Bagged Pattern

BAGGED

This is a great pattern to use up all that extra feltable yarn that I know you've got hanging around in your stash!

Materials: A variety of worsted weight or fingering weight wool yarn (pick something that felts!). You'll need roughly 3 good sized skeins worth.

For the darker green/blue/purple bag, I used a selection of Knit Picks Palette. For the lighter bag, I used hand dyed Knit Picks bare. Or, use a heavier yarn and larger needles for a bigger bag.

24" size 8 -10 circular needles

size 8-10 DPNs

To start: Divide your yarn into two groups, A and B. You can divide by color, value (light/darkness), warm and cool. The darker bag was divided into a green/blue group and a purple/grey group. The lighter bag was divided into a warm (reds/yellows/oranges) and a cool (blues/greens). Have fun, go wild! And, when in doubt, add more colors! (Though I think this bag would look great in just black and white.)

If you are using a fingering weight yarn, make sure to knit everything double stranded!

Body: Pick any yarn from group A, and cast on 132 stitches. Place marker and join, being careful not to twist stitches. Knit two rounds, then add a yarn from group B and begin working chart. You will work through the chart 4 times, changing yarn as you feel like it. (I found that giving each color about 7-10 rows felt good for me. I also made sure that I didn't change both A and B yarns in the same row.)

After working the chart 4 times, drop the group B yarn, and knit 4 rounds in K2 P2 rib.

Handle: On the next round, knit 4, bind off 58, place 8 stitches on a holder, bind off 58, knit 4. Move stitches to DPNs and work an 8 stitch I-cord for about 16 inches. Work the final row back as a purl row, then attach the handle to the 8 stitches on the holder using a kitchener stitch.

Turn bag inside out and seam the bottom with mattress stitch. Sew in all ends.

I felted the bag by throwing it into the washer with a few towels and running it on the "warm/cold" setting. I've got a front loading machine, and just let it go through the whole cycle.

Stuff bag with plastic bags to shape it while it dries.