Mermaid's Purse Top and Bag Pattern Release
- pearledwing
- Apr 16
- 4 min read
Now you can feel like a mermaid in this slinky, shiny top, the colour of the sea,
which comes with its own purse.
The Mermaid’s Purse Top, with tapering neckline and waist, side splits and fishtails, is made with half double crochets. It makes good use of the stitch’s third loop to create a panel of texture to catch the light.
I recently self-published the Mermaid's Purse Top and Mermaid's Purse Bag patterns. These patterns originally featured in Crochet Foundry magazine in March 2025.
I wanted most of the focus on this top to be on the shape, a departure from my usual style as I usually favour mixing stitch patterns and colours.
The top and bag are made with 4 separate identical panels with multiple increases and decreases forming the flowing fish tail shapes.
The top pattern is graded for sizes 34"- 68" chest. My self-published version includes both the original technically edited, graded pattern and a new made to measure guide.
The made to measure instructions show you how you can make a top that fits you perfectly and can be used with any yarn and hook. It does involve doing a few calculations and plotting out your pattern on a graph paper (graph paper can be printed for free from the Internet).
The bag pattern comes in one size but with a guide for adjusting the size and making a larger tote bag.
Mermaid's Purses are leathery egg cases which often wash up onto the shoreline after a storm.
They come in different shapes and sizes and colours.
I love finding them and I love the name! I hope I've captured their essence in this design.
I've wanted to make a top based on a mermaid's purse ever since I first started my crochet journey.
The images below are my first 3 attempts at trying to capture what I had in mind in different ways.
My first attempt started off with a simple hdc top which I split and then free-formed increases and decreases to get the tail shape I wanted.
My second attempt was more of a planned shape and included textured stitches and beads, an idea I may return to one day.
My third attempt was supposed to form the V shape I wanted at the bottom front but it evened out in a way I hadn't expected. The colour changes didn't work out the way I wanted and there was too much emphasis on a part of my body which I didn't want to necessarily draw attention to!
This was my original swatch for the Mermaid's Purse Top and matching bag.
I had been playing with the idea of using third loop half double crochets for a while. I just love the texture of the tops of the stitches being visible on the fabric. I also loved how I could get those chains of stitches facing different directions by rearranging the panels.
The bag is very similar to this swatch in shape but the top needed to be rearranged a little to fit it to the human body.
Opposite is the drawing I made from my swatch.
I doodled the idea for this top, not realising how it wasn't as simple as I thought it would be!
Whilst the swatch was perfect for the bag, I had to play around with it for a while to get the right shaping for the top.
When I first started drawing out this top I thought it was going to be something simple that I could easily grade for multiple sizes.
Then I realised I had increases and decreases doing different things in different places at both ends of a row and I panicked!
I managed to make a prototype in my size but how could I make it work for other sizes?
I'm not someone who can think about numbers abstractly and seeing things is what helps me work out what needs to happen.
I had to tape together multiple sheets of graph paper so I could work out the different increases and decreases!
In the made to measure portion of the pattern, I walk you through how to do this for yourself. Luckily you only need to do it once rather than end up with a muddled rainbow map!
Once I'd got all the numbers down, and the pattern written up, it was time to get it tested.
These are the beautiful versions my testers made.
Clockwise from top left: @niktadoomcrochets, @make.knots.with.dee, @ixanicreations, @tortietreblemakerdesigns, @tortietreblemakerdesigns, @niktadoomcrochets, @ixanicreations (all creators on Instagram).
I love all the different directions they took the top - from stripes, to using different colour ways on different panels, to changing the length - so many options to explore!
These are all the different versions I've made in different cottons and tencel.
The Mermaid's Purse Bag!
Made to match the Mermaid’s Purse Top, this sweet little bag is perfect for carrying all your little treasures around. And speaking of treasures if, like me, you are a collector of special buttons, why not choose one to add to this bag? Whilst small, this adorable little bag is packed full of details.
The pattern also comes with instructions for adjusting the size and a separate pattern for a larger tote bag version.
The gorgeous Mermaid's Purse Bags made by my wonderful testers.
Top: @ixanicreations, @niktadoomcrochets, @make.knots.with.dee
Middle: @tortietreblemakerdesigns, @make.knots.with.dee, @ixanicreations
Bottom: @tortietreblemakerdesigns, @niktadoomcrochets, @ixanicreations
(All creators on Instagram).
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