Video course · 6 lessons
Crochet a Raffia Bag
Crochet a round raffia bag from the first ring to the last handle stitch.
- Raffia and a hook
- The magic ring
- A flat round base
- Building the sides
- Handles and strap
- Finishing and shaping
Raffia crocheter
Crocheted raffia bags and hats, and the patterns to make your own, from Antsirabe
I’m Hanta. I crochet raffia bags and hats in Antsirabe, and I sell the patterns for each one, a few short guides and two video courses.
What do you want to make first?
Raffia and a first stitch
Raffia is stiffer than yarn, and it splits if you rush it. Start with a good hank, a hook one size up and a small project. The guide covers all three in the order I wish I had known them.
Loose stitches, soft hands.
The round bag
A flat round base, straight sides and two handles. I made my first one in a weekend and kept it for years. The pattern is charted round by round, so you never lose your place.
A flat base makes a good bag.
The sun hat
A crown, sides and a brim that does not flop. Raffia holds a shape well, but it needs the stitches added in the right places. The pattern marks each one, in four sizes.
Measure your head first.
The curling base
Nearly everyone does this once. The base cups or frills when the stitches are added unevenly. The post shows where to look, and how to fix it without starting over.
Check the base after every round.
Online course
My course
YouTube
Latest videos
8 min
Starting a round raffia bag base without a curl
Inside: a magic ring, even increases and how to keep the base flat.
6 min
Choosing raffia that does not split
Inside: how to feel a hank, what to avoid and the colours I keep on the rail.
9 min
Reading a crochet chart for the first time
Inside: symbols, rounds and how I mark my place on the paper.
Downloads, a course and merch
Shop
Downloads arrive by email. Merch is printed to order and shipped by Printful.
About
Hello, I’m Hanta
I work at home in Antsirabe, in the highlands of Madagascar, with hanks of raffia hanging on a bamboo rail by the window. My grandmother taught me to crochet with cotton, and I switched to raffia when I saw how well it holds a shape.
I crochet every bag and hat myself, write the pattern as I go and chart it afterwards. Each pattern lists the raffia, the hook and how hard it is. A new post comes every other Wednesday.