# Ocean Waves Granny Square Tote Free Crochet Pattern
Some projects just make me happy from the very first motif, and this tote is one of them. Twelve sunburst granny squares in ocean colors — navy, teal, aqua, mint, coral, and white — floating on a calm sandy background, joined into a soft bucket shape with a drawstring top. It’s the kind of bag that gets compliments at the farmers market.
The construction is so satisfying: you crochet the twelve squares (the perfect portable project), join them into a tube, add a round base, then work a little yoke with eyelets for the drawstring. Two swingy tassels and a crossbody strap finish it off. Plan for about 15 to 20 hours total, and weave in your ends as you go — future you will be grateful.
What You’ll Need
- Worsted or aran weight cotton yarn (category 4):
- MC (Sand or Natural): approximately 440 yards / 400 meters — base, square borders, and yoke
- Navy, Teal, Aqua, Mint, Coral, and White: approximately 45 to 75 yards / 40 to 70 meters each
- US G/6 / 4.0 mm crochet hook
- Tapestry needle, scissors, stitch markers
- Leather strap with 2 swivel clasps, approximately 44 in / 112 cm (or crochet your own — see below)
- 2 D-ring loops, 4 wood beads approximately 16 mm
- Scrap teal and coral yarn for tassels, small piece of cardboard
Finished size:
- 7.5 inches diameter by 11 inches tall / 19 cm by 28 cm
- Strap approximately 44 in / 112 cm
The Pattern
Gauge:
- One finished sunburst square = 4 x 4 in / 10 x 10 cm with the 4.0 mm hook
- In single crochet: 16 sts x 18 rows = 4 in / 10 cm
- Gauge isn’t critical for fit here, but matching it keeps the base meeting the body neatly — and a firm fabric helps the bag hold its shape
Special stitch — puff stitch: Yo, insert hook in the st or space, yo and pull up a loop to the height of the round. Repeat 3 times in the same place (7 loops on hook). Yo, pull through all 7 loops, ch 1 to close. Keep your loops loose and even for a nice puffy result.
Sunburst Squares (make 12)
Colors A, B, C are your chosen accents; Color D is MC (Sand). Keep MC as every square’s border so the colorful wheels float on a calm ground. Rotate the six accent colors across the twelve squares so neighbors don’t match.
Round 1 (Color A): Magic ring. Ch 3 (counts as dc), 11 dc in ring, sl st to top of ch-3. (12 dc)
Round 2 (Color B): Join in any st. Ch 2, puff in same st, ch 1, *puff in next st, ch 1* around, sl st to top of first puff. (12 puffs, 12 ch-1 sps)
Round 3 (Color C): Join in any ch-1 sp. Ch 3, dc in same sp, 2 dc in each ch-1 sp around, sl st to top of ch-3. (24 dc)
Round 4 (Color D/MC): Join in any dc. Ch 3, dc in same st (corner start), *dc in next 5 sts, (2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc) in next st for the corner* — repeat from * around, ending with dc in the last 5 sts, then (2 dc, ch 2) in the same st as the first. Sl st to top of ch-3. (36 dc, 4 corner ch-2 sps)
Each side has 9 dc plus a corner space, so squares join edge to edge with matching counts. Block all 12 squares lightly to 4 in / 10 cm before joining.
Joining the Body
Arrange the squares 6 wide by 2 tall, balancing colors so the brightest centers spread evenly. With MC, join into two long strips of 6 (whip stitch through back loops for an invisible join, or single crochet through both loops for a raised grout line — pick one and stay consistent). Join the two strips along one long edge, then fold into a tube and join the short ends. You now have a body ring 6 squares around and 2 squares high.
Round Base
With MC, work in joined or spiral rounds (mark the first st of each round).
Round 1: Magic ring, 6 sc in ring. (6 sc)
Round 2: 2 sc in each st. (12 sc)
Round 3: *Sc in next st, 2 sc in next st* around. (18 sc)
Round 4: *Sc in next 2 sts, 2 sc in next st* around. (24 sc)
Round 5: *Sc in next 3 sts, 2 sc in next st* around. (30 sc)
Rounds 6-20: Continue increasing 6 sc evenly each round — one more plain sc between increases each round — until Round 20. (120 sc)
The base should be a flat, firm disc approximately 7.5 in / 19 cm across. If it cups, your tension is too tight (add a plain round); if it ruffles, skip the next increase round.
Attach: With the body tube right side out, pin the base into the lower opening, easing evenly. Sew or single crochet all the way around through both layers. Fasten off.
Drawstring Yoke
Join MC at the top edge of the body. Setup: Sc evenly around the top of the squares, adjusting to a multiple of 8 — aim for 96 sc. Join. (96 sc)
Rounds 1-4: Ch 1, sc in each st around, join. (96 sc)
Round 5 (eyelets): Ch 1, *sc in next 6 sts, ch 2, sk 2 sts* 12 times, join. (72 sc, 12 ch-2 sps)
Round 6: Ch 1, sc in each sc and 2 sc in each ch-2 sp around, join. (96 sc)
Rounds 7-8: Ch 1, sc in each st around, join. Fasten off. (96 sc)
Strap loops: Sew a small D-ring loop (or a 6-chain MC loop) at each side seam just below the yoke for the swivel clasps.
Drawstring, Tassels, and Strap
Cord: With MC, make a cord approximately 44 in / 112 cm long — either ch 150 and sl st back along the chain, or twist a 3-strand cord. Thread it in and out through the 12 eyelets, bringing both ends out at the front.
Tassels (make 2 — one teal, one coral): Wrap yarn about 30 times around a 3.5 in / 9 cm piece of cardboard. Tie the top, cut the bottom, wrap a neck about 1 cm down from the top, trim even. Tie one tassel to each cord end; slide a wood bead above each tassel if you like.
Strap: Clip the leather strap’s swivel clasps to the side loops (thread a wood bead onto each clasp tab for the accent in the photos). Adjust for a comfortable crossbody hang — about a 22 in / 56 cm drop. No leather? Ch 8 and work sc rows until the strap is 40 to 44 in / 100 to 112 cm long, then sew or clasp it to the loops.
Hand wash cool with mild soap, reshape while damp, and lay flat to dry. Remove the leather strap before washing.
Sophie’s Tips
- Weave in ends as you go — with three color changes per square times twelve squares, end-of-project weaving is a special kind of misery.
- Block your squares before joining. Flat, true 4-inch squares make a tidy tube and a drawstring top that actually cinches evenly.
- If your fabric feels loose, go down a hook size. A dense, firm fabric is what makes this bag hold its bucket shape instead of slumping.
This tote has been my everyday carry all season — I hope yours gets just as much love!
