Desert Cacti Zipper Pouch – Free Tapestry Crochet Pattern

Ever wanted to try your hand at crocheting Mochila bags but were too afraid of getting tired halfway? Then the Desert Cacti Zipper Pouch might be the right pattern for you!

Tapestry Crochet Desert Cacti Zipper Pouch - Raffamusa Designs

This crochet zipper bag is colorful, bold, and just the right size to try tapestry crochet with more than 2 strands of yarn!

But I didn’t want to go overboard and make something super complicated. So, I adjusted the pattern of this sunset landscape so that you’ll always need 3 strands of yarn for each round.

The result is a cute pattern that helped me transition from bicolored patterns to something more interesting and challenging!

Obviously, crocheting with 3 strands of yarn can lead to a pretty messy and tangled situation. So, I did some research and found this very helpful method by Atelier Sopra, which will help you keep your sanity with tapestry crochet!

To finish up my bag, I added a zipper and a lining to give it a more professional look. Check out this step-by-step tutorial to see how to line your crochet bag with a zipper.

And here it is! My zipper bag is ready to serve as a notion bag while I travel back home for the summer.

But you can totally add a handle or a cross-body strap and make it into an elegant accessory for a night out!

Would you rather try something easier? Check out these crochet purse patterns on the blog…

Testers Gallery

Here are a few Desert Cacti Pouch bags from my testers…

Add this pattern to your queue on Ravelry, or pin it for later to your favorite crochet board on Pinterest!

Tapestry Crochet Desert Cacti Pouch - Free Pattern - Raffamusa Designs

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AD-FREE DOWNLOADABLE PATTERN

Get the ad-free, printable PDF pattern of the Desert Cacti Pouch, which also includes the pattern color chart and a step-by-step tutorial on how to line your crochet bag with a zipper!

Find the pattern in my Ravelry, LoveCrafts, or Etsy stores!

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MATERIALS

  • 3.0-mm (11 UK) Hook
  • Sport Weight (2 Fine) Yarn. I used Schachenmayr Catania.
  • Tapestry Needle
  • Sewing Needle
  • One Stitch Marker to Work in the Round
  • Zipper, 8″ (20 cm)
  • Optional Lining fabric, Pins, Sewing Thread

COLOR REFERENCE

The following color codes are from Schachenmayr Catania, but you can work with any comparable yarn.

  • Color A – Marine (124) – 43.8 yds, 40 m
  • Color B – Ocean (400) – 30.7 yds, 28 m
  • Color C – Jade (253) – 35.6 yds, 33 m
  • Color D – Vanille (403) – 5.5 yds, 5 m
  • Color E – Orange (281) – 9 yds, 8.25 m
  • Color F – Altrosa (408) – 12 yds, 11 m
  • Color G – Erdbeere (258) – 16 yds, 14.5 m
  • Color H – White (106) – 6.6 yds, 6 m
  • Color I – Flieder (226) – 18 yds, 16.5 m

ABBREVIATIONS (US TERMS)

  • BLO – Back Loop Only
  • Ch – Chain
  • Sc – Single Crochet
  • Sk – Skip
  • Sl St – Slip Stitch
  • St – Stitch
  • Yo – Yarn Over

SPECIAL STITCHES

Back Loop Only (BLO)
This pattern is mostly worked by crocheting in the back loop only. Learn how to single crochet in the BLO in this post.

Invisible Color Change
See here how to change color invisibly in tapestry crochet.

Invisible Join
Learn how to join the round with an invisible join with this step-by-step tutorial.

SIZE

8.2” by 5.5” (21 cm by 14 cm)

GAUGE

28 BLO Sc for 24 rows in 4″ (10 cm) worked in tapestry crochet with 3 strands of yarn.

PATTERN NOTES

  • Crochet in the round using 3 strands of yarn.
  • Except for rounds 1-2, always crochet BLO sc!
  • If the pattern states to “A5”, you have to make one BLO sc using color A into each of the next 5 sts.
  • (…) – Repeat the instructions within brackets for the indicated number of times.
  • […] – Crochet the instructions within brackets all into the same indicated st.
  • The stitch count is 122 sts throughout the pattern.
  • Find the written instructions on page 2 and the color chart on page 3.

Desert Cacti Pouch – FREE PATTERN

For a printable color chart of the pattern, get the PDF pattern in my Ravelry and Etsy shops!

With A, ch 61.

Round 1. [Sc 2] in the second ch from your hook (mark the first st with a st marker), sc 58, [sc 3] in last ch.

For reference, mark the second of the 3 sc sts with a st marker. This will help you make sure that your st count is correct because at each round, the first repeat of the pattern will finish exactly the st before this second st marker!

Working on the other side of the initial ch, sc 58, sc 1 more st in next ch (where you worked the first 2 sts). (122 sts)

Round 2. A122 (working regular sc sts)

From here on, all the sts are BLO sc!

Round 3. (A30, B1, A2, B11, A17) twice.

Round 4. (A12, B3, A2, B5, A5, B4, A2, B1, C11, B6, A3, B3, A4) twice.

Round 5. (A3, B5, A4, B16, C2, A3, C16, B2, A3, B5, A2) twice.

Round 6. (B8, A4, B14, C3, A4, C18, A3, C3, B4) twice.

Round 7. (B7, C1, A5, B7, C1, B2, C5, A2, C1, A2, C18, A3, C4, B3) twice.

Round 8. (B5, C3, A6, C1, B4, C9, A2, C1, A4, C16, A4, C5, B1) twice.

Break B, join D.

Round 9. (C8, A7, C10, D3, A1, D2, A5, D1, C9, D3, C2, A6, C4) twice.

Round 10. (C6, A6, C1, A3, C4, D10, A3, D1, A2, D2, C7, D5, A8, C3) twice.

Round 11. (C5, A7, C2, A2, C4, D9, A4, D1, A2, D2, C6, D5, A9, C3) twice.

Round 12. (C4, A8, C2, A2, C3, D9, A2, D1, A2, D1, A2, D3, C4, D5, A6, C1, A4, C2) twice.

Break D, join E.

Round 13. (C4, A3, C1, A4, C2, A2, C3, E9, A2, E1, A2, E1, A2, E3, C4, E4, A7, C2, A3, C2) twice.

Round 14. (C4, A3, C1, A4, C2, A2, C2, E10, A2, E1, A2, E2, A1, E3, C3, E4, A4, E1, A3, E1, C1, A3, C2) twice.

Round 15. (C4, A2, C2, A4, C2, A2, C2, E10, A1, E2, A2, E7, C2, E4, A3, E2, A3, E1, C1, A3, C2) twice.

Round 16. (C4, A2, C2, A4, C2, A2, C2, E13, A2, E13, A3, E2, A3, E2, A3, C2) twice.

Break E, join F.

Round 17. (C4, A2, C2, A4, C2, A1, C2, F15, A1, F13, A3, F2, A3, F2, C1, A1, C3) twice.

Round 18. (C4, A2, C2, A4, C5, F29, A3, F2, A3, F2, C5) twice.

Round 19. (C4, A2, C2, A4, C5, F29, A3, F2, A3, F2, C5) twice.

Round 20. (C5, A1, C2, A4, C5, F30, A1, F3, A3, F2, C5) twice.

Break F, join G.

Round 21. (C4, G1, C3, A4, C4, G36, A1, G4, C4) twice.

Round 22. (C4, G2, C3, A2, C2, G1, C2, G42, C3) twice.

Break A, join H.

Round 23. (C3, G5, C5, G2, C1, G5, H8, G30, C2) twice.

Round 24. (C3, G6, C3, G10, H5, G32, C2) twice.

Break G, join I.

Round 25. (C2, I8, C2, I12, H2, I34, C1) twice.

Keep carrying C and H until the end of the pattern.

Round 26. I122.

Round 27. (H3, I1, H3, I46, H5, I1, H2) twice.

Round 28. (H8, I29, H7, I10, H7) twice.

Round 29. (H5, B34, H4, B14, H4) twice.

Round 30. (H3, B14, H1, B16, H1, B24, H2) twice.

Round 31. (B27, H1, B16, H1, B9, H1, B6) twice.

Round 32. (H1, B1, H1, B8, H1, B49) twice.

Round 33. B122.

Join with an invisible join. Weave in your ends.

Learn how to line your pouch and add a zipper in this step-by-step tutorial!

Tapestry Crochet Desert Cacti Pouch - Lined with Zipper - Raffamusa Designs

Well done, your crochet Desert Cacti Zipper Pouch is ready!

I hope you liked this pattern and I’d love to see your version of it! Please, share your projects on Facebook or Instagram using the hashtag #raffamusadesigns

Find more crochet bags and purses to crochet here on the blog…

3 thoughts on “Desert Cacti Zipper Pouch – Free Tapestry Crochet Pattern”

  1. This scene is incredible! What a stunning bag! How do you get your stitches to line up so well? Looks like it’s not joined, but worked continuously in the round – am I correct? My stitches worked this way always slant right.

    Reply

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