Desert Sunset Tote Bag

This Desert Sunset Tote Bag is great for any reason.  Grab it before you head to the store or the beach and fill it with all your essentials.  This crochet beach bag is made using a simple striped pattern, so it's great for beginners.  Create one in your favorite colors to have a bag to match your mood.  You could also make a solid colored tote bag by forgoing the color changes and using one color of yarn.

Materials:

• 1 ball Lily® Sugar ’n Cream® (70.9 g/2.5 oz; 109 m/120 yds) in Soft Ecru (Main Color)
• 1 ball Lily® Sugar ’n Cream® (70.9 g/2.5 oz; 109 m/120 yds) in Mod Green (A)
• 1 ball Lily® Sugar ’n Cream® (70.9 g/2.5 oz; 109 m/120 yds) in Robin's Egg (B)
• 1 ball Lily® Sugar ’n Cream® (70.9 g/2.5 oz; 109 m/120 yds) in Hot Blue (C)
• 1 ball Lily® Sugar ’n Cream® (70.9 g/2.5 oz; 109 m/120 yds) in Hot Orange (D)
• 1 ball Lily® Sugar ’n Cream® (70.9 g/2.5 oz; 109 m/120 yds) in Yellow (E)
• 1 ball Lily® Sugar ’n Cream® (70.9 g/2.5 oz; 109 m/120 yds) in Warm Brown (F)
  Size 4 mm (U.S. G or 6) crochet hook or size needed to obtain gauge
• 2 stitch markers

Gauge:  15 sc and 16 rows = 4” [10 cm].

Instructions:
Approx 12” [30.5 cm] wide x 14” [35.5 cm] high, excluding handles.
Note: When joining colors, work to last 2 loops on hook of first color. Draw new color through last 2 loops and proceed.

Stripe Pattern:
With MC, work 1 row.
With A, work 1 row.
With E, work 1 row.
With MC, work 1 row.
With B, work 1 row.
With MC, work 1 row.
With D, work 1 row.
With F, work 1 row.
With MC, work 1 row.
With C, work 1 row.
With MC, work 1 row.
With D, work 1 row.
With E, work 1 row.
With B, work 1 row.
With MC, work 1 row.
With A, work 1 row.
With F, work 1 row.
With MC, work 1 row.
With E, work 1 row.
With B, work 1 row.
With A, work 1 row.
With MC, work 1 row.
With D, work 1 row.
With MC, work 1 row.
With F, work 1 row.
With B, work 1 row.
With E, work 1 row.
With C, work 1 row.
With A, work 1 row.
With MC, work 1 row.
With D, work 1 row.
With B, work 1 row.
With MC, work 1 row.
These 33 rows form Stripe Pattern

Bag:

1. With MC, ch 84. Join in ring with sl st into first ch, taking care not to twist chain.
    
2. 1st rnd: Ch 2 (does not count as hdc). 1 hdc in each ch around. Join A with sl st to first hdc. 84 hdc.
    
3. 2nd rnd: With A, ch 2 (does not count as hdc). 1 hdc in each hdc around. Join E with sl st to first hdc.
    
4. First 2 rows of Stripe Pat are complete.
    
5. Keeping cont of Stripe Pat, rep 2nd rnd for pat until all 33 rows of Stripe Pat are complete. Fasten off. Place markers on 32nd hdc and 74th hdc of last rnd.

Handles:

1. With RS facing, join MC with sl st at first marker.
    
2. 1st row: Ch 1. 1 sc in each of next 10 hdc. Turn. Leave rem sts unworked.
    
3. 2nd row: Ch 1. 1 sc in each sc across. Turn.
    
4. Rep 2nd row until work from beg measures 18” [45.5 cm].
    
5. Next row: Ch 1. Draw up a loop in each of next 2 sts. Yoh and draw through all loops on hook – sc2tog made. 1 sc in each of next 6 sc. Sc2tog. Turn
    
6. Next row: Ch 1. Sc2tog. 1 sc in each of next 4 sc. Sc2tog. Turn.
    
7. Next row: Ch 1. Sc2tog. 1 sc in each of next 2 sc. Sc2tog. Turn.
    
8. Next row: Ch 1. (Sc2tog) twice. Turn.
    
9. Next row: Sc2tog. Fasten off.
    
10. Rep for second handle, starting at second marker.
     
11. Tie handles in knot at desired length.

Finishing:

1. Join bottom edge: With RS tog, join MC with sl st at bottom edge. Working through both thicknesses, work 1 row of sl st across bottom edge to join. Fasten off.