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Knit Picks CotLin

Linen bags are great for carrying bottles and heavy items home from the supermarket, but, if you’re anything like me, you never seem to have enough of them when you arrive at the check-out.  Despite best intentions to be more environmentally conscious, you still end up coming home with countless numbers of plastic bags. 

Well, now you can be seriously green and look cool at the same time.  Carry one or more of these bags when you head to the shops and feel the pleasure of using your very own bags instead of yet more plastic ones.  Keep a set of 3 bags in your car and another set by the back door ready to grab on your way out and you will always have them ready to use.

The bags have a wide shaped base which makes it easy to load items at the check-out, and the lower striped Seed Stitch section ensures that small items will not drop out.  The central area features an openwork design which is strong but also flexible enough to accommodate bulky, awkwardly shaped items.  An upper handle worked in Seed Stitch with a separately worked hand grip is soft to hold and has extra reinforced stitches at the edges for strength. 

An added bonus is that you often will be given a discount for taking your own bags to the supermarket, so not only is this good for the environment but the more you use them the better it is for your purse as well!

model: Moira Ravenscroft photos:Tim Ravenscroft

SIZE

One

 
FINISHED MEASUREMENTS

Height: 16 inches
Circumference: 31 inches

 
MATERIALS

Lion Brand Cotton Ease [50% cotton / 50% acrylic; 207yd/188m per 100 g ball]
[MC] #194 Lime; 2 balls
[CC1] #191 Violet; 1 ball
[CC2] #110 Lake; 1 ball

Alternate colorway:
[MC] #191 Violet; 2 balls
[CC1] #110 Lake; 1 ball
[CC2] #194 Lime; 1 ball

f you wish to make a set of 3 bags, you will need 6 balls of MC, but only 2 balls of CC1 and 1 ball of CC2.

Recommended needle size:
1 24 inch US #7/4.5mm circular needle
1 24 or 30 inch US #10/6mm circular needle
1 spare circular or double-point needle, US #7/4.5mm or smaller
[always use a needle size that gives you the gauge listed below -- every knitter's gauge is unique]

Waste yarn
Crochet hook
Stitch markers
2 stich holders
Tapestry needle

GAUGE

21 sts/34 rows = 4 inches in Seed Stitch using smaller needles
Note: Because a firm fabric is necessary for this project, the yarn is worked at a tighter gauge than recommended on the ball band. If substituting another yarn, use one with a recommended ball band gauge of 17 sts = 4 inches.

 
PATTERN NOTES

[Knitty's list of standard abbreviations and techniques can be found here]

Ssp: Slip next 2 sts knitwise, one at a time, to right needle. Slip these 2 sts, purlwise, back to left needle. Purl them together through their back loops.

Crochet Cast On
Using waste yarn, work a crochet chain several sts longer than the number of sts to be cast on. Starting 1 or 2 sts in from end of chain and using working yarn, pick up and k 1 st in the back loop of each ch until the required number of sts have been picked up. Later, the chain will be unraveled and the resulting live sts picked up.

Seed Stitch (Worked back and forth over an odd number of sts):
Row 1: [K1, p1] to last st, k1.
Every row is the same.

Seed Stitch (Worked in the round over an odd number of sts):
Round 1: [K1, p1] to last st, k1.
Round 2: [P1, k1] to last st, p1.
Repeat these 2 rounds for Seed Stitch.

Openwork Pattern (Worked in the round over a multiple of 5 sts):
Round 1: [K2tog, yo, k1, yo, ssk] to end.
Round 2: K all sts.
Repeat these 2 rounds for Openwork Pattern.

DIRECTIONS

HAND GRIPS (Make 2)
With smaller circular needle, waste yarn and MC, CO 25 sts using Crochet Cast On. Leave a long tail of MC.

Work 4 rows stockinette st, ending with a WS row.

Remove waste yarn from CO edge and place resulting live sts on spare needle. Fold CO edge of work to WS, so that spare needle is directly behind working needle.

Next Row [RS]: [Insert right needle into first st on left needle and first st on spare needle, k these 2 sts together] until all sts have been worked. This will form a narrow, tubular hem.

Break yarn, leaving a long tail. Place all sts on st holder.

BASE
Using smaller circular needle and MC, CO 41 sts. Work base back and forth in Seed Stitch, working selvedge sts in stockinette st as follows:

Row 1 [RS]: K2, p1, [k1, p1] to last 2 sts, k2.
Row 2 [WS]: P1, [k1, p1] to end.
Rows 3-4: Work in pattern as set.
Row 5 (Increase Row) [RS]: K2, p1, k1, [kfb] twice, work in pattern to last 6 sts, [kfb] twice, k1, p1, k2. 45 sts.
Rows 6-8: Work in pattern as set.
Row 9 [RS]: Work as for Row 5. 49 sts.
Rows 10-14: Work in pattern as set.
Row 15 [RS]: Work as for Row 5. 53 sts.
Rows 16-44: Work in pattern as set.
Row 45 (Decrease Row) [RS]: K2, p1, k1, p2tog, k2tog, work in pattern to last 8 sts, ssk, ssp, k1, p1, k2. 49 sts.
Rows 46-50: Work in pattern as set.
Row 51 [RS]: Work as for Row 45. 45 sts.
Rows 52-54: Work in pattern as set.
Row 55 [RS]: Work as for Row 45. 41 sts.
Rows 56-58: Work in pattern as set.
BO all sts.

BAG BODY

Lower Seed Stitch Panel:
Using smaller sized circular needles in 24"/60cm length & starting from the mid-way point of one of the short sides on the base, pick-up and k165 sts in main color, then place marker to denote end of round.

Work in Seed Stitch as follows, beginning with Round 1 of pattern:
Rounds 1-8: Work in pattern using MC.
Round 9: [K1 using CC1, p1 using MC] to last st, k1 using CC1.
Rounds 10-13: Work in pattern using CC1.
Round 14: [P1 using CC1, k1 using CC2] to last st, p1 using CC1. 
Rounds 15-20: Work in pattern using CC2.
Round 21: [K1 using CC1, p1 using CC2] to last st, k1 using CC1.
Rounds 22-25: Work in pattern using CC1.
Round 26: [P1 using CC1, k1 using MC] to last st, p1 using CC1.
Work 9 rows in pattern using MC.

Openwork Panel:
Using larger circular needle, work 32 rounds in Openwork Pattern.

Upper Seed Stitch Panel:
Using smaller needles, work in Seed Stitch as follows, beginning with Round 1 of pattern:
Rounds 1-6: Work in pattern using MC.
Round 7: [K1 using CC1, p1 using MC] to last st, k1 using CC1.
Rounds 8-9: Work in pattern using CC1.
Round 10: [P1 using CC1, k1 using CC2] to last st, p1 using CC1. 
Rounds 11-14: Work in pattern using CC2.
Round 15: [K1 using CC1, p1 using CC2] to last st, k1 using CC1.
Rounds 16-17: Work in pattern using CC1.
Round 18: [P1 using CC1, k1 using MC] to last st, p1 using CC1.
Work 8 rows in pattern using MC.

HANDLES
Before working handles, place held sts of both hand grips on spare needle.
Continue in Seed Stitch using MC as follows:

Set-up Round: Work 4 sts, place marker, work 75 sts, place marker, work 8 sts, place marker, work 75 sts, place marker, work last 3 sts.
Row 1 [RS]: Work to first marker, work 28 sts, BO 19 sts, work to 5 sts before next marker, W&T.
Row 2 [WS]: Work 23 sts (to bound-off sts), work sts of one hand grip in Seed Stitch as set, with WS of hand grip facing; work to 5 sts before marker, W&T.
Rows 3 & 4: Work to 10 sts before marker, W&T.
Rows 5 & 6: Work to 14 sts before marker, W&T.
Rows 7 & 8: Work to 17 sts before marker, W&T.
Row 9 [RS]: Work to marker, working wraps together with wrapped sts; work to next marker, work 28 sts, BO 19 sts, work to 5 sts before next marker, W&T.
Rows 10-16: Work as for Rows 2-8.
Row 17 [RS]: Work to marker, working wraps together with wrapped sts; work to end-of-round marker.
BO all sts, working remaining wraps together with wrapped sts.

 

FINISHING

Use yarn tails to sew handgrip edges to inside of bag at a slight angle, sewing firmly through all layers and neatening any loose sts at corners. Weave in any remaining ends.

Weave in ends.

Tip: With cotton yarns, ends have a tendency to work free after being woven in. When weaving in each end, leave a tail approx. 2 inches long. Divide tail into two strands, weave one strand under a st, and tie strands in a neat square knot (reef knot). Trim ends close to knot.

ABOUT THE DESIGNER

Moi lives, knits, spins, weaves & drinks tea in the beautiful New England town of Carlisle, MA.  She also spends a lot of time traveling to the UK, Japan and up and down the East coast of the USA and loves to find people to knit with at every stop. Find her here.