Sunday, March 13, 2011

Green Market Bag



OK, so it's not actually green. Kind of yellow and blue with orange... but it is green in spirit, as you can stuff it into your purse and tell the checkout gal that you DO NOT need a bag! This one is made using leftover ribbon yarn, but any sturdy cotton or blend that knits up as worsted weight or chunky weight should work just fine.
Yarn: about 360 yards of of worsted weight or light chunky cotton or blend.
Gauge: not important here. 
Needles, 6mm (US 9), straights to start, then double points, then short circulars when large enough to use them!

Bottom of bag: on straight needles cast on 25 stitches. Knit every row (garter stitch) for 24 rows. Change to double points, knit across the row, then pick up 15 stitches down the left side of the bottom rectangle, pick up 25 stitches across the other long side of the bottom, and finish with pick up 15 across the final side of the rectangle (you have completed a circle around the four edges of the garter stitch bottom of the bag. Place a marker to show start of the row. Working around and around, begin the open lace pattern like this.... Row one: knit every stitch. Row two: [yarn over, knit 2 together] repeat until end of the row. Repeat these two rows, knitting the yarn over like a stitch on the row one round.

Continue to do this pattern until the bag is as big as you want... mine is 12 inches from the start of the lace pattern (gently stretched).
Finish: Garter stitch for 8 rows: (row 1: knit around, row 2: purl around)..
Cast off all stitches.

Handles, cast on 6 stitches, work in garter stitch for 14 inches, cast off. Make two handles and sew in place evenly spaced around the market bag.

Go shopping... you have earned it!

18 comments:

  1. This bad is exactly what I've been looking for! I'm casting on right now:) Thanks for posting it.

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  2. I love this! I made several of these bags for my friends and family because they were so simple!

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  3. This will be my first time using dpns so I'm a bit unsure about something. I'm just wondering is it be 5 dpns that are needed or less? I can't wait to get started on this because it's exactly the type of thing I've wanted to knit for so long. Thanks!

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  4. Yes, use 5 dpns, one on each side of the rectangle and one extra to knit around. Use them until large enough to fit the circular needles around the bag, then switch.
    Happy knitting.

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  5. How much yarn (approximately) does this require?

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  6. I think I used 4 50gram balls, about 360 yards... Should do.

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  7. do you have a video on this at all? Im new to knitting but would love to do this project but find it best to watch rather than just read! :)
    thx

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  8. I love the look of this but I'm confused about the needle size, the pattern states 6mm us 8 but a us 8 is a 5mm needle, just wondering which I should use. Thank you so much

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  9. You are correct, Lisa, and I am changing it! Thanks, Chris

    (my readers keep me accurate, and I thank you all)

    :)

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  10. Can this pattern be easily knit with circular needles?

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  11. I actually switched to circular needles once the pattern was established enough to stretch that far. The bottom needs straight needles and possibly you can pick up the body right away with circulars but it may be tight. Let me know if it works for you.
    Chris

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  12. Any idea how many yards this used? Thanks!

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  13. About 360 yards. I have updated the pattern, as there have been two questions like this!
    Thanks for helping with the pattern

    Chris

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  14. I have a question. The instructions for FINISH is garter stitch for 8 rows but the instructions within the brackets that follow are for stocking stitch. It looks from the picture as if it is garter stitch. I love the bag and going to get started very soon. By the time i get to the finish, hopefully you will have clarified how to finish.
    Thank you.

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  15. I just asked a question about the FINISH. But, stupidly, I forgot that it was being done on circular needles so would need to be one round knit and next purl - just as you said. I would probably have realised that if I had been knitting it but was reading through the directions. Thank you for sharing this pattern. Will be knitting it soon!

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  16. Thanks for answering your own question Priscilla. I love it when knitters hit that ah-ha moment! There are no bad questions, and I love to hear them all.
    Happy knitting! Cheers, Chris

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  17. There is no need for the dpn - it is possible to pick up all the stitches on a circular needle, if you just knit the first 3-4 rows in a magic loop :) I find this to be the easiest as you don't have to switch your needle one single time.

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