Tuesday, May 24, 2011

...The Tote Bag...How To's and Wherefores...






DON'T FORGET!! Enter the Sew Mama Sew Giveaway!







This is how I made the Tote Bag I'm giving away...

...Using two strands of worsted weight yarn I used one skein of Caron Simply Soft in Orchid and one of Cream - I cast on 50 stitches on size 10 needles - and knit 4 rows...then I worked in stockinette stitch (knit 1 row purl 1 row) for 175 rows...then I knit 4 rows again and cast off...

...then I had this big long rectangle...which I just folded in half and seamed up the sides by single crocheting in about every other stitch with a size E needle - still using 2 strands of yarn...

...I love how using two different colours of yarn like this produces this totally random varigation...

...this is the same seam that I used on the Isabeau Purse and I'm loving it...

...then I knit 3 strands of I-cord over 5 stitches - one using 2 strands of the orchid - one using 2 strands of the cream and one using 1 strand each of cream and orchid...

...then I tied the ends in a knot...

...looped it over a doorknob for some tension and simply braided the three strands to make the handle...then I just centered the braided strip at each side seam and stitched in place...

...the loop was made during the cast off...after I had cast off 25 stitches...I switched to the crochet hook and chained 15...then looped that back through the last cast off stitch with a slip stitch...and then did reverse single crochet back around the loop - joining again with a slip stitch and then continuing the cast off as normal...

...I love the added dimension this gives to the loop...and I added the little twin Sculpy button from my Isabeau button making adventure...

...and there you have it...a really simple, pretty, and sturdy tote bag...

Click here to enter the Sew Mama Sew Giveaway for this bag!

3 comments:

  1. Wow! I have never worked with two yarns at once. Amazing!

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  2. Anonymous4:36 PM

    Beautiful! I love that you have the wrong side showing. Reverse stockinette is too seldom used. Nice job!

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  3. Well done and very nice job.

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