Crochet Lemon Bag Pattern

Lemon Granny Square Crochet Pattern:

This pattern is made in the round. Make 13 crochet circle squares.

• Round 1: With the yellow yarn, make a mr, next ch x2 and then dc x12 into the mr, sl st to first dc (12). If you find it difficult making a magic ring you can chain 4, slip stitch it together, and then in the newly formed circle, ch x2 and dc x12 in the hole, then sl st to first dc. (12)
• Round 2: Ch x2, inc in every dc, sl st to first dc. (24) Then change the color to white.
• Round 3: With the white yarn, ch x1, then (sc inc, sc) and repeat what is in parenthesis for the rest of the round then sl st to first sc (36). Then change the color to the darker yellow yarn.
• Round 4: With the darker yellow, ch x1 and then sc around the entire round with no increases, then sl st to the first sc. (36). Because the last sc round increased by 12 instead of 6 which is more normal for sc stitches in the round, we don't have to increase this round, which also makes it easier to surface crochet later on.
• Switch the color to teal yarn.

Crocheting a circle into a square:

• Round 5: The lemon slice rounds are done and now we will start turning the circle into a square.
• Ch x2, dc inc + ch + dc inc in the following stitch. This is the first corner.
• Make a hdc in the next 2 stitches, then a sc in the next 4 stitches, follow that with hdc stitches in the next 2 stitches and then finally make the corner stitch again (dc inc, ch x1, dc inc). The only stitch space with multiple stitches is the corner.
• Now repeat the above 3 more times. After the last hdc in the round, sl st to the first dc of the round. (48 stitches with 4 chain spaces)
• Round 6: Ch x2, then dc in the next stitch. When you get to the chain space in the corner make a dc inc + ch x2 + dc inc. Then dc the side of the square (12 per side without the corners). Repeat 3 more times for the rest of the round.
• Once you make the last dc in the round, sl st to the first dc. Then fasten off the yarn.

Surface crocheting:

• Insert your crochet hook into the lemon peel round by going around one of the single crochet posts. Then loop the yarn over and make a sl st. Go under the next sc post and make a sl st. This is slip stitching the surface or surface crocheting. Make the slip stitches loose otherwise your lemon granny square will dip. You can use a slightly larger hook (by 1-2 sizes) if it helps you make looser sl st for the surface.
• Finish surface crocheting the rest of the lemon rind by repeating the above process. Sl st to the first stitch then fasten off. Weave in any ends.
• Embroidery: Take a long piece of white yarn and thread the yarn onto your tapestry needle, secure the yarn to the back of your lemon square and make lemon segments into your crochet lemon slice. I made 8 segments by going from the outer edge to the center and repeating the process 7 more times.
• Weave in any loose ends on all 13 crochet lemon slice granny squares.

Building the crochet lemon bag:

• Once you have the 13 lemon granny squares made you want to lay them in a flat pattern as indicated by the photo. Then there are a few different methods you can use to attach the squares together.
• 1) The first way to attach granny squares together is with the mattress stitch. This is a hand sewing technique that lends itself well to creating near invisible joins. This is what I use for my bag. You want to sew the granny squares together by sandwiching 2 squares together with the “correct” side facing inwards together. Then you want to take the turqua colored yarn and the tapestry needle and sew the pieces together by grabbing the outermost loops of the sandwiched granny squares stitches. You do not want to grab the inner stitch loops.
• 2) If you don't feel like hand sewing, you can crochet the pieces together. Sandwich the squares together with the “correct” side facing outwards and by using turqua or another colored yarn single crochet or slip stitch the squares together by grabbing only the innermost stitch loops. Since I don't do this way of joining I do not have a tutorial for it, but if you need additional help there are a lot of tutorials online.
• Once you figured out which granny square joining method you are going to use, sew/crochet the granny squares together. There are many ways to go about this but I sewed mine together in strips 2,3,3,4 with a spare one left over, then sewed the strips themselves together based on the diagram photo above.
• Once the granny squares have all been joined together like in the diagram, fold it in half by bringing the bottom half to the top. Fold over the granny squares jutting from the sides and sew/crochet those pieces to the main body of the bag.
• Once all the sewing of the bag has been completed you should have the 2 peaks and 3 valleys (an M essentially) as the top edge of the bag.
• Now to move onto the handle.

Crochet Bag Top/Handle

• Round 1: The first thing to do is rejoin the blue yarn to the top edge of the bag, preferably the side in one of the valleys.
• Then you will crochet the top edge of the bag with the blue yarn. 1 single crochet in each stitch, but when you come to the top of the squares, you want to make 3 single crochets in the very top stitches. Then for the part where the squares meet you want to crochet the 3 most bottom stitches together in a decrease, then continue up the side as before.
• After 1 round of blue yarn, switch to white yarn.
• Round 2: Repeat the above process 1 more time but in white.
• Round 3: For the 3rd round, follow the above process again, but when you get to the peaks or the top of the M, ch x60 and then reattach the chain to the other top on the same side of the bag. Make sure the chain is not twisted.
• Round 4: Crochet around the top of the bag as before, when you get to the chains make a sc in each ch.
• When the last round is completed fasten off and weave in the ends.
• Inner handles round: Rejoin the white on the inside of the handles and crochet around the inner circle. Repeat this on both sides of the bag.
• Weave in any ends.
• And now you have a finished crochet lemon bag made from my lemon bag crochet pattern utilizing the lemon granny square pattern.