How to Choose a Crochet Bag: Size, Shape and Everyday Use

When someone messages me before buying, the first thing I ask is never about colour. It is: where will this bag go with you? A bag you love but never carry is a sad thing. So let me ask you the questions I would ask at my table.

Start with your day, not the bag

Do you carry a laptop and a water bottle, or a phone, keys and a lipstick? A market tote and a small crossbody solve completely different problems. If you tend to overpack, a structured granny-square tote holds its shape and carries weight without stretching. If you like to move light, a crossbody keeps your hands free and sits close to the body.

Size, honestly

Crochet has a little give, so a bag carries a bit more than it looks. But cotton is not magic — a small bag stays small. Think about the one item that decides everything: if a book or a tablet must fit, measure it and tell me. I would rather steer you to the right size than have a bag come back.

Shape and how it wears

A tote sits on the shoulder and opens wide — easy to see into, easy to overfill. A crossbody holds less but frees your hands and feels secure in a crowd. A short-handled shoulder bag is the in-between: neat, hand-held or on the elbow, good for a dinner or a walk where you carry little.

Colour that you will actually reach for

People fall for the boldest bag in the photo and then reach for the neutral one every morning. Both are fine — just be honest about which one you are. A multicolour granny square is a joy and goes with less than you think; a single-tone bag disappears into everything you own. There is no wrong answer, only your answer.

One quiet truth about handmade

Every bag I make is a little different because a hand made it. The tension, the exact colour run, the way a handle sits — these are not flaws, they are the fingerprint. Choose the one that makes you smile in the photo, and it will keep doing that in real life.