Grandmother's Crocheted Mojo Bags

The Art of Empty Vessels

While most practitioners of hoodoo and conjure work focus on what goes into a mojo bag — the roots, herbs, personal items, and sacred objects — my grandmother understood something different. She saw the container itself as the first act of intention, the foundation upon which all other magic would rest.

Her crocheted mojo bags began as simple chains, worked in tight single crochet to create small, sturdy pouches. She preferred cotton thread in deep colors, each one chosen for what it carried:

Each bag was worked in rounds, the tension kept deliberately tight to ensure nothing could slip through the weave.

Traditional Meets Personal

In most conjure traditions, mojo bags are sewn from flannel — red flannel being the classic choice. The fabric is cut, filled with carefully selected items, and sewn shut, often while reciting prayers or setting intentions. The bag becomes a complete unit, its power contained and sealed.

But Grandmama's approach honored both tradition and adaptation. She understood that the act of creation itself carried power, that the hours spent forming each careful stitch were a meditation, a prayer in motion. Her crocheted bags weren't meant to replace traditional methods — they were meant to extend them.

The Ritual of Making

Each bag took her about two hours to complete, working in the round from bottom to top. She'd crochet a flat circle for the base, then work up the sides in continuous rounds until the pouch was about three inches tall. A simple drawstring channel around the top, worked with chain spaces, would later hold a braided cord.

But it was more than just technical execution. She had rituals within the ritual: starting each bag on a Thursday — her lucky day — working only in natural light when possible, and always keeping her intentions clear as she worked. She'd often hum old hymns or spirituals, the rhythm of the songs matching the rhythm of her hook.

• Always started on a Thursday
• Worked only in natural light when possible
• Kept her intentions clear, stitch by stitch
• Hummed old hymns and spirituals as she worked

The Empty Vessel Philosophy

What made Grandmama's approach unique was her belief that the empty bag was itself a complete spiritual tool. She'd bless each finished pouch with a simple prayer, then store them in her sewing basket, ready for when they were needed.

When family members or friends needed spiritual work done, they'd receive one of her carefully crafted bags along with instructions on what to put inside. The crocheted vessel became part of the magic — not just a container, but a foundation of intention, already blessed and ready to hold whatever mixture of roots, stones, or personal items the situation required.