14 Knitting Bag Patterns (Totes, Project Bags & More)

Whether you’re a devoted knitter who carries yarn everywhere or someone who simply wants a beautiful handmade bag to tote your supplies, there’s something deeply satisfying about making the very bag that holds your craft. Knitting bags come in an astonishing variety of shapes, styles, and sizes, from compact project bags that hold a single skein and a pair of needles to roomy tote bags that can carry multiple works in progress, pattern books, and every accessory you own. The best part? Most knitting bag patterns are accessible to intermediate knitters, and many are beginner-friendly with just a little patience.

In this roundup, we’re sharing 14 of the best knitting bag patterns to make, organized by style and skill level. Whether you want to knit, crochet, or sew your bag, there’s something here for every maker. We’ll cover construction details, skill requirements, the types of yarn or fabric that work best, and what makes each pattern special. Let’s dig in.

Why Make Your Own Knitting Bag?

Before we get into the patterns themselves, it’s worth talking about why so many crafters choose to make their own bags rather than buying one. The most obvious reason is customization. Store-bought project bags come in standard sizes and colorways, but when you make your own, you can tailor every detail — the depth, the width, the closure type, the lining fabric, even the placement of pockets — to suit exactly how you work.

There’s also a budget advantage. A high-quality knitting tote from a specialty craft shop can cost anywhere from $40 to over $100. Making one yourself, especially if you already have yarn in your stash or fabric scraps lying around, often costs a fraction of that price. And if you’re a knitter who enjoys variety, you can make several bags for different purposes: a small drawstring bag for travel projects, a medium zip-top bag for your current sweater, and a large tote for guild meetings or knitting groups.

Beyond the practical benefits, there’s the joy of it. Carrying a bag you made yourself — and filling it with a project you’re making yourself — creates a kind of wholeness that’s hard to describe but immediately recognizable to any crafter.

1. The Classic Knitted Tote Bag

A simple tote bag is often the first project many knitters tackle when they decide to make their own bag. Worked in the round from the bottom up, a basic tote uses a sturdy yarn like cotton, linen, or a wool-cotton blend to create a structured shape that holds its form even when loaded with yarn.

The key to a good knitted tote is choosing the right yarn weight and needle size to get a firm, dense fabric. Worsted or bulky cotton works especially well because it produces a fabric with very little stretch, which keeps the bag from drooping or distorting under weight. Handles can be knitted as I-cord or left as wide straps depending on how much weight you plan to carry.

Look for patterns that include a simple bottom panel worked flat before you join in the round, as this technique creates a flat base that makes the bag more stable. Many classic tote patterns also include an optional lining, which you can sew in from cotton canvas or quilting cotton to give the bag extra body and protect your yarn from snagging on any looser stitches.

Skill level: Beginner to intermediate. Great for practicing working in the round and picking up stitches.

2. The Drawstring Project Bag

The drawstring project bag is arguably the most beloved style among knitters, and for good reason. It’s quick to make, easy to customize, and endlessly practical. A basic drawstring bag is usually worked in the round up to a casing at the top, through which you thread a length of ribbon, cord, or knitted I-cord to cinch the bag closed.

Because the opening cinches completely shut, drawstring bags are excellent for protecting yarn during travel. Nothing falls out, no lint or debris gets in, and the bag packs down flat when empty. Many knitters make these in multiples so each ongoing project gets its own bag.

The best drawstring project bag patterns offer a little texture — perhaps a simple slip-stitch pattern, a delicate eyelet row near the top, or stripes — so the bag feels special even though it’s small. Some patterns also incorporate a flat base worked in short rows to give the bag a rounder, more spacious profile.

For yarn, a smooth DK or fingering weight cotton in a solid or semi-solid colorway really lets any stitch detail shine. If you’re making the bag primarily for function, a superwash wool or acrylic blend works fine and will be more durable over time.

Skill level: Beginner. One of the fastest and most satisfying projects you can make.

3. The Hexagon Patchwork Bag

If you love color and texture, the hexagon patchwork bag is a dream project. Inspired by English paper piecing and traditional patchwork quilts, this style of bag is worked by knitting or sewing together individual hexagon panels in different colors, then assembling them into a bag shape.

The result is a cheerful, geometric bag that looks far more complex than it actually is. Each hexagon is a small, self-contained project that works up quickly, making the overall bag easy to work on in short sessions. You can use leftover yarn from your stash to create a scrappy, multicolored version, or choose a carefully curated palette for a more polished look.

Assembly requires some seaming, which makes this pattern a good opportunity to practice mattress stitch or whip stitch techniques. A simple lining inside the finished bag helps it hold its shape and protects the hexagon seams from wear.

Skill level: Intermediate. The individual pieces are simple, but assembly takes patience and attention to detail.

4. The Stranded Colorwork Tote

For knitters who love Fair Isle or stranded colorwork, a tote bag is one of the most practical canvases imaginable. Because you’re knitting a functional object rather than a garment, you don’t need to worry about gauge affecting fit, which makes the colorwork much more relaxed and forgiving.

Stranded totes are typically worked in the round, allowing you to always see the right side of the fabric as you work — which is exactly what colorwork needs. Common motifs include geometric patterns, floral borders, folk art designs, and simple repeating shapes like diamonds or chevrons. Scandinavian and Fair Isle-inspired patterns are particularly popular because their two-color structures translate beautifully to a bag format.

Choose a yarn that has good stitch definition and some durability — wool or wool-blend worsted weight is ideal, and waxed cotton or linen makes for a stiff, practical bag when felted or blocked firmly. Because stranded colorwork creates a double layer of yarn at every stitch, these bags are naturally thicker and more structured than single-color knitted bags.

Skill level: Intermediate to advanced. Requires comfort with managing two yarns simultaneously.

5. The Felted Wool Bag

Felting is a magical process that transforms loosely knitted fabric into a dense, durable material that barely resembles knitting at all. Felted bags are extremely sturdy, have minimal stretch, and have a clean, professional finish that many people mistake for purchased goods.

To make a felted bag, you knit the pieces much larger than the finished size you want (usually 20–30% larger to account for shrinkage), then wash them in hot water with agitation until the wool fibers fuse together. The result is a solid, felt-like fabric you can cut, sew, and shape without worrying about edges unraveling.

Felted knitting bags are especially good for project bags because the material is gentle on yarn, protects delicate fibers, and doesn’t allow loose wisps of mohair or alpaca to migrate out. You can add leather handles, magnetic snaps, or rivets for a truly professional finish.

The most important thing to know about felting is that you must use 100% non-superwash animal fiber — superwash-treated wool will not felt. Wool, alpaca, and yak all felt beautifully, while superwash merino, cotton, and acrylic will not.

Skill level: Beginner to intermediate. The knitting itself is straightforward; the felting process does the real work.

6. The Woven Tapestry Bag

Though it sits at the intersection of knitting and weaving, the tapestry-style bag has become a popular project for knitters who want something with bold graphic impact. Tapestry knitting uses intarsia or stranded techniques to create picture-like motifs — landscapes, animals, abstract geometric designs — on the body of the bag.

These bags often feature a single large central motif on one or both sides, making them function almost like wearable art. Patterns in this style frequently use a fingering or DK weight cotton or linen to allow for fine detail in the design.

Because tapestry knitting involves managing many separate yarn bobbins and reading a large, detailed chart, it’s typically recommended for knitters who are already comfortable with colorwork fundamentals. The payoff, however, is a bag that’s truly one of a kind.

Skill level: Advanced. Best approached after mastering basic colorwork techniques.

7. The Mesh or Lace Market Bag

Not every knitting bag needs to be for yarn. The mesh or lace market bag has become wildly popular as an eco-friendly alternative to plastic shopping bags, and knitters love them for carrying produce, beach supplies, library books, and yes, yarn too.

A mesh bag is typically worked with open lace stitches or simple yarn-over increase and decrease patterns that create a stretchy, net-like fabric. The bag expands dramatically under weight but returns to its compact original size when empty, making it ideal for tossing into a purse or backpack until you need it.

Cotton string or kitchen cotton is the ideal yarn for this project because it’s durable, washable, and has just enough grip to hold its mesh structure even when stretched. Many mesh bag patterns work up in an evening or two, making them excellent gifts and quick stash-busters.

Skill level: Beginner. Most mesh bag patterns use only the most basic lace techniques, like yarn-overs and k2tog decreases.

8. The Cable Knit Holdall

For knitters who love texture, a cable knit holdall is an absolute delight to make. Large, sweeping cable patterns — braids, honeycomb, horseshoe cables — look incredible on a roomy bag, and the thickness of cable fabric gives the bag excellent structure without the need for a stiff lining.

Cable holdalls are typically worked flat in rectangular panels that are then seamed together, though some patterns incorporate the cables into a worked-in-the-round construction. Chunky or bulky yarn speeds up the process and produces a bag with satisfying heft and presence.

Because cables compress the width of the knitting significantly, you’ll want to cast on generously and block the finished pieces before seaming to ensure the bag is the size you intended. Leather or rope handles are a popular finishing touch that suits the chunky, tactile aesthetic of this style perfectly.

Skill level: Intermediate. Requires comfort with reading cable charts and managing cable needle work.

9. The Striped Garter Stitch Tote

Sometimes the simplest patterns are the most enduringly useful. A striped garter stitch tote requires only the most basic knitting skills — casting on, knitting every row, binding off — yet the result is a cheerful, sturdy bag that works for almost any purpose.

Garter stitch creates a fabric with excellent stretch resistance and a satisfying ridged texture that gives the bag visual interest without any complex pattern work. Stripes add color and personality, and because you change colors at the beginning of rows, there are no complicated techniques involved.

This is an ideal pattern for absolute beginners who want to make something genuinely useful while practicing their knit stitch, or for experienced knitters who want a relaxing project that doesn’t require much attention. Bulky or super bulky yarn keeps the knitting time short.

Skill level: True beginner. If you can knit and purl and change colors, you can make this bag.

10. The Zippered Pouch

Every knitter needs at least one good zippered pouch for storing smaller accessories — stitch markers, tapestry needles, row counters, small scissors, and stitch holders. A knitted zippered pouch is a wonderful small project that gives you practice with finishing techniques while producing something extremely practical.

Most zippered pouch patterns are worked flat, then seamed and blocked before a zipper is sewn in by hand or machine. The challenge of this project is less in the knitting and more in the zipper installation, which requires some basic sewing knowledge. However, it’s a skill worth developing because zippers instantly elevate the finished quality of any bag.

Use a smooth yarn in a DK or worsted weight so that the zipper sits neatly against the fabric. A stitch pattern with some body — seed stitch, moss stitch, or a simple rib — works better than very stretchy or lacy fabric, which can pucker or distort around the zipper tape.

Skill level: Intermediate, primarily due to the zipper installation.

11. The Tunisian Crochet Project Bag

While this roundup is primarily focused on knitting, it would be incomplete without mentioning Tunisian crochet bags, which have become a favorite among fiber artists who dabble in both crafts. Tunisian crochet — which uses a long hook and creates a fabric that closely resembles knitting — produces a dense, structured material that’s excellent for bags.

Tunisian simple stitch creates a smooth, almost woven-looking fabric in a neutral colorway or a beautifully textured fabric in stripes. Tunisian smocked stitch creates a gathered, fabric-like texture that’s particularly lovely for a more decorative bag. The resulting material has very little stretch, holds its shape beautifully, and can be worked in almost any fiber.

If you’re a knitter who’s curious about crochet, a Tunisian project bag is a wonderful introduction because the techniques are closer to knitting than to traditional crochet.

Skill level: Beginner to intermediate, depending on familiarity with Tunisian techniques.

12. The Convertible Backpack

A convertible knitting backpack — a bag with straps that can be worn as a backpack or carried as a tote — is one of the most ambitious projects on this list, but it’s also one of the most rewarding. Patterns in this style typically feature a large main compartment, one or more exterior pockets, and handles plus adjustable backpack straps worked as I-cord or flat knitted bands.

The construction of a convertible backpack usually involves several separate knitted pieces that are seamed together, so a strong familiarity with finishing techniques is helpful. Many patterns also include a partially sewn lining to help the bag maintain its structure when packed with heavy yarn.

This is an ideal project for a knitter who wants a truly functional everyday bag that they can take to work, to knitting groups, or on vacation. The sense of accomplishment when you’re wearing a full-sized backpack you knitted yourself is genuinely remarkable.

Skill level: Advanced. The knitting itself may be intermediate, but the construction and finishing require experience.

13. The Modular Square Bag

The modular square bag is a creative project that combines several small knitted squares — each worked individually and often in different colors or stitch patterns — into a patchwork-style bag. Unlike the hexagon bag, which requires precise assembly, the modular square bag typically joins as you go, attaching each new square to the previous one by picking up stitches along the edge.

This construction technique means there’s very little seaming at the end, which many knitters find deeply satisfying. You can use any combination of stitch patterns for the individual squares — stockinette, garter, seed stitch, even small textural motifs — as long as your gauge is consistent.

Because each square is an independent project, this is a wonderful bag to work on in small moments throughout the day. The bag grows incrementally, and you can make it as large or as small as you like simply by adding or subtracting squares.

Skill level: Intermediate. Requires comfort with picking up stitches along edges.

14. The Fabric-Lined Knitted Tote with Inner Pockets

Our final pattern brings together knitting and basic sewing to create what many knitters consider the gold standard of project bags: a fully lined tote with knitted exterior and sewn interior pockets. This bag requires both crafts but produces a result that’s genuinely professional in quality and function.

The exterior is typically a sturdy knitted fabric — often a slightly textured stitch pattern in cotton or linen — while the interior is lined with woven cotton fabric that’s been sewn into a fitted panel with divided pockets for needles, scissors, and notions. The lining is whip-stitched or slip-stitched to the inside of the knitted bag at the top edge, then trimmed with a knitted I-cord border.

Because this bag requires both knitting skills and basic sewing skills, it