Shopping Bags Knitting Pattern

Designed by Jean Lampe
For Designs For America from Solutia
 

Sizes: Small Bag: 11 1/2" x 14"; Large Bag: 13 1/2" x 14"

Materials:
Worsted-weight yarn Dawn Sayelle (100% Acrilan Acrylic; 3.5 oz skein) by Caron: 2 skeins of desired color. 24" Circular knitting needle, size 9 (5.5 mm) or size needed to obtain Gauge. Yarn needle. Crochet hook size 8/H (5 mm). Two stitch holders. Stitch marker.

Gauge: In Diagonal Lace St, slightly stretched, 7 sts = 2". To save time, take time to check your gauge.

Notes

• Slip all sts purlwise, except when making a decrease.
• Instructions are given for the small bag; changes for the large bag follow in parentheses.
• Back is worked in one piece from top to bottom then back up to top.

Special Abbreviations

• CDD (center double decrease): With yarn in back of needle, sl 2 sts tog as if to knit, knit the next st from left-hand needle, then place left needle tip through both slipped sts tog, passing them over the knit st.
• Sl1-k2tog-psso: Sl 1 st knitwise from left needle to right needle, then knit next 2 sts tog, place tip of left needle into slipped st and pass it over the k2tog st.
• Ssk (slip, slip, knit): Sl 2 sts knitwise (one at a time) from left to right needle, insert tip of left needle into fronts of both sts and k2tog.
• Bar Inc: Knit into the front and then the back lp of a single st.

Bag
Side 1
Diagonal St Pat (multiple of 4 sts, a rep of 8 rows)
Cast on 40 (48) sts.
Row 1 and All WS Rows: Purl.
Row 2: K2; *yo, sl1-k2tog-psso, yo, k1; rep from * across to last 2 sts, end k2.
Row 4: K2; *k1, yo, sl1-k2tog-psso, yo; rep from * across to last 2 sts, end k2.
Row 6: K1, k2tog; *yo, k1, yo, sl1-k2tog-psso; rep from * across to last 5 sts, end yo, k1, yo, ssk, k2.
Row 8: K2, k2 tog; *yo, k1, yo, sl1-k2tog-psso; rep from * across to last 4 sts, end yo, k1, yo, ssk, k1.
Rep Rows 18 until work measures approximately 13 1/2" from beg, ending after Row 8.

Base Shaping
Close St Pat
Row 1: (WS) Knit, dec 3 sts evenly spaced across row--37 (45) sts.
Row 2 and All RS Rows: K1; *sl wyib, k1; rep from * across row.
Rows 3 and 5: K1, k2tog, k to last 3 sts, end ssk, k1--33 (41) sts at end of Row 5.
Row 7: Knit.
Rows 9 and 11: K1, work a bar inc in next st, knit across row to last 2 sts, work bar inc, k1--37 (45) sts at end of Row 11.
Row 13: Knit, inc 3 sts evenly spaced across row--40 (48) sts.
Row 14: Rep Row 2, ending with k2.

Side 2
Work Diagonal St pat as for Side 1, beg with Row 1. Place sts on a holder.

Side Seams
When both sides of bag measure the same, fold work in half with wrong sides facing outward. Beg at top opening of bag, sl st sides tog with crochet hook, or backstitch tog with yarn needle. Close other seam.

Bag Rim
Beg at seam, pick up and k 80 (96) sts around top opening, including sts on holder. Place marker at beg of rnd.
Rnd 1: Purl.
Rnd 2: *Sl1 wyib, k1; rep from * around.
Rnds 3-6: Rep Rnds 1 and 2 twice more.
Next Rnd: Bind off 10 (14) sts, work 20 sts in pat (handle sts), bind off 20 (28) sts, work 20 sts in pat (handle sts), bind off 10 (14) sts. Fasten off.

Handle
Place one group of 20 handle sts on st holder.

First Handle Side:
Join yarn at rem 20 handle sts, with wrong side facing , k across, dec 1 st--19 sts. Row 1: (RS): K1; *sl 1 wyib, k1; rep from * across.
Row 2: Wyif, sl 1 purlwise, wyib, knit across.
Row 3: Wyif, sl 1 purlwise, wyib; *sl 1 wyib, k1; rep from * across.
Rows 4-7: Rep Rows 2 and 3 twice more.
Row 8 (Dec Row): Wyif, sl 1, wyib, knit to center 3 sts, work CCD, knit to end of row--17 sts.
Rows 9-15: Rep Rows 2-7, then work Dec Row--15 sts.
Rep Rows 9-15 twice more11 sts rem on needle.

Work even in Close St Pat until handle side measures approximately 8 (9)", ending after Row 3. Place sts on a st holder.

Second Handle Side:
Work as for First Handle Side. When both sides are even in length, bind off tog as follows: (K1 st from holder tog with 1 st from needle) twice, bind off 1 st; *k1 st from holder tog with 1 st from needle, bind off 1 st; rep from * across row. Fasten off.