World’s smallest bag

May 18, 2011 at 8:49 pm | Posted in knitting patterns | Leave a comment
Tags: bag, easy, evening, free, knitting, pattern, small

This cute bag is perfect for evenings out – just enough room for mobile, keys and a few drachmas. It knits up quickly in an aran weight yarn; the eyelash yarn gives it visual and tactile interest. It is lined with silky fabric for a touch of class, and a popper keeps your stuff safe.  Super easy; makes a great gift.

The bag is knit flat in stocking stitch. The eyelash yarn is carried along with the main yarn every 7 rows. These rows are knit in the ‘opposite’ stitch (i.e. knit when you would normally purl, and vice versa) to ensure that the interesting bits of the eyelash yarn stay on the right side of the fabric.

You will need:

Debbie Bliss Stella, 1 skein (50g), black

Sirdar Fizz, 1 skein (50g), graphite

4mm double pointed needles, or a 4mm circular needle

Material to line bag

Large popper

Sewing thread, pins, needle (or sewing machine!)

Method

Bag (knit 2)

Cast on 25 sts in the main yarn (Stella)

Row 1: knit

Row 2: purl

Continue in stocking stitch for 4 more rows.

Row 7: purl, using both yarns held together. (Note that you would normally expect to knit this row as you are doing stocking stitch.)

Row 8: purl

Row 9: knit

Continue in stocking stitch for 4 more rows, twisting the two yarns together at the beginning of every even-numbered row.

Row 14: knit, using both yarns held together. (Note that you would normally expect to purl this row as you are doing stocking stitch.)

Row 15: purl

Continue knitting in stocking stitch, knitting every 7^th row in the ‘opposite’ stitch and carrying the eyelash yarn along with the main yarn on this row, until you have done 6 repeats (42 rows in total).

S/s for 5 more rows.

Cast off (bind off).

Handle

C/o 5 stitches on circular needle or double pointed needles

Make I-cord (see knitpurlhunter’s YouTube video, or follow instructions below)

Row 1: knit

Row 2: Push knitting to other end of needle. Turn work. Knit into the ‘wrong’ end of the work, pulling the yarn tight.

Repeat row 2, pulling the yarn as tight as you can each time, so that the work turns itself into a little tube.

Continue until work measures 11 inches, or the length you want your handle to be.

Cast off (bind off).

Tidy up the loose ends; no need to weave them in (hurrah!).

Assemble and line bag

Press and steam the two sides of the bag from the wrong side. Try to pull them into shape so they match each other in shape and size.

Place the right sides of the bag together (cast off edges together at the top) and pin, matching up the eyelash yarn rows as closely as you can. Tuck in any bits of eyelash yarn that are sticking out.

Sew the two sides of the bag together using the main yarn and a simple overstitch, leaving the cast off edges unsewn (this will be the opening for the bag).

Lining

Fold the material double with the right side inside. Turn the bag the right way out and lay it on top, with the bottom of the bag lying along the fold of the material. Using the bag as your guide, cut out a rectangle that is about 1cm wider all round than the bag itself. Don’t cut the folded edge – this is the bottom of the lining.

Tack the two sides of the lining together about 1cm from the edge. Without turning it right side out, slide it inside the bag and check that it fits. If it is too large or small, adjust the seams so that it fits better. You need it to fit quite snugly. Sew the seams when you are happy with the fit.

With the lining still inside out, turn the top edge out and down so it is outside the lining. Compare with the bag: you want the lining to be slightly shorter than the bag. Press the turned-down bit so that it stays down. Slide the lining back into the bag and pin along the top edge, slightly below the edge of the bag. Sew in place all around the top edge.

Handle

Lay the bag flat. Pin one end of the handle to the inside of the back of the bag, about an inch from the left side seam. Being careful not to twist the handle, pin the other end of the handle to the inside of the front of the bag, about an inch from the right side seam. (This ‘crossover’ handle looks cute, and also encourages the bag to hang flat rather than collapsing inwards when held by the handle.) Sew the handle ends in place.

Popper

Sew the popper onto the inside of the bag, lining the two sides up carefully and making sure you sew through the lining securely into the fabric of the bag, to avoid tearing the lining when you open the popper.