Sheep Drawstring Pouch Free Crochet Pattern
Hide your Easter sweets in this cute animal-inspired crochet drawstring pouch! It has long ears, a sleepy face, and a very ruffly mane. The bag itself is super easy to make, as long as you are familiar with basic stitches and working in the round. Although the embroidery is optional, it adds a lot of character, don’t you think?
This free pattern is suitable for beginners and gives a lot of room for personalization. Choose your favorite colors, play with different faces and emotions, and create a bunch of surprise gift bags right in time for Easter!
This project was originally designed for YourCrochet.com.
About The Project
The pouch measures 9 cm (3.5 in) in height and has a base that is 6 cm (2.4 in) in diameter.
The first step is crocheting the pouch in the round. Next, we make two individual ears and attach them to the bag in the right places, using simple sewing techniques. Then, we braid the drawstring and weave it through the eyelets in the top part of the pouch. And lastly, we add the embroidery of the face.
This free pattern uses standard US terms. Learn more about the differences between UK and US crochet terms in my article.
Materials and Tools
- 1 skein of Drops Paris yarn (50 g, 100% cotton). For one pouch, I used about 25 g.
- crochet hook 4.5 mm
- scissors, yarn needle, embroidery thread (optional)
If you choose a different yarn, make sure to use a corresponding hook size. The final size may differ.
Stitches and Abbreviations
- st – stitch
- magic ring (magic circle)
- ch – chain stitch
- sl st – slip stitch
- sc – single crochet
- hdc – half double crochet
- dc – double crochet
- sc blo – single crochet in the back loop only
Sheep Crochet Drawstring Pouch Free Pattern
To learn how to crochet basic stitches, please see my playlist for beginners on YouTube.
Pattern Notes
- Turning chains for single crochet (1 ch at the beginning of the round) don’t count as a stitch and aren’t included in the overall stitch count.
- Turning chains for half double crochet and double crochet (2 ch and 3 ch at the beginning of the round) do count as a stitch and are included in the overall stitch count.
- The overall stitch count for a given row or round is provided as a number in brackets (#).
How to Crochet The Pouch
Start:
magic ring
Round 1:
Ch 1, 6 sc, sl st
Round 2:
Ch 1, 2 sc in each st, sl st (12)
Round 3:
Ch 1, *1 sc, 2 sc in one st*, sl st (18)
Round 4:
Ch 1, *1 sc, 2 sc in one st, 1 sc*, sl st (24)
Round 5:
Ch 1, *2 sc, 2 sc in one st, 1 sc*, sl st (30)
Round 6:
1 ch, 1 sc blo in each st, sl st (30)
Round 7:
1 ch, 1 sc in each st, sl st (30)
Rounds 8-15:
Repeat row 7.
Round 16:
3 ch, 1 dc in each st, sl st (30)
Round 17:
2 ch, 2 hdc in each st, sl st (60)
Cut the yarn and weave in the ends, turning the bag inside out.
Making the Drawstring
Measure the width of the top part of the pouch by flattening its top. Now multiply this measurement by two and add about 10 cm (4 inches). It’s the minimum length of your finished drawstring.
Take three pieces of yarn, roughly 2-2.5x longer than the final length you just calculated. Then, tie a knot on one end and braid a classic braid. Measure or try the drawstring out before cutting it. The chain stitch will also work, but it’s more elastic.
In my case, the final length of the braided drawstring is 35 cm (~14 in).
Weave it through the double crochet row in the sequence: over 1 stitch, under 1 stitch. Use the drawstring to test if the bag closes and opens nicely. If it’s ok, tie both ends of the drawstring together.
Ears
Make two.
We start with a foundation chain and go around it in the round, which means the stitches will be both on top and the bottom of the chains. See the photos for reference.
Working in the chain stitches from both sides creates ugly gaps, so to avoid them, we want to work the “bottom row” under the leftover yarn strand, not in the holes.
Start:
Chain 12
Round 1:
1 ch, 2 sc in one st, 10 sc, 3 sc in one st (the first stitch of the foundation chain), 10 sc on the back of the chain, 1 sc (in the stitch with 2 sc already in it), close the round with a sl st.
Round 2:
2 sl st blo, 9 sc blo, *inc blo* x 3, 9 sc blo, 3 sl st blo.
Cut the yarn, secure it, and weave in the ends.
Assembly
Position the ears on the opposite sides of the pouch, right below the drawstring row (the row of double crochets), so that the wider end is at the bottom.
Sew the ears to the pouch using a blunt needle and the remaining yarn in the same color. For best results, go through the top stitches and one or two side stitches of the ears.
Tie the yarn ends securely on the inside of the pouch.
Embroidery
The embroidery is optional, but adds a lot of character. To do it, you can use any kind of leftover yarn and a blunt needle.
Tie the yarn ends on the inside securely.
The pouch is ready!
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If you happen to make this project, I would love to see it, so don’t hesitate to contact me! Feel free to share the results with me in the comments or on social media. Of course, if you find any mistakes in the pattern or find it hard to understand, please let me know, so I can learn and improve!
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