The Quotidian Satchel – a free crochet messenger bag pattern

Everyone needs an everyday crochet messenger bag for your essential bits and bobs and the Quotidian Satchel delivers that and more. 

Mixing practicality with style, this easy to make textured crochet bag pattern comes in 3 sizes to make sure you have just the right one for the occasion.

Using just dc (double crochet) and tr (treble) (UK)/ sc (single crochet) and dc (double crochet) (US) crochet stitches this is a beginner-friendly pattern that everyone can enjoy.

You can carry on reading to find the free pattern here in this blogpost or purchase an ad-free PDF version of the Quotidian crochet satchel bag in my pattern store.

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About the Quotidian Satchel crochet bag pattern

I designed this easy crochet messenger bag back in 2015 as part of a collaboration for Design Wars. It was such a fun event and so many people enjoyed the pattern that I thought it was about time I shared it for free on the blog for everyone to try!

The pattern is perfect for anyone wanting an easy, modern, unisex crochet bag pattern that they can customise and make in no time.

The pattern is made from lots of component parts that are all really easy to crochet. They are then seamed together to form the shape of the bag, a front pocket is added and you are ready for the extras!

Adding a leather strap and buckle fastenings to the bag gives it a really professional finish and I have often been asked where I bought the bag from!

Why Quotidian Satchel though? I spent ages trying to come up with a name for it and asked my husband for ideas. He asked what described it best and I said ‘everyday’, I want it to be really useful, practical and durable. Instantly he said ‘quotidian satchel – that’s what you should call it!’

It’s amazing how the same word in another language makes it sound so much more interesting and appealing, isn’t it?!

Pattern Options

The Quotidian Satchel is a free crochet pattern in both UK and US terms on the blog for everyone to enjoy, just scroll down to find it. If you’d prefer an ad-free version you can find them here:

Find the ad-free PDF crochet pattern of the Quotidian Satchel crochet bag in my Etsy Pattern Store .

Find the ad-free PDF crochet pattern of the Quotidian Satchel crochet bag in my LoveCrafts Pattern Store .

Add the Quotidian Satchel crochet bag to your Ravelry queue.

Pin the crochet messenger bag for later using this image (or any image you like on this post!) to your crochet board:

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Yarn

To crochet the Quotidian Satchel when I first designed it I used Red Heart Super Tweed which is unfortunately no longer available. I have found two really lovely alternatives that would work really well in its place though.

A great idea would be to use King Cole Big Value Aran 100% acrylic (235m/100g) which is budget-friendly, durable and comes in some beautiful tweed shades.

Another fabulous option I came across was Lion Brand Jeans Yarn which is also 100% acrylic and almost the same yardage at (225m/100g) so would be perfect too! I have swooned over this yarn for so long and I think it’s about time I treated myself to some. It comes in gorgeous shades of every denim.

You will need 4 balls of either yarn to create the medium messenger bag.

Tension and Sizing

The crochet bag comes in three sizes as follows:

Small = 28cm x 22cm x 12cm

Medium = 36cm x 24cm x 12cm

Large = 44cm x 26cm x 12cm

Tension: 14st and 7 rows = 10cm by 10cm

Materials

5mm (US 8/H) crochet hook – my favourites are Furls Streamline Swirl crochet hooks or Clover Amour crochet hooks.

Tapestry needle

Scissors

Stitch markers if desired

You will also need some straps and buckles to finish the crochet bag. You can use whichever you like but here are some that I’ve found that work nicely:

• 4-inch leather buckles (x2) for the front of the bag
• 50-inch leather strap (or whatever length suits you)
• D rings (x2) to attach the strap to

Glossary and Abbreviations

ch(s) – chain(s)

st(s) – stitch(es)

ss – slip stitch

rep – repeat

RS – right side

WS – wrong side

sp – space

Crochet Stitches

UK Terms –

dc – double crochet

tr – treble

US Terms –

sc – single crochet

dc – double crochet

Anatomy of the Quotidian Crochet Satchel

Whichever size of bag you are making they all follow the same basic construction using the following component parts:

Front Body

Side Strip

Back Body and Front Flap (worked together)

Front Pocket

Front Pocket Strip

Side Clasp Loops

UK Terms Crochet Pattern

UK terms – please scroll down if you would like the US terms

Front Body:

Foundation chain: ch31, (41, 51)

Row 1: RS: dc in 2nd ch from hook, tr in next, *dc in next, tr in next, rep from * across [30, 40, 50]

Row 2: ch3 (counts as st), dc in same, tr in next, *dc in next, tr in next, rep from * to last, add a dc in last st [32, 42, 52]

Row 3: ch3 (counts as st), dc in next, *tr in next, dc in next, rep from * across [32, 42, 52]

Rows 4- 20 (25, 30): Repeat Row 3. Fasten off.

Back Body and Front Flap:

Make as for Front Body but repeat to row 35 (40, 45)

Side Strip

Foundation chain: ch9, (9, 11)

Row 1: RS: dc in 2nd ch from hook, tr in next, *dc in next, tr in next, rep from * across [8, 8, 10]

Rows 2-58 (73, 88): Repeat Row 1. Fasten off. 

Join Front and Back Body:

Line the side strip up against the front body so that it can join a short side, the foundation chain and the other short side. 

Pin in place, then work a dc seam with RS facing (so that the seam is on the outside).

Repeat to join the back body, joining to Row 20 (25, 30), leaving the rest for the front flap. 

Front Pocket:

Foundation chain: ch11 (21, 31)

Make as for front body, repeat Row 3 until Row 10 ( 15, 20). Fasten off.

Front Pocket Strip:

Foundation chain: ch 3 (3, 5)

Make as for side strip but repeat to Row 38, (48, 58). Fasten off. 

Join the front pocket strip to the front pocket as you did the side strip to the front body.

Now pin the other side of the from pock strip to the centre of the front body and sew on securely.

Side Clasp Loops

Make as for front pocket strip but repeat to Row 6. Fasten off. Make two of these.

Fold the side clasp loop in half ( foundation row to meet Row 6), insert D ring for strap and sew together ends. 

Pin onto the side strip of the bag where you would like them and sew in place.

Add the Front Clasps

Now that all the elements of the bag are joined, you need to add the front clasps. Lay the bag flat and level and sew the front clasps on so that they can secure the front flap to the front pocket.

US Terms Crochet Pattern

Front Body:

Foundation chain: ch31, (41, 51)

Row 1: RS: sc in 2nd ch from hook, dc in next, *sc in next, dc in next, rep from * across [30, 40, 50]

Row 2: ch3 (counts as st), sc in same, dc in next, *sc in next, dc in next, rep from * to last, add a sc in last st [32, 42, 52]

Row 3: ch3 (counts as st), sc in next, *dc in next, sc in next, rep from * across [32, 42, 52]

Rows 4- 20 (25, 30): Repeat Row 3. Fasten off.

Back Body and Front Flap:

Make as for Front Body but repeat to row 35 (40, 45)

Side Strip

Foundation chain: ch9, (9, 11)

Row 1: RS: sc in 2nd ch from hook, dc in next, *sc in next, dc in next, rep from * across [8, 8, 10]

Rows 2-58 (73, 88): Repeat Row 1. Fasten off. 

Join Front and Back Body:

Line the side strip up against the front body so that it can join a short side, the foundation chain and the other short side. 

Pin in place, then work a sc seam with RS facing (so that the seam is on the outside).

Repeat to join the back body, joining to Row 20 (25, 30), leaving the rest for the front flap. 

Front Pocket:

Foundation chain: ch11 (21, 31)

Make as for front body, repeat Row 3 until Row 10 ( 15, 20). Fasten off.

Front Pocket Strip:

Foundation chain: ch 3 (3, 5)

Make as for side strip but repeat to Row 38, (48, 58). Fasten off. 

Join the front pocket strip to the front pocket as you did the side strip to the front body.

Now pin the other side of the from pock strip to the centre of the front body and sew on securely.

Side Clasp Loops

Make as for front pocket strip but repeat to Row 6. Fasten off. Make two of these.

Fold the side clasp loop in half ( foundation row to meet Row 6), insert D ring for strap and sew together ends. 

Pin onto the side strip of the bag where you would like them and sew in place.

Add the Front Clasps

Now that all the elements of the bag are joined, you need to add the front clasps. Lay the bag flat and level and sew the front clasps on so that they can secure the front flap to the front pocket.