A little bag

Lately I've had knitted bags on the brain so the other day I decided to make Caleb one. It was really easy to do so I'll give some general directions here.

I used fingering weight wool for this, but you could use any weight. I used Shelridge Farms Soft Touch Ultra in Charcoal and Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks That Rock in Chapman Springs in the Medium Weight. (Let me digress here and say that if you've never knit with Socks That Rock, you need to. You really need to.) I did a provisional cast on (I used 60 stitches) with the Socks That Rock on a slightly smaller needle than I was planning on using on the body of the bag and knit just under an inch. Then I did a purl row which makes a nice turning row and switched to the main color of yarn and the bigger needles (I used size US 2's as my bigger size, I don't remember what size I used for the hem casing.) Knit about 3/8 of an inch, then you add your eyelets for the drawstring. I made four as follows: Needle 1 - K2, YO, SSK, K to end of needle. Needle 2 - Knit to last 4 stitches, K2 tog, YO, K2. Needle 3 is worked as Needle 1 and Needle 4 is worked as Needle 2. Then I continued in stockinette until the work was even with the provisional cast on when I folded the hem casing into place. (You could count rounds of the hem casing part and then count again on the main color, but since you change needles, you might need a different number of rounds to get them the same length, and I forgot to count anyway and then decided not to worry about it and just measured them against each other - it worked without any trouble.) When the hem casing and the main color outside are the same length, undo the provisional cast on and pick up the stitches with an extra set of needles. Then you just knit one stitch of the charcoal with one stitch of the Socks That Rock (make sure you don't twist your hem casing) all the way around to join them together. Start knitting the bag in whatever pattern you want to use, knit it as long as you like, and Kitchener Stitch the bottom together.

I used a Linen Stitch or a Linen Stitch variation - I didn't look it up but I know its similar to Linen Stitch. Here's how you do it:

Over an even number of stitches, worked in the round:
Round 1: *K1, Slip 1 purlwise with yarn in front, rep from * to end of round
Rounds 2 and 4: Knit
Round 3: *Slip 1 purlwise with yarn in front, K1, rep from * to end of round

I made the last round a Round 3, since the Kitchener Stitch bottom would look like a Round 4. The bag is about 4 inches square, not counting the hem casing. Then I braided some Socks That Rock and made a little drawstring, threaded it through the hem casing and knotted it at the end.

It was an easy little bag and now Caleb has a place to put some little things. I think if you worked the bag body in Heel Stitch or Eye of Partridge you could make a very strong little bag that wouldn't stretch out.

UPDATE: I just wanted to clarify that when I mentioned that Daddy had just had a heart attack the other day, I was being sarcastic with the dandelion/orchid comment. He's fine, but for those of you who wished him a speedy recovery, I appreciate your kindness.