Tote Bag Knitting Pattern | Low Tide | Knit by JC
There is something deeply satisfying about carrying a bag you made yourself. It holds your groceries, your library books, your beach towels — and every time someone asks where you got it, you get to say “I made it.” The Low Tide Tote is exactly that kind of project: a sturdy, beautiful, genuinely useful bag that looks far more complicated than it is to knit. Whether you are a seasoned knitter looking for a weekend project or someone who has just graduated from scarves and dishcloths, this pattern is designed to meet you where you are and leave you with something you will reach for again and again.
The Low Tide Tote takes its name from the quiet beauty of a shoreline at low tide — the way the sand holds the impression of retreating waves, the way the light catches the texture of wet stones, the way everything feels both calm and full of quiet detail. That texture is woven into the stitch pattern of this bag: a simple but striking combination of knit and purl stitches that creates a wave-like relief on the surface of the fabric. From a distance, it reads as elegant texture. Up close, it tells a story of water and shore.
This is a free knitting pattern brought to you by Knit by JC. Let’s get into everything you need to cast on.
Materials You Will Need
Before you cast on a single stitch, let’s talk about what you’ll need to gather. One of the best things about this tote bag pattern is that it uses relatively inexpensive, easy-to-find materials, and the finished object is something that genuinely gets used every day.
Yarn: You will need approximately 350–400 yards of a worsted weight cotton or cotton-blend yarn. Cotton is the ideal fiber for tote bags because it is strong, washable, and holds its shape beautifully over time. It does not stretch out the way acrylic or wool can when a bag is heavily loaded. Good choices include Lion Brand 24/7 Cotton, Paintbox Simply DK (held double), Paintbox Simply Aran, or any worsted-weight cotton yarn you already have in your stash. The Low Tide Tote works especially beautifully in solid or semi-solid colorways because the texture of the stitch pattern gets to shine without competing with a busy print. That said, a subtle heather or tonal yarn can look absolutely stunning. The colorway shown in the sample is a deep ocean teal, but sandy neutrals, stormy grays, and soft sage greens all suit the theme wonderfully.
Needles: US 7 (4.5mm) straight or circular needles, or the size needed to achieve gauge. Because this bag is knitted flat and seamed, you can use straight needles if you prefer. A 16-inch or 24-inch circular needle works just as well and may feel more comfortable for some knitters.
Notions: You will need a tapestry needle for seaming and weaving in ends, scissors, stitch markers (optional but helpful), and a ruler or measuring tape. If you would like to add an interior lining to your finished tote — which is a lovely finishing touch and makes the bag significantly more structured — you will also need about a half yard of fabric, a sewing needle, thread, and straight pins. More on lining later.
Gauge
Gauge: 18 stitches and 24 rows = 4 inches in stockinette stitch on US 7 needles.
Please take time to swatch. I know — every knitter has heard this a hundred times and many of us skip it anyway. But for a tote bag, gauge really does matter because you want the fabric to be dense enough to hold its shape and support weight without sagging. If your gauge is looser than stated, try going down a needle size. If it is tighter, try going up a needle size. The finished dimensions of the bag are meant to be roughly 13 inches wide by 14 inches tall (not including handles), which is a generous market-tote size.
Finished Dimensions
Width: approximately 13 inches
Height: approximately 14 inches (body only, not including handles)
Handle length: approximately 10 inches from top edge of bag
These dimensions make for a roomy, versatile tote that is large enough for a full grocery run but structured enough to carry to work, the farmers market, the beach, or a weekend trip to the bookshop.
Abbreviations
CO — cast on
BO — bind off
k — knit
p — purl
RS — right side
WS — wrong side
rep — repeat
st(s) — stitch(es)
k2tog — knit two together (a right-leaning decrease)
pm — place marker
sm — slip marker
Understanding the Low Tide Stitch Pattern
The heart of this bag is the Low Tide stitch pattern, a 12-row repeat that creates the wave-like texture that gives the bag its name. It is a combination of knit and purl stitches worked in a specific sequence that builds up into gently undulating horizontal ridges reminiscent of sand ribbed by the tide. It is not a cable pattern and does not require any special tools — just knit stitches and purl stitches in the right order.
Here is the stitch pattern written out over a multiple of 6 stitches plus 3:
Row 1 (RS): Knit all stitches.
Row 2 (WS): Purl all stitches.
Row 3 (RS): K3, p3, k3; rep from to end.
Row 4 (WS): P3, k3, p3; rep from to end.
Row 5 (RS): K3, p3, k3; rep from to end.
Row 6 (WS): Purl all stitches.
Row 7 (RS): Knit all stitches.
Row 8 (WS): Purl all stitches.
Row 9 (RS): P3, k3, p3; rep from to end.
Row 10 (WS): K3, p3, k3; rep from to end.
Row 11 (RS): P3, k3, p3; rep from to end.
Row 12 (WS): Purl all stitches.
These 12 rows form one complete repeat of the Low Tide pattern. The alternating blocks of knit and purl stitches shift between rows 3–5 and rows 9–11, creating the offset that gives the texture its wave-like movement. When you finish a full repeat and step back to look at your swatch, you will see it immediately — the gentle back-and-forth of raised and recessed columns that reads like the shoreline at low water.
Pattern Instructions
The bag is worked in two identical panels — a front and a back — which are then seamed together at the sides and bottom. The handles are picked up from the top edge of each panel and worked separately.
Cast On and Bottom Border
Using your US 7 needles and your chosen yarn, CO 60 stitches.
Work in 1×1 rib (k1, p1 across every row) for 6 rows. This creates a neat, tidy bottom edge that resists curling and gives the base of the bag a little extra structure and stability.
Main Body
Now you will begin the Low Tide stitch pattern. Work rows 1–12 as written above, then repeat those 12 rows four more times for a total of five complete repeats (60 rows of patterned fabric). After your fifth complete repeat, work rows 1–6 once more.
At this point, your piece should measure approximately 13–14 inches from the cast-on edge, not including the ribbed border. If your piece is shorter, work additional rows of the pattern as needed until you reach the desired height. If it is longer, stop a row or two earlier. The beauty of this pattern is that you can adjust the height easily as long as you end at or near the end of a 6-row half-repeat so that the texture stays visually balanced.
Top Border
Work in 1×1 rib (k1, p1 across every row) for 6 rows to match the bottom border. This creates a cohesive look with the cast-on edge and frames the texture of the body neatly.
Bind off loosely in rib pattern. Binding off too tightly here will pull in the top of your bag, so err on the side of loose — you can always use a larger needle for the bind-off row if needed.
Make a second identical panel.
Seaming the Bag
Block both panels before seaming. For cotton yarn, this means soaking them in lukewarm water, gently squeezing out the excess moisture (do not wring), and laying them flat to dry, pinned or patted to their finished dimensions. Blocking evens out the stitches, makes seaming easier, and helps the finished bag hold its shape. Once your panels are dry, lay them together with right sides facing out (or facing each other if you prefer a fully invisible seam — either method works well here).
Using your tapestry needle and a length of the same yarn (or a contrasting yarn if you want a visible, decorative seam), seam the two short sides and the bottom of the bag using mattress stitch or whip stitch. Leave the top open. Weave in all ends securely. Turn the bag right side out if you seamed with right sides together.
Handles
The handles are worked by picking up stitches along the top edge of the bag. You will make two handles per panel — one on each side of the center — for a total of four handle strips (two per panel, or four strips total that pair up into two functional handles).
On the RS of the front panel, measure in approximately 2.5 inches from each side edge and place markers. Between the markers, you should have roughly 30 stitches across the center of the top edge. The handles are not worked across this full center section but rather in two narrow strips on either side of it.
For each handle strip:
Pick up and knit 8 stitches along the top edge of the bag, starting at your marker and working toward the side seam.
Row 1 (WS): K1, p6, k1.
Row 2 (RS): Knit all stitches.
Repeat these two rows until the handle measures 10 inches from the pick-up row, or your desired handle length. A handle that is 10 inches long creates a comfortable shoulder carry or hand carry when both strips are joined. If you prefer longer handles for over-the-shoulder wear, work until each strip measures 12–14 inches.
Bind off all stitches.
Repeat for the second handle strip on the front panel, then work both handle strips on the back panel in the same way. Pair the front and back handle strips together (front left with back left, front right with back right) and seam them together along their long edges using mattress stitch. This creates two sturdy, double-thickness handles that can comfortably bear the weight of a full bag.
Finishing Touches
Weave in any remaining ends. Give the finished bag a light blocking or pressing with a damp cloth to even out the seams and handles. At this point, your Low Tide Tote is complete and ready to use — but there are a few optional finishing steps that can elevate it further.
Adding a lining: A fabric lining transforms this tote from a handknit bag into something that genuinely functions like a professional market bag. It prevents small items from slipping through the fabric, adds structure, and protects the knit from wear over time. To line your bag, cut two rectangles of cotton fabric that are slightly smaller than your knit panels (about 12 inches wide by 13 inches tall). Sew the rectangles together along the sides and bottom with a quarter-inch seam allowance, leaving the top open. Fold the top raw edge over by half an inch and press. Insert the lining into the bag with wrong sides together, align the top folded edge with the top of the knit bag just below the ribbed border, and whip stitch it in place all the way around. A lining in a coordinating stripe or nautical print looks particularly lovely with this pattern.
Adding a button or magnetic snap: If you want to be able to close your tote, a large button sewn to one side of the top edge paired with a yarn loop on the other side makes an elegant closure that is in keeping with the handmade aesthetic. Alternatively, sewing a magnetic snap closure (available at most fabric stores) to the inside of the lining before you insert it is a clean, professional option.
Felting option: If you knit this pattern in 100% non-superwash wool (not cotton), you can felt the finished bag in a hot washing machine to create an incredibly dense, sturdy fabric that requires no lining and can stand up on its own. Keep in mind that felting will significantly reduce the size of the finished bag, so knit a larger swatch and test it before committing your full project to the washing machine.
Tips for Success
Cotton yarn can feel stiff and unforgiving on your hands if you are used to working with wool. Take breaks, stretch your hands, and if your yarn is particularly tightly spun, try soaking your skein in warm water before you wind it — this softens the fibers and makes the yarn noticeably more pleasant to work with.
The Low Tide stitch pattern looks complex but it is actually very easy to read as you go. After the first two or three repeats, you will likely be able to look at your knitting and see exactly which row comes next without even consulting the pattern. This is the mark of a good memorizable stitch pattern — it has its own internal logic.
If you lose your place in the pattern, look at your work. If the last row you completed has raised columns running in one direction (right-leaning blocks of purl on a knit ground), you are headed into the shift row where those columns reverse. Trust your stitches.
When picking up stitches for the handles, pick up at a rate of approximately 1 stitch for every row of ribbing. This gives you a tidy, even edge that does not pull or gap.
Sizing Variations
The Low Tide Tote as written is a generous medium tote. To make it smaller — a produce bag or gift bag size — cast on 42 stitches and work 3 full repeats of the stitch pattern plus the borders. To make it larger — a beach bag or overnight bag — cast on 78 stitches and work 6 full repeats. The stitch pattern works over any multiple of 6 plus 3, so you have full flexibility. For the beach bag version, I would recommend holding two strands of worsted cotton together throughout for extra sturdiness.
About Knit by JC
Knit by JC is a pattern design space dedicated to creating knitting patterns that are approachable, wearable, and worth making. Every pattern here is tested, charted where relevant, and written with the working knitter in mind — someone who wants a beautiful finished object without unnecessary complexity. The Low Tide Tote is a perfect example of that philosophy: a bag with real visual presence, built on a simple and satisfying stitch pattern, that you can pick up and put down between school pickups, lunch breaks, or quiet evenings at home.
If you make your own Low Tide Tote, share it with the hashtag #LowTideTote and tag @KnitbyJC so I can see your work. Seeing your color choices, your yarns, your linings, and your finished bags is genuinely one of the greatest pleasures of sharing patterns. Every bag has its own personality, and yours will too.
Happy knitting.
