Crochet a Mochila Bag - Tutorial & Pattern

How to crochet a Mochila bag with a leather base. Tapestry is the inspiration for this trend, which allows you to crochet these colourful Mochilas (Spanish for bags). Originally, the technique comes from the indigenous Wayuu people from the north of Colombia. By using several colours, you can create beautiful patterns. For today, we picked triangles. 

You need

    Cotton yarn in 4 colours
    Matching crochet hook (size 4.0)
    Piece of leather
    Hole punch
    Scissors
    Large needle

Materials

First, lay out your materials. I opted for four different colours: yellow, purple, mint and white.

Cutting the Base

Cut a leather circle. Mine has a diameter of 22 cm.

Punch Holes

Punch holes around your leather base. It's important that you have a number of holes that is a multiple of 7.

Sewing Through the Holes

Using one of your yarns and your crochet hook, join together as shown by taking the yarn through the holes and knotting the ends together.

Crochet Pattern

Crochet into the resulting loops. I crocheted two single crochet stitches into each loop until I got back to the beginning. Repeat for a second round. Either join each round with a slip stitch and a chain stitch,or crochet in continuous rounds.

Then, the pattern starts. Always think in terms of 7 stitches. The technique that we use to take the threads is explained in the next steps.

Round 1: 6 white single crochet and 1 purple single crochet. Repeat until you are back to the beginning of the round.

Round 2: 5 white single crochet and 2 purple single crochet. Repeat until you are back to the beginning of the round.

Round 3: 4 white single crochet and 3 purple single crochet. Repeat until you are back to the beginning of the round.

Round 4: 3 white single crochet and 4 purple single crochet. Repeat until you are back to the beginning of the round.

Round 5: 2 white single crochet and 5 purple single crochet. Repeat until you are back to the beginning of the round.

Round 6: 1 white single crochet and 6 purple single crochet. Repeat until you are back to the beginning of the round.

Round 7: All stitches in purple.

Then come two rounds in which you always crochet 7 stitches in one colour, then swap to the next until you complete two rounds.

Then repeat it all over again with the other two colours.

Technique 1

Wind your working yarn around your finger and guide the other three strands along close behind your work. Hold it in place with your middle finger.

Technique 2

Stitch only through the back loop of the stitch below, going under the other threads to pull the working yarn through before crocheting a normal single crochet stitch.

Technique 3

If you want to change the colour, keep the threads behind your work tight and short. Pull the new working thread to the front together with your current working thread, wind it around your finger and continue working normally.

Finishing the Pattern

Using this technique, crochet through the pattern twice. If you're only working with one or two colours, you don't have to carry the other colours behind your work.

Once you are familiar with these techniques, you can create your own patterns.

Crocheting the Border

To finish your project, crochet a slip stitch, a chain stitch, turn your work and crochet single crochet stitches in the other direction in the colour of your choice.