The Apple Bag - Man Bag Version came from my need for an economical, sturdy and durable cotton bag that was big enough and tough enough for my husband to use for our shop shopping. I found a range of strings at my local hardware shop and the best of those available was the Cotton Shop Twine - a thickish natural cotton.

The bag is worked bottom up, in continuous rounds. I don’t particularly like bags with big holes, so I worked clusters of single crochet into the mesh loops.

This bag is approx 45cm wide by 45cm deep (relaxed) but can easily be adjusted by adding on (or leaving off) a pattern repeat or two. The handle can also be lengthened with the addition of extra chain.

The rim and handles are reinforced by using a smaller hook to stiffen the fabric and has a handy hanging tab for use at the supermarket.

I have tried to add notes to help beginners but please let me know if any section needs more explanation.

“How To Dye Your Apple Bag” instructions have now been added. See the pdf link on the download page.