It's About Knitting: January 2009

This little felted bag is constructed with mitered squares on point (which makes them diamonds). A semi solid and a self striping yarn are worked alternately and stranded up the side of the module being knit and stitches are picked up from the previous modules to build the next module (no sewing). An I-cord edge is applied to the top and an I-cord strap is knitted and sewn on after felting. The approximate finished size is 10” wide by 9” tall. The strap can be adjusted by trimming it after felting, before sewing it on to the bag.

Materials:
Yarn: M.C. Malabrigo Merino Worsted ,( 216 yds per 100 g skein) 1 skein in color Apple Green
C.C. Noro Kureyon, (110 yds per 50 g ball) 1 ball in color #209
Needles: Size 11 (8.00 mm) 24” circular and D.P.’s
Size J crochet hook
Stitch markers, darning needle etc.
Two coordinating buttons
Gauge: 3 sts per inch in garter stitch

NOTE:
The mitered modules are worked with a Centered Double Decrease as follows:
CDD: Slip 2 sts together knit wise from left hand needle to right hand needle, knit the next stitch on the left hand needle, pass the two slipped sts over the st just knitted and off the right hand needle.
This stitch will be purled on the return (wrong side) row, creating a line of stockinet stitch.

Bag Body
BLOCK 1
Row 1: (RS) With M.C. cast on 49 sts. On subsequent rows this will be worked as: With M.C., knit to 1 st before center st, CDD, knit to end.
Row 2: (WS) Knit to center st., Purl 1, knit to end.
Row 3: With C.C. knit to 1 st before center st, CDD, knit to end.
Row 4: Knit to center st., Purl 1, knit to end.
Continue as established, alternating colors every two rows, working a CDD every right side row and purling that stitch on the wrong side row until 1 st. remains. Pull tail through and mark the last st. This will be the top, front of Block 1.
BLOCK 2
With M.C. and right side facing, starting just to the left of the marked stitch, pick up and knit 25 sts along the left hand edge of Block1. Continue along the cast on edge, pick up and knit 24 sts along this edge and ending just to the right of the CDD line at the top, back of Block 1.
Work as for Block 1.
BLOCK 3
Block 3 is worked along the opposite side of Block 1 as for Block 2: With M.C. and right side facing, starting just to the left of the CDD line at the top, back of Block 1, pick up and knit 25 sts along cast on edge, pick up and knit 24 sts along the right hand edge of Block 1 thus ending just to the right of marked st at the top, front of Block 1.
Work as for Block 1.
BLOCK 4
Block 4 and 5 are worked opposite each other between Blocks 2 and 3 and are half the size.
With front of bag and right side facing and M.C., starting in the 13th ridge from the top of Block 3 pick up and knit 12 sts along the left hand edge, 1 st. in the marked st at the top, front of Block 1, 12 sts along the edge of Block 2 (ending 12 ridges from the top of Block 2). Work as for block 1 until 5 sts remain ending with a RS row and M.C. Place these sts on hold.
BLOCK 5
Work as for Block 4 on the back side of the bag between Blocks 2 and 3 until 1 st remains. Pull tail through and cut yarn.
BLOCK 6
With the back of the bag and right side facing and M.C., starting at the top ridge to the left of the top st of Block 2, pick up and knit 12 sts along the edge, 1 st in the bottom corner, 12 sts along the right hand edge of Block 5 ending at the right of the top st.
Work as for Block 5.
BLOCK 7
With the back of the bag and right side facing and M.C., starting at the top ridge to the left of the top st of Block 5, pick up and knit 12 sts along the edge, 1 st in the bottom corner, 12 sts along the right hand edge of Block 3 ending at the right of the top st.
Work as for Block 5.

FRONT EDGE I-CORD
With M.C. measure out a tail of yarn about 30” long. Do not cut. With a 24” circular needle and the front of the bag facing, start picking up sts with the measured tail (starting at the measured point and working towards the end, not towards the ball of yarn) at the top of Block 3 and ending at the top point of Block 2 as follows: Pick up 1 st in the top point of Blocks 3 and 2, pick up 1 st for each ridge, pick up 1 st at the bottom corners and 5 sts across the sts on hold. Now go back to where you started picking up sts, with RS facing and a spare D.P. needle cast 3 sts onto the right end of the circular needle working with the yarn that’s there waiting. Start working Attached I-cord as follows: *Knit 2 sts, knit the next 2 sts tog through the back loop. Slide the sts back to the left needle and repeat from *.
Work I-cord across the front edge except when you come to the two bottom corners: work to 1 st before the bottom corner st and work the next 2 sts together while attaching I-cord (like a K3TOG through the back loop). ALSO, work 1 rnd of unattached I-cord at each end of the 5 sts that were on hold. Do not cut yarn when you reach the top of Block 2.
Continue along the back flap edge:
Pick up 1 st for each ridge across the edge and at the points of the two diamond flaps work a K1,YO,K1 in the top center st of each flap. Pick up one st in the edge of the front I-cord at the top of Block 3. Turn and knit back across these sts. Turn, cast on 3 sts and work attached I-cord across the existing sts. Bind off.
Sew the little gaps under where the two I-cords meet at each top edge of the bag.

BUTTON LOOPERS
Cut two 30” lengths of M.C. yarn and fold in half. At the points of Blocks 6 and 7 and with the crochet hook, pull the fold of the yarn through and chain to the end. Pull tail through to secure. These can be trimmed to your liking after felting.

STRAP
With D.P.’s and M.C., cast on 4 sts and work I-cord for 50”. Bind off.

Weave in any ends and felt the bag and the strap in the washing machine to your liking. Block the bag and let dry. Sew the strap on with matching thread, placing the ends of the strap about 11/2” to 2” from the top at the sides of the bag.
Sew the buttons to the front of the bag just below the points of the two flaps and wrap the button loopers around them to secure the flaps.