CROCHET FRAME CLUTCH — TUTORIAL & PATTERN
Pattern Use & Copyright
This pattern is an original design by NAVI New York. Please do not copy, share, resell, or redistribute this pattern (in full or in part), including the instructions or techniques. If you share your work, I’d appreciate a tag or credit: @olga.levinski
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Materials
• T-shirt yarn 800 g
• 6 mm crochet hook
• 8 in (20 cm) purse frame
• Scissors
• Stitch marker
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Stitches & Abbreviations (US terms)
• ch — chain
• st(s) — stitch(es)
• sl st — slip stitch
• dc — double crochet
• ldc — linked double crochet
• inc — increase (2 stitches worked into the same stitch)
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Construction Notes
The clutch is worked from the bottom up, beginning with an oval base.
The size can be adjusted to fit a different purse frame or to accommodate a different yarn and hook size.
If you’re using a different purse frame, your foundation chain should measure approximately 2 in (5 cm) shorter than the length of your frame.
The oval base is increased until the total stitch count matches the number of stitches needed to fit around your purse frame.
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Determining Your Stitch Count
Before beginning the bag, determine approximately how many stitches fit along your purse frame.
Using your chosen yarn and hook, crochet around one side of the frame as a test. The stitches should sit closely together without visible gaps.
For the frame shown in the tutorial:
• 47 stitches fit along one side of the frame
• 47 stitches fit along the opposite side
• 2 additional stitches are used at the side folds
Total: 96 stitches
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Calculating the Number of Base Rounds
The oval increases by 12 stitches per round.
Use the following formula to determine how many rounds your oval base needs:
R = [T − 2(C − 2)] ÷ 12
Where:
• R = number of base rounds
• T = target total stitch count needed for your purse frame
• C = number of stitches in your foundation chain
Example shown:
Target stitch count: 96
Foundation chain: 20
[96 − 2(20 − 2)] ÷ 12 = 5
So I worked 5 rounds for my oval base.
If your result is not a whole number, slightly adjust your target stitch count up or down so the final number works evenly with the increase pattern and fits your frame.
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Stitch Count — Example Shown
Foundation chain: 20 ch
• Round 1 — 48 sts
• Round 2 — 60 sts
• Round 3 — 72 sts
• Round 4 — 84 sts
• Round 5 — 96 sts
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Linked Double Crochet (ldc)
The entire bag is worked using linked double crochet.
Instead of making a traditional yarn over, insert your hook through the lower horizontal bar of the previous stitch and pull up a loop.
You should have 2 loops on your hook.
Insert your hook into the next stitch and pull up a loop.
You should now have 3 loops on your hook.
Yarn over and pull through 2 loops.
Yarn over again and pull through the remaining 2 loops.
Continue working each ldc in the same way.
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Oval Base
Foundation
Ch 20.
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Round 1
Ch 2.
Beginning in the back bump of the second chain, work 1 dc.
Work 17 ldc across.
You should now have 18 stitches along the first side of the foundation chain.
Into the last chain, work 6 ldc.
Continue along the opposite side of the foundation chain and work 18 ldc.
Into the first chain, work 6 ldc.
48 sts total.
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Round 2
Work 18 ldc.
Work 2 ldc into each of the next 6 stitches.
Work 18 ldc.
Work 2 ldc into each of the next 6 stitches.
60 sts total.
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Round 3
Work 18 ldc.
Across the rounded section, repeat:
• inc, 1 ldc x 6
Continue around the curve.
Work 18 ldc along the opposite side.
Repeat the same increase sequence across the second rounded section.
72 sts total.
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Round 4
Work 18 ldc.
Across the rounded section, repeat:
• 2 ldc, Inc x 6
Continue around the curve.
Work 18 ldc along the opposite side.
Repeat the same increase sequence across the second rounded section.
84 sts total.
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Round 5
Work 18 ldc.
Across the rounded section, repeat:
• inc, 3 ldc x 6
Continue around the curve.
Work 18 ldc along the opposite side.
Repeat the same increase sequence across the second rounded section.
96 sts total.
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Increase Placement
To keep the oval smooth and evenly rounded, alternate where each increase round begins.
For example:
• Round 3 begins with an increase
• Round 4 begins with the stitches between increases
• Round 5 begins with an increase
This helps prevent the increases from stacking directly above one another and creating visible corners.
For the sample clutch, I stopped after Round 5 with 96 stitches, which matched the stitch count needed for my purse frame.
If you’re using a different frame, continue increasing your oval until you reach your calculated target stitch count, increasing the number of stitches between increases by 1 in each round.
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Bag Body
Continue working in a spiral without increases.
Place a stitch marker into the first stitch to mark the beginning of the round.
Continue until the bag reaches your desired height.
Example shown:
• 8 rounds
• Approx. 6 in (15 cm) high
You can make the body shorter or taller depending on the shape you prefer.
To create a smoother transition between the taller ldc stitches and the shorter sc stitches, work the last stitch of the bag body as a linked half double crochet (lhdc).
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Attaching the Purse Frame
Lay the bag flat and fold it evenly in half.
Locate the center stitch at one side fold and mark it.
From this point, count half of the remaining circumference to locate the opposite side fold.
For the sample clutch, there are:
• 47 stitches along each side
• 1 stitch at each side fold
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Calculating the Handle Placement
For my clutch, I left 11 stitches centered for each handle opening.
Because each side contains an odd number of stitches, use an odd number of stitches for the handle opening as well. This allows the remaining stitches to divide evenly on both sides.
Example:
47 side stitches − 11 handle stitches = 36 stitches
36 ÷ 2 = 18 stitches
So each side is divided into:
18 sts + 11 handle sts + 18 sts
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Attaching the Bag to the Frame
Because the beginning of the round may sit slightly away from the side fold, count your stitches from the beginning of the handle placement and work the remaining stitches at the end of the round as needed.
For the first 18 stitches, work sc around the purse frame while also working through the corresponding stitches of the bag.
Insert your hook through the next stitch of the bag and around the frame, pull up a loop, then complete the sc.
This attaches the bag directly to the frame.
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Handle Opening
Work the next 11 sc around the purse frame only, without working into the bag.
This creates the handle opening.
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Work the next 18 sc around the frame and through the corresponding stitches of the bag.
Ch 1 at the side fold.
Repeat the same sequence on the opposite side:
18 sc through the bag and around the frame + 11 sc around the frame only + 18 sc through the bag and around the frame
Ch 1 at the second side fold.
Continue to the beginning of the round and join.
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Fasten off and weave in all ends.
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Done!
Tag your finished piece @olga.levinski — I’d love to see your version!