. If you hit each checkpoint, the finished holder will be 15.5 in (39.4 cm) tall, hang straight, and hold a good stack of bags.
Happy crocheting!