Tote in Schachenmayr Micro Summer Color - Downloadable PDF

Tote in Schachenmayr Micro Summer Color – Free Crochet PDF Pattern Summary

This free downloadable crochet pattern guides you through creating a stylish, generously sized tote bag using Schachenmayr Micro Summer Color yarn. The finished bag measures approximately 80 cm in circumference and 36 cm in height, making it a practical everyday carry-all with a bold, colorful aesthetic. The pattern is worked entirely in the round from the bottom up, combining two distinct crochet textures for visual interest and structural integrity.

What Is Being Made

The project is a crocheted tote bag — a roomy, open-top carryall suitable for shopping, the beach, or everyday use. Its circular base is built up gradually using increases, then the sides rise straight using a decorative arch or loop stitch pattern (Bogenmuster). The result is a lightweight yet durable bag with a lively, summery colorway.

Yarn and Materials

• Yarn: Schachenmayr Micro Summer Color (also labeled SMC Micro Summer Color) — 100% Polyacryl, with a generous run length of 760 meters per 250 g. The pattern calls for 250 g in colorway 00080 esprit color.
• Crochet Hooks: Milward brand hooks in sizes 2.5–3 mm (for the base worked in single crochet) and size 6 mm (for the arch pattern section of the sides).
• The yarn's polyacryl composition makes this bag lightweight, easy to care for, and resistant to stretching — ideal for a bag that needs to hold its shape.

Techniques Used

• Working in the round (Runden): The entire bag is crocheted in joined rounds rather than rows, giving it a seamless, tubular structure.
• Magic ring / starting ring: The base begins with 8 single crochet stitches worked into a ring, which is then closed with a slip stitch — a classic method for starting flat circular bases.
• Circular increases: The base is shaped through a series of evenly spaced increase rounds. Stitches are doubled systematically — every stitch, every 2nd stitch, every 3rd stitch, and so on — to create a flat, circular bottom without puckering.
• Arch stitch pattern (Bogenmuster): Once the base is complete, the sides of the bag are worked using a decorative arch or loop pattern, charted in a crochet diagram included in the PDF. The stitch count for this section must be divisible by 5. The pattern instructs working rounds 1–3 once, then repeating rounds 2 and 3 a further 11 times to build the full height of the bag.
• Slip stitch joins and turning chains: Each round begins with 1 chain stitch as a substitute for the first single crochet and is closed with a slip stitch into that chain — a tidy, standard technique for joined-round crochet.

Stitches Used

• Single crochet (feste Maschen / feste M): Used throughout the circular base and referenced as the foundation stitch. Gauge for single crochet is 32 stitches and 30 rows = 10 x 10 cm, worked with the 2.5–3 mm hook.
• Slip stitch (Kettmasche): Used to close each round neatly.
• Chain stitch (Luftmasche): Used as a turning/starting chain at the beginning of rounds and as a structural element within the arch pattern.
• Arch / loop pattern (Bogenmuster): A decorative stitch pattern worked from a crochet chart, requiring a stitch multiple of 5. Gauge for this section is 25 stitches and 10 rows = 10 x 10 cm.

Pattern Format and Accessibility

This pattern is available as a free downloadable PDF. It includes written round-by-round instructions in German as well