The Crochet Crowd, aka Mikey, is hosting two fully booked crochet bus tours in the summer of 2025 called the Nova Scotia Crochet Adventure. Living in Nova Scotia, the ocean isn't far from any point, and the floating buoys and part of the fishing equipment are unique, colourful, and so amazing. These are the Little Buoy Crochet Bags.
The fishing crew usually marks their buoys similarly to identify them as their own, whether with paint and/or their assigned number.
The Nova Scotia Crochet Adventure is a ticketed event that lasts a week with our full bus tours. This pattern was designed for the crocheters on board. They will be given the pattern and yarn to play with to make their own. Seeing the event and the pattern are paid, as they have spent their money to be part of our adventure.
A square-bottom bag that transitions upward for stitch stitchers. It uses only three balls of Lily Sugar’n Cream yarn.
Lily Sugar’n Cream, 71g / 2.5 oz, 109 meters / 120 yards
Sample 1
- A = Black Currant - 1 Ball
- B = White - 1 Ball
- C = Hot Blue - 1 Ball
Sample 2
- A = Seabreeze - 1 Ball
- B = White - 1 Ball
- C = Tangerine - 1 Ball
Colours A and B are used nearly completely, but if you follow the gauge, you will not play yarn chicken.
Carabiner Spring Clip: You will need a 3” clip to attach the bag to a backpack.
6” x 6” stiff cardboard for the bottom of the interior of the bag.
Hook 4.5 mm / US 7 Crochet Hook or size needed to obtain gauge.
Gauge 15 sc and 16 rows = 4” [10 cm].
Measurement 6.5” x 6.5” x 9” tall when tie is installed.
Abbreviations
- Beg = Begin(ning)
- Ch(s) = Chain(s)
- Dc = Double crochet
- Join = Sl st to beg st or top of beg st.
- Rep = Repeat
- RS = Right side
- Sc = Single crochet
- Sc2tog= Single crochet 2 together
- Scbp = Single crochet back post
- Sk = Skip
- Sl st = Slip stitch
- Sp(s) = Space(s)
- St(s) = Stitch(es)
- Standing sc = Form slip knot and insert onto the hook. Insert hook into st, yoh and pull loop through, yoh through 2 loops.
- WS = Wrong side
Bottom of Bag
With A, ch 25.
1st row: RS. 1 sc 2nd ch from hook. 1 sc in each ch across. Turn. 24 sc.
2nd to 24th rows: Ch 1. 1 sc in each st across. Turn. 24 sc. Do not fasten off at end of the 24th row.
Bottom measures approximately 6.5” x 6.5” square.
25th rnd: Ch 1. Evenly scbp 90 sts around. Use the diagram on the previous page for tips on the counts to get 90 scbp. Do not add extra stitches for the corners. To make this bag work, the rnd must be an even number. Join with sl st to beg scbp. Turn. 90 scbp.
Side of Bag
1st rnd: WS. Ch 1. 1 sc in each st around. Join. 90 sc.
To reduce the need to count, look at each side. In the middle of each side, you must sc2tog when instructed. This is only ever done on RS (right side) of the work.
2nd rnd: RS. Ch 1. 1 sc in each st around but near the middle of each side, place a sc2tog to reduce 1 stitch per side. Join. Turn. 86 sc.
3rd rnd: WS. Ch 1. 1 sc in each st around. Join. Turn. 86 sc.
4th rnd: RS. Ch 1. 1 sc in each st around but near the middle of each side, place a sc2tog to reduce 1 stitch per side. Join. 82 sc.
5th rnd: WS. Ch 1. 1 sc in each st around. Join. Turn. 82 sc.
6th rnd: RS. Ch 1. 1 sc in each st around but near the middle of each side, place a sc2tog to reduce 1 stitch per side. Join. Break A. Do not turn. 78 sc.
7th rnd: RS. With B, join with standing sc to sc BEFORE the join. 1 sc in each st around. Join. Turn 78 sc.
TIP: Crisscross stitches tend to bulge out towards the opposite side when crocheting them. That’s why I'm having you do it on the WS (wrong side) so that the texture bulge appears on the outside of the bag.
8th rnd: WS. Sl st into next st. Ch 3 (counts as first dc). 1 dc (going behind first ch-3) into the sl st. *Sk next st, 1 dc in next st (going behind the last dc), 1 dc into sk st - crisscross made. Rep from * around. Join. Turn. 39 crisscrosses = 78 dc.
9th rnd: RS. Ch 1. 1 sc in each st around but near the middle of each side, place a sc2tog to reduce 1 stitch per side. Join. Turn. 74 sc.
10th rnd: WS. Sl st into next st. Ch 3 (counts as first dc). 1 dc (going behind first ch-3) into sl st. *Sk next st, 1 dc in next st (going behind the last dc), 1 dc into sk st - crisscross made. Rep from * around. Join. Turn. 37 crisscrosses = 74 dc.
11th rnd: RS. Ch 1. 1 sc in each st around. Join. Do not turn. Break B. 74 sc.
TIP: We will do moss stitching for the next three rounds.
12th rnd: RS. With A, join with standing sc to same st as join. Ch 1, sk next sc. *1 sc in next sc, ch 1, sk next sc. Rep from * around. Join. Break A. 37 sc and 37 ch-1 sps.
13th rnd: RS. With C, join with standing sc to ch-1 sp before the last join. Ch 1, sk next sc. *1 sc in next sp, ch 1, sk next sc. Rep from * around. Join. Break C. 37 sc and 37 ch-1 sps.
14th rnd: RS. With A, join with standing sc to ch-1 sp After the last join. Ch 1, sk next sc. *1 sc in next sp, ch 1, sk next sc. Rep from * around. Join. Break A. 37 sc and 37 ch-1 sps.
TIP: The next crisscross section is coming up.
15th rnd: RS. With B, join with standing sc to first sc. 1 sc in each st and ch-1 sp around. Join. Turn. 74 sc.
16th rnd: WS. Sl st into next st. Ch 3 (counts as first dc). 1 dc (going behind first ch-3) into sl st. *Sk next st, 1 dc in next st (going behind the last dc), 1 dc into sk st - crisscross made. Rep from * around. Join. Join. Turn. 37 crisscrosses = 74 dc.
17th rnd: RS. Ch 1. 1 sc in each st around. Join. Turn. 74 sc.
18th rnd: WS. Sl st into next st. Ch 3 (counts as first dc). 1 dc (going behind first ch-3) into sl st. *Sk next st, 1 dc in next st (going behind the last dc), 1 dc into sk st - crisscross made. Rep from * around. Join. Turn. 37 crisscrosses = 74 dc.
19th rnd: RS. Ch 1. 1 sc in each st around. Join. Do not turn. Break B. 74 sc.
20th rnd: RS. With C, join with standing sc to same st as join. 1 dc in next sc. *1 sc in next sc, 1 dc in next sc. Rep from * around. Join. Turn. 74 sts.
21st rnd: WS. Ch 1. 1 sc in same st at join. 1 dc in next sc. *1 sc in next dc, 1 dc in next sc. Rep from * around. Join. Turn. 74 sts.
22nd rnd: RS. Ch 1. 1 sc in same st at join. 1 dc in next sc. *1 sc in next dc, 1 dc in next sc. Rep from * around. Join. Turn. 74 sts.
23rd rnd: WS. Ch 1. 1 sc in same st at join. 1 dc in next sc. *1 sc in next dc, 1 dc in next sc. Rep from * around. Join. Turn. 74 sts.
Rep 22nd and 23rd rnds three more times.
30th rnd: RS. Ch 1. 1 sc in same st as join. Ch 1, sk next sc. *1 sc in next sc, ch 1, sk next sc. Rep from * around. Join. 37 sc and 37 ch-1 sps.
31st rnd: RS. Ch 1. 1 sc in same st as join. 1 sc in each sc and ch-1 sp around. Join. 74 sc.
32nd rnd: RS. Ch 1. 1 sc in each st around. Join. Break C. 74 sc.
33rd rnd: RS. With A, join with standing sc in same st as join. 1 sc in each st around. Join. Fasten off.
Tie Cord & Finishing
Use the interior and exterior strands of the same ball to double-strand for the next instruction.
With two strands of B, ch 120. Fasten off. Do not cut working tails off, as inserting them onto a tapestry needle to weave through spaces is easier.
Decide which side will be your front. Weave through the ch-1 spaces left over from the 30th rnd. I left a few open spaces at the front. Cut any working tails off the tie cord. I tied the end of each cord with a knot for appearance purposes.
Insert the carabiner clip through two ch-1 spaces on the back of the buoy bag. Slide the 6” x 6” cardboard into the bag for a flat bottom look to the bag.
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Non-participants usually ask for the pattern the crocheters are working on. Now you can have it as well.
Retired buoys are usually found in gardens and other applications in Nova Scotia. They are beautiful, and I also love how used they can look. Wooden buoys are being retired, and new buoys are made with Styrofoam.
The pattern is an homage to Nova Scotia, a place I have fallen in love with and share with others. The pattern has my signature texture-loving stitches. It uses three Lily Sugar'n Cream Balls, and there is a place to put on a Carabiner Clip added to it so it can attach to a backpack or something else.
Tutorial
Another bag to crochet.
You can also try crocheting the two free patterns below if you love crocheted bags.
sheila says
thanks for sharing the buoy pattern - the video definitely helps - it was a fun and short project to do.
Susan B says
I think if you purchase the buoy bag pattern you should have access to the video tutorial. How are we going to learn those cute fancy stitches without a tutorial. Not all of us are able to go on your tours.
Mikey says
I don't have the ability to give a link like that for the downloads that are purchasable. I am working on a brand new website for Christmas 2025 where I might be able to load up a video tutorial like that and have it available. Currently, we are only using YouTube for holding tutorials. The tutorial will be available once the tours go out. I don't want the tour group to jump ahead of me by releasing the tutorials before the tours. So I would plan on Fall before it goes out as there are 2 tours this summer going.
I agree with your thought though. The new website will most likely have a login where I can keep content like that buried unless you purchase. If you have any questions, just ask. If you email me as well, I might be able to do something else to hold you over and get it to your faster but I need to confirm your purchase. 😉 Just put in search Contact Mikey and include your invoice number or name you purchased the pattern from and I can work with that.