I've really got interested in designing knitted items! This is the second knitting pattern I publish. I'd appreciate any comments / test knitting reports!

 

Emerald string bag

 

A handy bag for groceries, yarn, or to use as a swimgear bag on the beach. The bag comes in two sizes, the bigger one is really big and might not be suitable as a farmers' market bag (if you fill it with frut and veg, it will become really heavy, because the bag is very spacious!). The pictured bag is the bigger one.

The bags are designed to be carried either in the hand, or over the shoulder. See the pattern after the "Tell me more" button. 

 

I offer this free knitting pattern for no fee for your own personal use - you may not sell this pattern or the hats you knit using it (please ask me about charity).

 

Please if you like this pattern do concider taking a look at the products I advertise here on my website and use my links for your Amazon & co purchases - it earns me a small fee to be able to cover the costs of running this blog!

 

Emerald string bag

 

Needed:

Needles: 3,5 mm / US 4 cicrular needles (80 cm)
15 mm / US 19 circular needle (80 cm)

Yarn: for the big one ca. 100g / 3,6 oz, or ca. 270 m / 300 yards cotton yarn with a recommended needle size ca 2-3 mm (US 1-2,5). The smaller one will also need more than one ball of yarn. I used "Doris Garne Coton Briliante", a 100% mercerised cotton with a recommended needle size 2mm. This yarn is vintage and not available anymore - but any cotton in this size range will do.

Gauge in garter stitch: 16 st x 24 rows in 10 cm x 10 cm (4 x 4 inch) area with 3,5 mm / US 4 needles, or whatever gives you gauge.

 

Pattern: 

The number in bracets gives the details for the small bag, the latter number for the big bag. 

CO (30) 40 stitches, do not join but work flat in garter stitch (K every row), until you have a square (ca. (45) 60 rows). End with a WS row.

Place marker at the end of the last row, and pick up (22)34 stitches from the first side, (30)40 st from the CO edge, and (22)34 from the second side = (104) 148 stitches. Now join to start working in the round. Also change to the bigger needles: knit the stitches from the small needle to the bigger one.

Using the big needles, K every round (stockinette) for (25) 29 cm / (10)11,5 inches.
Change back to smaller needles (knit the stitches from the big one to the small circular). Work in stockinette for a further (5) 5 cm / (2)2 inches.

 

Forming the handle:

Bind off (42)60 - k (10)14 and place these on a holder - bind off (42)60 - k (10) 14.
Continue with these (10) 14 stitches. Working flat, work in garter stitch until the handle is 14 cm / 7 inches long. Finish it with a purl row. Join with the 14 stitches on the other side of the bag using kitchener stitch.

 

Sew in all  ends well - especially the bound-off ends need to be fastened well, or the bag will start to unravel.  Enjoy your bag, and don't forget to post it on Ravelry.

 

 

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This bag looks great. I just downloaded a copy of your pattern and plan to knit one immediately. Thank you for sharing it.

In reply to by Orghlaith (not verified)

Thanks so much, thats a lovely comment. Happy knitting and let me know how you get on if you like!

Very informative post - I hope there's even more!

I'm also interested, which template is being used on this blog? Its a great design and I would like to know if others can use it.

We're too excited to wait for summer (and our festival) to get here. So we're picking a couple of bags off of ravelry to do for a knit along. We all want our own handmade bags to use at the fiber festival (not for sale, of course, just for personal use). We've settled on yours and one other. I'm excited to get started, I'll let you know how it goes.

Any tips for sewing in the ends securely? This is my biggest fear, that bag will come apart if I put anything with much weight in it.

Dear Curious Knitter, what I did was to sew the ends into the finer-gauge edging. I wove the thread up and down across several stitch "columns" and rows. I also found some helpful tips at About.com. Good luck with the bag!

I'm confused about the pattern. I know CO means cast on but what does ca mean? I also wanna know what size needle I would need to make the big bag because I'm still confused.

In reply to by Knitter (not verified)

Hi, ca. means circa means approximately.

The needle sizes needed for both bag sizes are

Needles: 3,5 mm / US 4 cicrular needles (80 cm) and
15 mm / US 19 circular needle (80 cm)

loved this bag and thought it would be a good use of some of the cotton thread i got at a rummage sale I did the square but when switching to the larger needles it was almost next to impossible, my needles weren't as large US 15 but thought its would suffice for a dry run on the pattern, did you use double point for this pattern? or any increases i'm not seeing in the above pattern?

Hi there, glad you like the pattern! No dpns were used, as they would have been too short in my opinion. Also no increases needed, the mesh is so stretchy that increases are not required.

I love this! And I'm loving circular needles right now. Thanks so much for posting!

Such a cool pattern, I am making it again for a Xmas present. This time I will try string.