8 rounds · filed under drape · 3 of them
Bags and accessories · added 15 Sep 2026
Basket weave water bottle bag with an i-cord strap
Double treble crochet crosses into a raised basket weave for a water bottle bag carried on an i-cord strap.
- Skill
- Intermediate
- Time
- 4-6 hours
- Hook
- 4.5 mm
- Yarn
- Worsted
- Rounds
- 5
About this pattern
Double treble crochet stitches, worked alternately behind and in front of the previous round, cross over each other to build a raised, woven texture across the body of this bag. Under your hand the fabric feels thick and corded, with ridges that stand up rather than lie flat, so the surface reads as basket weave rather than plain crochet. The skipped-then-returned stitch pattern pulls the fabric inward slightly, giving it more body than a straight double crochet fabric would have, which helps the bag hold its cylindrical shape around a water bottle.
The base starts as a flat circle worked in increasing rounds of double crochet, growing from twelve stitches to thirty-six before the body rounds begin, so it opens out into a disc sized to match the bottom of a water bottle. Once the body rounds close the circle into a tube, the piece stands as a cylindrical sleeve open at the top. Slide a bottle in to check the fit, then attach the i-cord strap through the sides so the bag can be carried over a shoulder or clipped to a bag.
The swatch in numbers
- Rounds
- 5
- Parts
- 3
- Level
- Intermediate
- Time
- 4-6 hours
- Hook
- 4.5 mm
- Yarn
- Worsted
The yarn and the hook
- Scissors
- Yarn needle
- 4.5mm crochet hook
- Four colors of yarn (In this case, Lion Brand Lazy Days yarn in colors: Surf Spray, Clay, Legion, and Taupe)
- 6mm crochet hook (optional, larger size for ease when working the i-cord strap)
Stitches, spelled out
dc double crochetDrape; sl st slip stitch; ch chain; dtr double treble crochetDrape.
Tension and hand-feel
After round 3 of the base, when the stitch count reaches thirty-six double crochets, set the water bottle on top of the circle to see whether it covers the bottom completely.
If it falls short, keep working the increase round described in the pattern, adding one more plain stitch between increases each time, until the base matches the bottle's diameter.
Base of the Bag
Start with Taupe Color Yarn.
Body of the Bag
Switch to Surf Spray Color Yarn to begin the body.
Strap
Use a larger hook if available, like a 6mm, for ease.
How the texture is built
- The base increases by twelve stitches every round (12, 24, 36), spacing the increases evenly so the circle stays flat instead of cupping or ruffling.
- The body rounds work the double treble crochet stitches behind and in front of the stitches skipped two rows below, which locks the crossed strands into a raised weave and is why the row is built with a skip-then-return sequence rather than straight stitch-by-stitch construction.
- Each round closes with a slip stitch into the first stitch of that round, which seams the round and is also where a new color is attached, so the join marks both the round's end and the color change point.
Putting the pieces together
If you swap the yarn
| cotton, worsted weight | Stitches hold their shape with firmer stitch definition and less give, which sharpens the basket-weave ridges and adds structure for protecting the bottle, using the same 4.5mm hook. |
|---|---|
| acrylic-cotton blend, DK weight | The fabric drapes more loosely and comes out lighter overall, so drop to a 4mm hook and expect to work an extra base round to reach the same bottle-covering diameter. |
| wool blend, chunky weight | The fabric turns thick and padded, giving the bottle more cushioning, but needs the larger 6mm hook throughout and fewer rounds to reach the same finished height. |
Colorways
- Tonal Fade Base worked in Taupe, then the body rounds move from Surf Spray into Clay and finish in Legion, shifting light to dark as the round changes; the strap keeps its natural four-strand blend from the i-cord.
- Contrast Weave Base worked in Legion for a dark disc, then the body alternates Taupe and Surf Spray by round so the crossed dtr stitches show a two-tone check across the woven surface; the strap remains the blended four-strand i-cord.
Washing and blocking
Hand wash in cool water and avoid wringing the fabric, since the raised basket-weave stitches can flatten under heavy twisting.
Lay the piece flat to dry, easing the body back into its cylindrical shape while damp so the dtr ridges dry sitting upright rather than pressed flat.
Store the bag stuffed loosely with tissue or a folded cloth so the base keeps its round shape and the body doesn't crease flat in storage.
When it does not look right
- The base cups or ruffles instead of lying flat.
- The increase count has drifted from the 12, 24, 36 progression; recount stitches at the end of each round and correct before starting the next one.
- The body doesn't reach far enough up
- The dtr basket-weave rounds sit shorter and tighter than a plain dc fabric would; keep adding rounds, checking the bottle against the work as you go, rather than stopping at a set number.
- The i-cord strap curls tightly and
- This is the natural curl of a tube-shaped i-cord; stretch and lightly steam the finished cord, or attach it to the bag under slight tension so it sits flatter once sewn on.
Close-ups
Questions people ask
How do you know when the base is wide enough?
Set the actual water bottle on the finished circle after round 3 and check whether it covers the bottom. If it doesn't, keep working increase rounds, adding one more plain stitch between increases each round, until it does.
Why does the strap use four strands of yarn held together?
Working the i-cord with all four colors at once thickens the cord so it holds its shape as a strap instead of stretching thin under the bottle's weight. Using fewer strands would make a thinner, more flexible cord with noticeably less structure.
Do you need both hook sizes, or will one work for everything?
The 4.5mm hook keeps the base and body fabric snug enough to hold the bottle's shape, while the 6mm hook opens up the i-cord stitches so the four-strand strap is easier to work and drapes rather than stiffens.
What actually creates the basket-weave look in the body?
Double treble crochet stitches are worked into stitches skipped two rows below, alternating between working in front and behind from round to round. That alternation is what crosses the stitches and raises the woven texture across the surface.
New patterns, as they are filed
One short email when a batch lands, with the feel of each.