Little handbag

This little handbag on first sight from far looks as if made from woven fabric. It is a project that should be quite suitable to make a start with using these patterns. It also involves some simple double knitting for the rims and bottom. I used acrylics DK yarn with needles size 4. I accepted acrylics for a handbag, as it can easily be washed. Any yarn should do however. I didn’t need 50 g of each colour.

I recommend that you read the introductions to this technique (see links in side bar).





Cast on 64 stitches in colour A (which was pink in my handbag) Then knit 12 rows according to chart 1a. Watch out that the two threads do not get twisted.

Chart 1:

Work 5 repeats of chart 2 in colour sequence 1. (At the very start of this decrease 1 by knitting first two stitches together.)


Chart 2:



Then knit 5 repeats of chart 2 in colour sequence 2. Cut yarn.

Now comes the bottom of the bag, which looks complicated when described, but really isn’t:

Move 16 stitches to right needle. Work whole bottom according to chart 1b.

Row 1, colour A: Knit over 32 stitches. Turn.
Row 2, colour A: Knit over 36 stitches. Turn. Move 4 stitches to right needle.
Row 3, colour B: Knit over 32 stitches. Turn.
Row 4, colour B: Knit over 36 stitches. Turn.
Row 5, colour A: Knit over 40 stitches. Turn.
Row 6, colour A: Knit over 44 stitches. Turn. Move 4 stitches to right needle.
Row 7, colour B: Knit over 40 stitches. Turn.
Row 8, colour B: Knit over 44 stitches. Turn
Row 9, colour A: Knit over 48 stitches. Turn.
Row 10, colour A: Knit over 52 stitches. Turn. Move 4 stitches to right needle.
Row 11, colour B: Knit over 48 stitches. Turn.
Row 12, colour B: Knit over 52 stitches. Turn.
Row 13, colour A: Knit over 56 stitches. Turn.
Row 14, colour A: Knit over 60 stitches. Turn. Move 4 stitches to right needle.
Row 15, colour B: Knit over 56 stitches. Turn.
Row 16, colour B: Knit over 60 stitches. Turn.
Row 17, colour A: Knit over 61 stitches. Turn.
Row 18, colour A: Knit over 63 stitches. Turn. Move 4 stitches to right needle.
Row 19, colour B: Knit over 61 stitches. Turn.
Row 20, colour B: Knit over 63 stitches. Turn.

Row 21, colour A: Knit over 62 stitches. Turn.
Row 22, colour A: Knit over 60 stitches. Turn. Move 2 stitches to left needle.
Row 23, colour B: Knit over 62 stitches. Turn.
Row 24, colour B: Knit over 60 stitches. Turn.
Row 25, colour A: Knit over 56 stitches. Turn.
Row 26, colour A: Knit over 52 stitches. Turn. Move 4 stitches to left needle.
Row 27, colour B: Knit over 56 stitches. Turn.
Row 28, colour B: Knit over 52 stitches. Turn.
Row 29, colour A: Knit over 48 stitches. Turn.
Row 30, colour A: Knit over 44 stitches. Turn. Move 4 stitches to left needle.
Row 31, colour B: Knit over 48 stitches. Turn.
Row 32, colour B: Knit over 44 stitches. Turn.
Row 33, colour A: Knit over 40 stitches. Turn.
Row 34, colour A: Knit over 36 stitches. Turn. Move 4 stitches to left needle.
Row 35, colour B: Knit over 40 stitches. Turn.
Row 36, colour B: Knit over 36 stitches. Turn.
Row 37, colour A: Knit over 32 stitches. Turn.
Row 38, colour A: Knit over 32 stitches. Turn. Move 4 stitches to left needle.
Row 39, colour B: Knit over 32 stitches.
Row 40, colour B: Knit over 32 stitches. Cut threads.

Now cut a piece of plastic from milk container or food packaging to the shape of the bottom. You might need two layers for sturdiness. In this case make a few holes in both pieces, pull thread through and knot to hold them together.

Separate the layers of the knitted bottom by moving the stitches to two parallel needles. Insert plastic bottom piece.

Transfer the stitches again to one needle in the right order.

(If you want to have the other side of the pattern outside from now on, start knitting at the opposite side from where you did in the first half.)

Knit 5 repeats of chart 2 in colour sequence 2, starting with row 9.
This is a bit awkward first, near the plastic bottom, but will be fine after a few rows.

Then knit 5 repeats of chart 2 in colour sequence 1.

Finish with 12 rows of chart 1a or 1b, depending on which colour you want to have outside..

Cast off.

Sew sides of bag together, but leave double knitted rims open. Darn in loose threads.

Decide what handles you want to have.

I wanted a sturdier handle than a knitted one, so I looked around and found a piece of electric cable in the workshop. and some remnants of cotton tape yarn in my stash. I cut the cable in two pieces to size and inserted it into two lengths of the tape yarn. After I had inserted the two handles into the bag rims, I spliced the ends of the cable, removed wires, made little holes and secured their ends and those of the tape yarn together with some thread. This connection was then shifted into the rims.