by Jacey Boggs

I've always secretly appreciated the fanny pack but rejected its utter lack of fashion. Enter the hipster pouch -- functional enough to hold keys, cell phone, ID, and lipstick; Hip enough for even the coolest kitties. This is an ideal project for learning the Intarsia technique, as the felting process will even out any inconsistencies in tension. The flap is knit back and forth, then stitches are cast on for the front of the bag, and the bag is knit in the round on two circular needles down to a three-needle bind off. The belt is picked up and knit to just the right length, and felting gives it the sturdiness it needs. Homemade fimo buttons ensure a funky, matching flair and make the belt adjustable for bulky or fitted clothes, while the intarsia initial (or star) personalizes it that much more. Three skeins of yarn makes two hipster pouches and four skeins makes three, so spread the love and experiment with colors!

model: Jacey Boggs photos: Bill Boggs

MATERIALS

Lamb's Pride Worsted [85% wool, 15% mohair; 190yds/173m per 113g/4oz. skein]; 1 skein each color:
[MC] M-175 Bronze Patina
[CC1] M-191 Kiwi
[CC2] M-11 Orange you Glad

2 24-inch US #9/5.5mm circular needles
Stitch marker
4 buttons, 3/4"
Tapestry needle
Washing detergent
Washing machine

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

Intarsia
When working color work in Intarsia, different sections of each row are worked with different colors. For this pattern, it is necessary to use a different ball of yarn for each area of color. When switching from one color to the next, drop the color you have been knitting with, and bring the yarn for the next color up under the yarn of the previous color before you continue knitting. This will twist the 2 yarns around each other. It is very important to do this; if you do not wrap the yarns in this way, the areas of color will not be joined, and you will have holes in your work.

In preparation for working in Intarsia, it is a good idea to make several smaller balls of each of the yarns that will be used.

Cable Cast On and Knitted Cast On:
These are the recommended cast on methods for this pattern. If you are unfamiliar with these techniques, instructions can be found here:

http://www.knittinghelp.com/knitting/basic_techniques/

http://knitting.about.com/library/ncablecaston.htm

Working with Two Circular Needles:
Part of this project is worked in the round using 2 circular needles. If you are unfamiliar with this techniques, instructions may be found here.

Three-Needle Bind Off
Hold both pieces of knitting with right sides together.
*Insert needle into first st on front needle and first st on back needle, and knit them together. Repeat this for the next st on the front and back needles. Draw the first st worked over the second st.*

Repeat from * to * until all sts have been bound off. Break yarn and draw through remaining st.

High Hip Circumference
This pouch is intended to be worn approx. 3 inches below your waist. Decide where you would like to wear the pouch, then measure yourself at this location. This measurement will be used to determine the length of the belt for this pouch.

Weave in ends, using ends near buttonholes, belt slit and belt join to reinforce these areas. Do not reinforce buttonholes and belt slit directly at the edges of these openings, or they will tighten too much during felting; instead, reinforce about 1 st away from the edges of the openings.

Felt
Fill washing machine half full with hot water. Add a small amount of detergent, something to provide friction (ie. a pair of jeans) and the pouch. Run wash cycle, checking every 10 minutes until bag is felted just past the point where stitch definition is no longer visible, and bag approximately reaches "After Felting" measurements given above. If the rinse cycle has not yet run, rinse pouch thorougly, using water of the same temperature as the wash cycle.

Gently squeeze out excess water and lay pouch flat on a towel. Shape pouch by gently pulling/pushing. Let dry completely.

Buttons
For an extra bit of fun, match the colors of your hipster pouch with fimo clay and make 4 perfectly sized and matched buttons. Bake in 200 degree oven for 25 minutes.

After pouch is dry, sew 3 buttons evenly spaced on inside of flap above top of pouch (see above). Sew one button near bottom of pouch, opposite buttonhole on flap. If your buttonholes felted a bit tight, use a small pair of scissors to open them.