Kornfield Yoga Mat Bag in Berroco Meraki - Downloadable PDF

Kornfield Yoga Mat Bag in Berroco Meraki – Crochet Pattern by Mel Kennelly

The Kornfield Yoga Mat Bag is a stylish and functional crochet accessory designed by Mel Kennelly and published by Berroco. This intermediate-level crochet pattern produces a roomy drawstring bag sized to hold a standard yoga mat, with finished dimensions of approximately 22 inches (56 cm) in circumference and 27 inches (68.5 cm) in length. The design combines open lacework with solid crochet construction, making it both breathable and sturdy — ideal for carrying a mat to and from the studio.

What Is Being Made

This pattern creates a cylindrical yoga mat bag with a drawstring closure at the top. The bag is large enough to accommodate a rolled yoga mat and features an attractive open-mesh body created with a repeating netting stitch. The drawstring loops are formed using treble crochets at the top of the bag, adding a neat and practical finishing detail. The two-color construction gives the finished piece a bold, graphic look.

Construction and Design Details

The Kornfield bag is worked entirely in the round from the bottom up. Construction begins at the center of the bag's base, with rounds worked outward to form a flat circular bottom. Once the base is complete, the crocheter transitions to working the body of the bag upward using the signature Netting Stitch, an open lacework pattern that creates a flexible, stretchy mesh. This construction method ensures the bag can expand slightly to accommodate mats of varying thicknesses. At the top of the bag, treble crochets are used to form loops through which a drawstring is threaded, allowing the bag to be cinched closed securely.

Techniques Used

• Working in the round – The entire bag, from base to top, is crocheted in continuous or joined rounds, giving the finished piece a seamless tubular shape.
• Center-out base construction – The flat circular bottom is built by starting at the center and increasing outward, a classic technique for creating round crochet bases without seams.
• Netting Stitch – The primary stitch pattern used for the body of the bag, this open lacework technique creates a repeating mesh of chain loops and single crochet clusters. It produces a lightweight, airy fabric that is both decorative and practical for a bag that needs to breathe.
• Drawstring loop construction – Treble crochets are worked at the top of the bag to create evenly spaced loops, providing a clean and integrated channel for the drawstring closure.
• Blocking – The pattern specifies that gauge is measured after blocking, indicating that wet or steam blocking is an important finishing step to open up the netting stitch and achieve accurate final dimensions.
• Two-color work – The pattern calls for two distinct colorways of Berroco Meraki, requiring color management across rounds.

Stitches Used

• Single crochet (sc) – Used extensively within the Netting Stitch pattern and for the base of the bag.
• Half double crochet (hdc) – Referenced in the gauge swatch, indicating use in the base or transitional sections of the bag.
• Double crochet (dc) – Appears in the Netting Stitch rounds as part of the repeating pattern structure.
• Treble crochet (tr) – Used specifically at the top of the bag to form the drawstring loops.
• Chain stitch (ch) – Integral to the Netting Stitch, with chain-6 loops forming the open mesh sections of the body.
• Slip stitch (sl st) – Used to join rounds throughout the pattern.

Materials

The pattern calls for Berroco Meraki, a DK weight yarn, in two colors: #6009 Adore (C1) and #6046 Trust (C2), with 3 balls of each color (50 grams per ball) required. Berroco Meraki is known for its smooth, consistent texture