If you’ve been searching for beginner crochet projects or figuring out how to crochet a bag, this is a great place to start.

Meet the Ventimiglia Bag. It’s the very first pattern Hoooked ever made, inspired by a train ride from Den Haag all the way down to the south of France. Not a bad origin story for a bag, right? It’s simple, practical, and ideal if you’re learning crochet for beginners. No tricky stitches, no complicated construction, just a few basics repeated in a smart way.

By the end, you’ll not only have a bag, you’ll actually understand what you’re doing. Which is the whole point.

If patterns feel confusing, you’re not alone. Here’s what actually matters when you read one:

1. Look at the stitches first

Ignore everything else for a second. Can you do the stitches listed? If yes, you’re already halfway there.

2. Spot the repeats

Most patterns are just the same thing over and over. In this bag, it’s mostly: 1 dc in each stitch. That’s it.

3. Watch for shaping words

These are the only bits that really change things:

• Increase = more stitches in one spot
• Decrease = fewer stitches (usually by combining stitches)

These control the shape of your project.

4. Pay attention to structure, not just steps

Ask yourself: Am I working in rows or rounds? Am I turning, or going in a spiral? For this bag, you’re working in a continuous spiral, which means no joining rounds.

5. Don’t expect it to make sense immediately

Patterns often click after a few rows. That’s normal.

Now we go up.

From here on:

• Crochet 1 dc in each stitch, continuously (spiral)
• No closing rounds

Keep going until your bag is about 18 cm tall (around 16 rounds).

If you want a bit of shape:

• Around round 10: decrease a couple of stitches on each side
• A few rounds later: increase them again

This creates a slight curve in the bag. If that sounds like too much for now, skip it. Straight works perfectly.

Find the centre of the front.

Then:

• Crochet 8 dc
• Chain 10
• Skip 10 stitches
• Crochet 8 dc

Repeat on the back. You’re creating space by replacing stitches with chains. That space becomes your handles.

• Crochet 1 round of dc
• Then 1 round of slip stitches

This neatens the edge and gives the bag structure. Fasten off and weave in your ends.

If you’re looking at a crochet diagram:

O = chain stitch

X = double crochet

The long oval shape you see? That’s exactly what you just made:

• Straight sides = 1 dc in each stitch
• Rounded ends = multiple stitches in one spot (your 3 dc) 

Think of it like drawing an oval by hand. Straight… curve… straight… curve.

If you’ve been looking for a crochet bag pattern or wondering how to crochet a bag, this is one of the easiest ways to start.

You’ve learned how to:

• Work around a chain
•  Crochet in the round (spiral)
• Shape a project
• Read both written patterns and diagrams

And once that clicks, you’re no longer just following instructions. You actually get it.