PAINTED BIGBAG
By Sara Baldwin ©2007
SIZE: Felted: about 26 inches circumference,
12 inches high (not including handles)
Unfelted: about 32 inches circumference,
18 inches high (not including handles)
MATERIALS: Five double pointed (dp) knitting
needles size 6, a 16 or 24 inch circular needle of
the same size, a 29 or 32 inch circular of the same
size, stitch markers, and two five-ounce skeins of Sara’s colorwave 100% wool felting yarn
Bag: cast on 4 stitches, and arrange them so there is one stitch on each of 4 dp needles. Join, being careful
not to twist. Mark the beginning of the round.
Round 1: Knit around, increasing one in each stitch (8 total)
Round 2: Knit
Round 3: Knit, increasing one in every stitch (16 total)
Round 4: Knit
Round 5: Knit, increasing one in every stitch (32 total)
Rounds 6 and 7: Knit
Round 8: *K4, M1* around (40 total)
Round 9: Knit
Round 10: *K5, M1, place marker* around (48 total)
Round 11: Knit
Continue as above, increasing one stitch at the end of each section right before the marker, and knitting
every other round without increasing. Keep doing this until there are 80 stitches, or about 16 inches
circumference. (At this point you can slip your work onto a 16 inch circular needle of the same size).
Continue increasing as before, but now knit two even rounds between increase rounds. As the bottom of
your bag grows larger, you will observe that the colors line up again at around 116 stitches or 24 inches
circumference, and again at around 152 stitches or 32 inches circumference. At either of these places you
can quit increasing, and just knit even to make the sides of the bag (you can also slip it onto the longer
circular needle and remove your markers). There is enough yarn in two skeins to go up to the 32 inch bag.
While you are knitting the sides of the bag, you might want to fine tune the way the colors line up. Examine
the slant of the color bands. If the color bands in your work slant upward to the left, sneak in another stitch
or two. If the color bands slant upward to the right (as they do in the photo), decrease a few stitches.
Continue knitting around even, until your work is about 12-13 inches from the last increases. Work in garter
stitch (purl a round, knit a round) for about one-half inch. While you are working the garter stitch, readjust
your number of stitches if necessary so that there is a multiple of 4, and place markers so that you have four
equal sections. These will become your handles.
Handles: Knit around, and bind off 10 stitches after every marker (if you are making the 24 inch bag, bind off
only 6). Slip one of the four sections onto your double points (straight needles will work fine too), and keep
three of the sections remaining on your circular needle as a temporary stitch holder.
Rows 1, 3, and 4: Slip 4 stitches with yarn in front (wyif), knit to end of section, turn.
Row 2 (right side): Slip 4 st wyif, knit 2 tog, knit to within 6 st of end of section, k2tog, knit 4, turn.
Repeat rows 1-4 until there are 10 stitches remaining in the section. Work even (omit row 2) until the handle
is exactly half the desired length (you have reached the top of your shoulder when the bag is over one arm).
Remember that the handles will shrink when felted, so allow extra length! I found that 13-14 inches worked
well, and shrank down to 11 inches. You might want longer handles if you have big shoulders. Continue to
work even “over the top” and down the other side of the handle, until you have enough length to begin
shaping the attaching triangle for the other side of the handle.
Rows 1, 3, and 4: Slip 4 stitches with yarn in front (wyif), knit to end of section, turn.
Row 2 (right side): Slip 4 st wyif, M1 (make one stitch), knit to within 6 st of end of section, M1, knit 4, turn.
Repeat rows 1-4 until you are back to your original number of stitches (if you forgot what that was, just count
what you have in one section on your circular needle or stitch holder). Be careful to make sure the handle is
not twisted, and graft or sew the handle stitches to one of the adjacent sections from the stitch holder.
To make the other handle, repeat as above for the remaining two sections.
Optional I-cord trim: I think the I-cord trim makes the edges of the bag more defined and firmer. It looks cool,
too. Maybe you will think it is overkill! If you want to do it, here’s how. You can make the I-cord separately as
follows: Cast on 4 stitches on your dp needle. *Slide to other end (drag the yarn across the back), knit 4.*
Sew the cord onto the edge of your bag as you go, knitting more length as needed.
You can also knit the I-cord on as it is made. Cast on 4 stitches. On the right side, *Knit 3, Slip 1, YO (yarn
over), knit 1 stitch picked up from the edge of the bag, pass the slip stitch and the YO over the last stitch.*
This method might work better if you go down a needle size, or simply skip some stitches on the bag edge.
To felt: Place the bag into a pillowcase or laundry bag, and agitate in the machine with a small amount of
detergent, and some blue jeans or other lint-free items, until felting occurs and the bag is the desired size (it
may take several washing cycles). Rinse and spin. Reshape, and place the bag upside down over a jar or
other suitable object until dry.
By Sara Baldwin ©2007
SIZE: Felted: about 26 inches circumference,
12 inches high (not including handles)
Unfelted: about 32 inches circumference,
18 inches high (not including handles)
MATERIALS: Five double pointed (dp) knitting
needles size 6, a 16 or 24 inch circular needle of
the same size, a 29 or 32 inch circular of the same
size, stitch markers, and two five-ounce skeins of Sara’s colorwave 100% wool felting yarn
Bag: cast on 4 stitches, and arrange them so there is one stitch on each of 4 dp needles. Join, being careful
not to twist. Mark the beginning of the round.
Round 1: Knit around, increasing one in each stitch (8 total)
Round 2: Knit
Round 3: Knit, increasing one in every stitch (16 total)
Round 4: Knit
Round 5: Knit, increasing one in every stitch (32 total)
Rounds 6 and 7: Knit
Round 8: *K4, M1* around (40 total)
Round 9: Knit
Round 10: *K5, M1, place marker* around (48 total)
Round 11: Knit
Continue as above, increasing one stitch at the end of each section right before the marker, and knitting
every other round without increasing. Keep doing this until there are 80 stitches, or about 16 inches
circumference. (At this point you can slip your work onto a 16 inch circular needle of the same size).
Continue increasing as before, but now knit two even rounds between increase rounds. As the bottom of
your bag grows larger, you will observe that the colors line up again at around 116 stitches or 24 inches
circumference, and again at around 152 stitches or 32 inches circumference. At either of these places you
can quit increasing, and just knit even to make the sides of the bag (you can also slip it onto the longer
circular needle and remove your markers). There is enough yarn in two skeins to go up to the 32 inch bag.
While you are knitting the sides of the bag, you might want to fine tune the way the colors line up. Examine
the slant of the color bands. If the color bands in your work slant upward to the left, sneak in another stitch
or two. If the color bands slant upward to the right (as they do in the photo), decrease a few stitches.
Continue knitting around even, until your work is about 12-13 inches from the last increases. Work in garter
stitch (purl a round, knit a round) for about one-half inch. While you are working the garter stitch, readjust
your number of stitches if necessary so that there is a multiple of 4, and place markers so that you have four
equal sections. These will become your handles.
Handles: Knit around, and bind off 10 stitches after every marker (if you are making the 24 inch bag, bind off
only 6). Slip one of the four sections onto your double points (straight needles will work fine too), and keep
three of the sections remaining on your circular needle as a temporary stitch holder.
Rows 1, 3, and 4: Slip 4 stitches with yarn in front (wyif), knit to end of section, turn.
Row 2 (right side): Slip 4 st wyif, knit 2 tog, knit to within 6 st of end of section, k2tog, knit 4, turn.
Repeat rows 1-4 until there are 10 stitches remaining in the section. Work even (omit row 2) until the handle
is exactly half the desired length (you have reached the top of your shoulder when the bag is over one arm).
Remember that the handles will shrink when felted, so allow extra length! I found that 13-14 inches worked
well, and shrank down to 11 inches. You might want longer handles if you have big shoulders. Continue to
work even “over the top” and down the other side of the handle, until you have enough length to begin
shaping the attaching triangle for the other side of the handle.
Rows 1, 3, and 4: Slip 4 stitches with yarn in front (wyif), knit to end of section, turn.
Row 2 (right side): Slip 4 st wyif, M1 (make one stitch), knit to within 6 st of end of section, M1, knit 4, turn.
Repeat rows 1-4 until you are back to your original number of stitches (if you forgot what that was, just count
what you have in one section on your circular needle or stitch holder). Be careful to make sure the handle is
not twisted, and graft or sew the handle stitches to one of the adjacent sections from the stitch holder.
To make the other handle, repeat as above for the remaining two sections.
Optional I-cord trim: I think the I-cord trim makes the edges of the bag more defined and firmer. It looks cool,
too. Maybe you will think it is overkill! If you want to do it, here’s how. You can make the I-cord separately as
follows: Cast on 4 stitches on your dp needle. *Slide to other end (drag the yarn across the back), knit 4.*
Sew the cord onto the edge of your bag as you go, knitting more length as needed.
You can also knit the I-cord on as it is made. Cast on 4 stitches. On the right side, *Knit 3, Slip 1, YO (yarn
over), knit 1 stitch picked up from the edge of the bag, pass the slip stitch and the YO over the last stitch.*
This method might work better if you go down a needle size, or simply skip some stitches on the bag edge.
To felt: Place the bag into a pillowcase or laundry bag, and agitate in the machine with a small amount of
detergent, and some blue jeans or other lint-free items, until felting occurs and the bag is the desired size (it
may take several washing cycles). Rinse and spin. Reshape, and place the bag upside down over a jar or
other suitable object until dry.
