This Crochet Monster Drawstring Backpack was requested by one of my customers and I fell so in love with it that I decided to share it with you! I explained the story in more detail in my Frankenstein Backpack post, so if you’re interested go check it out! For this post, I’m gonna cut the chatter and head straight into the goods!

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Materials:

5.5 mm crochet hook
Red Heart Super Saver in the colors:
- Dark Orchid, White, & White
Tapestry Needle
Scissors

Abbreviations used:

Dc (double crochet)
Dc2tog (double crochet 2 together) – Yarn over, insert your hook into the indicated st, yarn over, pull up a loop, yarn over, pull through two loops, yarn over, insert your hook into the NEXT st. Yarn over, pull up a loop, yarn over, pull through two loops, yarn over pull through remaining three loops.
Hdc (half double crochet)
Hdc2tog (half double crochet 2 together) – Yarn over, insert your hook into the indicated st, yarn over, pull up a loop, yarn over, insert your hook into the NEXT st. Yarn over, pull up a loop, yarn over, pull through all 5 loops on your hook.
Sl st (slip stitch)

Notes:

The body of the bag, the straps, and the strap spikes will be made holding TWO strands of yarn. Every other piece is made using one strand.
The ch 1 or ch 2 at the beginning of each round or row DOES NOT count as a st.
For the straps the ch 77 is for a toddler/child size. If you’re making this bag for an adult, I would ch around 86. However, every person is different and this may not be the case for you. If you’re worried about them being too loose or too tight, ch until you reach a length to where you can put your arm through and it fits loosely.
The number in parentheses at the end of each row tells you how many stitches you should have left by the end of the row.

Crochet Monster Drawstring Backpack

Body of Bag:

Holding two strands of yarn in the color Dark Orchid, create a magic circle and ch 2.

Round 1: 10 dc in circle. Pull circle tight. Sl st to first dc. (10)

Round 2: Ch 2, 2 dc in first st and each st around. Sl st to join. (20)

Round 3: Ch 2, 2 dc in first st, 1 dc in the next. [2 dc into the next st, 1 dc into the next]. Rep [ ] to last st. Sl st to join. (30)

Round 4: Ch 2, 2 dc in the first st, 1 dc into the next two st. [2 dc into the next st, 1 dc into the next two]. Rep [ ] to last st. Sl st to join. (40)

Round 5: Ch 2, 2 dc in the first st, 1 dc into the next three st. [2 dc into the next st, 1 dc into the next three]. Rep [ ] to last st. Sl st to join. (50)

Round 6: Ch 2, 2 dc in the first st, 1 dc into the next four st. [2 dc into the next st, 1 dc into the next four]. Rep [ ] to last st. Sl st to join. (60)

Your work should measure around 8 inches in diameter.

Rounds 7-21: Ch 2, 1 dc in first st and in each st around. Sl st to join. (60)

Tie off and weave in ends

Drawstring:

With black yarn,

Ch 100

Hdc in 2^nd ch from hook and all down.

Tie off and weave in ends.

Identify the front center of your bag and if you want you can use a stitch marker to mark the center 8 dc. Insert the drawstring after the 8th dc from the outside to inside and weave through the top of the bag inserting your drawstring through every fourth dc. Once you reach back to the front of the bag, you will have both drawstrings facing outward and 9 dc between them. (If that confuses you, follow the picture! Or comment below with questions 🙂

Straps: (make 2)

Using Dark Orchid and holding 2 strands, ch 77.

Hdc in 3^rd ch from hook and all down.

Tie off and leave long tail.

Using your hook or your fingers insert one of the straps from outside to inside on the 3^rd row down. And do the same with the bottom half of the strap 11 rows down from the first. Using the long tail, sew both ends of the strap together tightly and weave in ends. Do the same thing with the second strap leaving 6 dc st in between the straps.

Strap Spikes: (make 4)

Holding two strands and leaving long starting tail, Ch 8

Row 1: Hdc in 2nd ch from hook and all down. Turn work. (7)

Row 2: Ch 1, hdc2tog in first two st, hdc in the next 3 st, hdc2tog in last two st. Turn work. (5)

Row 3: Ch 1, hdc2tog in first two st, hdc in the next st, hdc2tog in last two st. Turn work. (3)

Row 4: Ch 1, hdc2tog in first two st, hdc in the last st. Turn work. (2)

Row 5: Ch 1, hdc2tog.

Tie off and weave in ends

Use the long beginning tail to sew the spikes onto the straps.

One Big Eye:

Create mag cir and ch 2

Round 1: 8 dc in mag cir. Sl st to first st. (8)

Round 2: Ch 2, 2 dc in first st and in each st around. Sl st to first st. (16)

Round 3: Ch 2, 2 dc in first st, 1 dc in the next. [2 dc in the next st, 1 dc in the next]. Rep [ ] around. Sl st to first st. (24)