Stitch 'n Bitch: The Knitter's Handbook (38 page)

Rnd 1: K1, *M1, bring yarn to front and back again to make a loop, anchoring it down with thumb; slip M1 onto left needle; k2tog; rep from * around. (Your work will appear to be loose and sloppy and wrong. Don’t worry, we’re going to fix it with rnd 2.)

Rnd 2: K. As you k, give a tug on one side of the loop below. One side won’t budge; the other will tighten firmly. You’ll want to tug the side that pulls tight. Do this for the entire rnd.

Rnds 3–5: K. Again, as you knit give an extra little tug to the loops below. Things should be getting back to normal about now.

D
IRECTIONS

CO 84 sts. Join, being careful not to twist sts, and pm to indicate beg of rnd.

Work 4 rnds in garter st.

Work loop st patt 4 times.

K every row until piece meas 12" from beg.

Work 1" in k2, p2 rib.

BO loosely in rib.

F
INISHING

Go around and give those loops an extra tug. Weave in ends.

ABOUT KITTY

See
page 167
for Kitty’s bio.

SYLVIA MAHONEY

This bag was an accident. I was trying to make my first beanie on circular needles and miscalculated the number of stitches. Needless to say, after 10" of stockinette stitch, I had a beanie that would fit only the Incredible Hulk. My friends and I laughed, but I felt that tossing it aside would have been a waste of my time and yarn. Rather than frog it (rip it out), I noticed it was a nice size for a bag. So I affixed a pair of bamboo handles, sewed in a lime-green lining, then I added a Chinese horoscope charm and gave it to a friend as a birthday gift.

S
IZE

Approx 13½" × 10" without handles

M
ATERIALS

Noro
Gemstones
(57% rayon/17% acrylic/21% nylon/5% cashmere; 50g/65 yds), 6 skeins #8

US 10 (6mm) 24" circular needle

1 pair circular bamboo handles

½ yard lining fabric

Sewing needle and thread

Charm (optional)

G
AUGE

12 sts and 18 rows = 4" in St st (k all rnds)

D
IRECTIONS

CO 80 sts. K 1 row, then join ends to form a circle. Cont St st in the rnd for approximately 10" or however deep you would like the bag to be, then BO all sts.

Turn the bag inside out. Thread a yarn needle with the yarn and, using back sts, sew the bottom of bag closed. Turn the bag RS out.

Cut a piece of lining fabric approx 20" × 14" (think of making a fabric purse to fit in the knitted bag). Fold it in half with RS tog and hand- or machine-sew the sides. Push the lining down into knitted bag (with WS of lining and bag tog). With matching thread, hand sew the opening of the lining to the opening of the knitted bag, folding the lining over ¼" for a finished edge as you do so. Remember, the RS of your lining should show inside the knitted bag.

Last, thread your yarn needle and attach the handles by sewing small loops around each handle and the first row of the bag’s edge.

Add a charm of your choice to any spot you choose. I put mine right next to where the first stitch of the handle connects to the bag.

Fini!

ABOUT SYLVIA

One day last year, as I was walking down a trendy Los Angeles street, I spotted a small French yarn shop. When I wandered inside, my senses were blown away. Gone were the itchy acrylic yarns of my youth—here was a cornucopia of silk, cotton, wool, chenille, and angora. I bought a pair of bamboo needles and some yarn, had my mom cast on to get me started, and I was off.

Today, I knit in Topanga Canyon, California, where I live with my husband, three dogs, and one bird. When I’m not writing, knitting, or trying to conceive a “crafty child,” I work as a producer at Lost Planet Editorial.

TINA PAREDES

I posted a picture of the first bag I knitted on my girly-style blog called primp! (
www.primp.blogspot.com
). A reader admired it and requested one for herself. Her only requirements were that it be dark blue and big enough to hold her 12" × 12" sketchbook. I named the bag after her nickname on the blog, Zeeby, and this is how it’s made.

S
IZE

Approx 15" wide × 12" tall × 2" deep

M
ATERIALS

Brown Sheep Company
Lamb’s Pride Worsted
(85% wool/15% mohair; 4 oz/190 yds)

MC:
2 skeins #M82 Blue Flannel

CC:
1 skein #M51 Winter Blue