Crochet Book: Crochet Basket Bags with Your Favorite Patterns - 3,000 Combinations (Bunka Publishing Bureau)

This is the fourth book by Ronique, for which I was responsible for both the design and production.
This volume introduces a completely new concept, distinct from my previous works, by integrating a collection of 100 crochet stitch patterns with a comprehensive guide to bag-making methods.

Featuring 100 stitch patterns designed specifically for circular crochet.
The essence of this book is to invite you to select your favorite stitch from this collection and create a crocheted bag that is uniquely yours.
Of course, the book also features many projects that you can crochet exactly as they are. I have included 22 complete patterns for both basic and arranged bags.

In this "Story Behind the Scenes," I share the background of this book’s creation, its core concepts, and the energy of the production team. If you happen to pick up a copy of the book, I hope these stories linger in your mind.

Notice

2026.03.10
"Crochet Basket Bags with Your Favorite Patterns - 3,000 Combinations" has been reprinted for the seventh time.
The 8th printing has arrived just in time for the spring and summer crochet season.
This reprint comes exactly one year after the book was released last spring, and I am extremely grateful to the many people who have picked up the book during this time. Thank you very much.

2025.02.05
"Crochet Basket Bags with Your Favorite Patterns" has been reprinted and is now in its 7th printing.
Since publication, so many people have purchased the book, and I am filled with gratitude. Thank you so much!

2021.07.17
"Crochet Basket Bags with Your" has been reprinted for the second time.
This came shortly after the first reprint, so I was surprised and grateful.
Thank you so much to everyone who purchased!

2021.06.09
"Crochet Basket Bags with Your Favorite Patterns" has been reprinted.
We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the many people who have picked up this book, as it was reprinted shortly after its release.

2021.04.02
Pre-orders for his fourth book have begun.
[Amazon link]
"Crochet Basket Bags with Your Favorite Patterns - 3,000 Combinations" (Bunka Publishing Bureau)
A book has been published that contains methods for crocheting bags.

The Story Behind the Scenes

1. Origins

This book teaches you how to construct a bag by combining different elements, much like creating a montage.
This idea is one I have been quietly developing for seven or eight years.

The joy of creating something that perfectly aligns with one's own taste is profound, and I found myself deeply inspired by the thought that this concept would finally allow me to share that experience with all of you.

However, looking back, I feel that only now—after years of creating works and designing patterns—have I been able to realize this idea in its ideal form.

Of course, it was thanks to the efforts of the editors and everyone else involved that this ideal book took shape, and I hope to talk about that in more detail in another article.

You might think that making a bag to your liking is only for experienced crocheters, but this book is filled with patterns that you can follow exactly as they are.
Basic Bag → Variations → Personalized Design
This approach allows you to first get comfortable with existing patterns before moving on to designing and crocheting a bag that is uniquely yours.
I'll cover some recommended steps in another post.

Whether you're just starting out with crocheting or are a veteran, I want everyone to enjoy it.
I also think it's a book that can be enjoyed in different ways.

I hope that this book will be one that you will keep close at hand and find useful for a long time to come.

2. The Stitch Collection

With 100 different stitch patterns, this book is both a guide to making bags and an inspiring stitch dictionary.

To create these 100 stitch patterns—though I likely crocheted nearly 200 swatches in the process—I kept experimenting and refining until only my favorites remained.

While basic stitch structures may exist in my subconscious, I don’t follow any specific references. Everything stems from experimentation: "What if I tried this?" or "What if I combined these techniques?" Occasionally, when looking back at my notes, I’m surprised to find I’ve unknowingly recreated a stitch pattern I’ve used before!

So, while a thorough search might reveal something similar by coincidence, to me, this is an entirely new and original collection of stitch patterns.

All of the stitch patterns in this book are designed specifically for crocheting in the round.

When crocheting in the round, the seam of the turning chains can often lean quite diagonally depending on the stitch pattern.
In these patterns, I have worked to minimize slanting as much as possible without making the diagrams overly complex.
The degree of slanting may vary depending on each individual’s tension, but I have carefully checked and adjusted every pattern during my own crocheting process to avoid any extreme distortion.
If you don’t mind a bit of slanting and prefer to keep your work simple, you can certainly follow the basic logic of the turning chains and work in your own way. That kind of freedom is one of the greatest joys of crochet.

Regarding the width and tension of the fabric: if we take single crochet as the baseline (zero), some stitch patterns may expand the fabric (+1), while others may cause it to contract (-1).

While much depends on the individual crocheter's tension, it’s quite common for certain stitches—like the Moss stitch—to result in a narrower finished width compared to standard single crochet.
Although there is some variation depending on the stitch pattern, I have carefully selected those that stay within a reasonable range, avoiding any extreme fluctuations in size.
Some patterns may appear quite wide after the first round but will settle after the second, or as the bag begins to take shape. I recommend working a few rounds to see how the fabric develops.

For this collection, all the stitch patterns and featured bags are crocheted exclusively with Eco-Andaria (Hamanaka).
These stitch patterns are specifically designed to complement the characteristics of Eco-Andaria. Please note that using a different yarn may affect the drape and how much the fabric expands.
I hope you will view this process as an adventure—a place where you can find inspiration and the excitement of discovery.

In terms of design, while I personally prefer dense textures, I also value the airy feel of openwork patterns. For this book, I aimed for a rich variety—ranging from intricate, small-scale patterns and bold designs to tactile, textured stitches.

Some patterns incorporate unique techniques, but I encourage you to take your time browsing through the book and start with whichever design feels most approachable to you.

3. The Designs

The title of this book is "Crochet Basket Bags with Your Favorite Patterns."
With this single volume, you can explore 100 different stitch patterns and create a bag tailored to your own personal taste.

While the book offers this level of creative freedom, it also features 22 complete patterns that you can follow exactly as written. You might enjoy starting with these curated designs to get a feel for the process.

In my previous books, I typically featured around 25 completed works.
Looking back, I realized that this volume offers 22 full bag designs in addition to the extensive stitch collection.

The book features 11 basic bags worked in a natural straw hue, along with 11 arranged variations in a diverse color palette, including one small accessory.

Given the many factors involved, it is difficult to assign a universal difficulty level. However, if you are choosing a stitch pattern from the collection to create your own bag, I suggest that a round-bottom bag is the most approachable, while a flat-bottomed design might be best saved for later.

I suggest starting with the basic bag to solidify your understanding of the process. Once you have a clear grasp of the techniques, you can then draw inspiration—the "essence" of customization—from the arranged variations to create a bag that is uniquely yours.
You may find that the answers to those "What should I do here?" moments are hidden within the patterns of the arranged variations.

The arranged variations feature a wide range of handle designs, so you can discover endless possibilities just by using the existing structures and experimenting with different colors or stitch patterns.

Ultimately, I hope you find your own way into this book—whether that’s letting your imagination run wild, diving straight into a new project, or simply admiring the patterns for a while. I invite you to explore this collection from whichever perspective inspires you most.

I am truly looking forward to seeing the unique pieces that will come to life through your hands.

4. The Team

Exploring new ideas and taking on challenges is always an exhilarating pursuit, and this book, in particular, represents a truly new endeavor for me.

I truly feel that this book is a culmination of the wisdom, experience, skills, and energy of everyone involved—far transcending the simple act of me crocheting the samples and bags.

I would like to take this opportunity to introduce the dedicated team whose expertise and support were essential in bringing this book to life.

Book design by Kayoko Wakayama and L'espace
Photography by Shinnosuke Yoshimori
Yasuda Josui (Bunka Publishing Bureau)
Proofread by Masako Mukai
Edited by Naoko Kobayashi
Sayako Misumi (Bunka Publishing Bureau)

Once again, thank you so much!!

What first drew me to the world of crochet was Naoko Shimoda's book, Crocheting is Fun.
It was a truly exhilarating turn of events to have Wakayama-san—the one responsible for the design of that very book—take charge of the design for this volume as well.

The photography is by Shinnosuke Yoshimori, whose distinctive and wonderful world is evident even through his Instagram feed ( @shinnosukeyoshimori ).
The process photography was handled by Josui Yasuda—thank you, as always, for your consistent support.

And then there is Masako Mukai, who provided proofreading that can only be described as divine.

I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my editors, Ms. Kobayashi and Ms. Misumi. As with my previous three books, their continued support and partnership were essential in bringing this fourth volume to completion.
I hold a sense of gratitude and respect that words can barely capture; I cannot help but feel that the work of an editor is a truly magnificent achievement.

Underlying it all was the production team’s passion and their unwavering commitment to our readers—an element that proved to be truly invaluable.
(I feel it is perhaps a bit presumptuous of me to use a term as grand as "the production team" to describe such a distinguished group of experts, but I hope you will forgive my choice of words for the sake of simplicity.)