New Pattern: The KnicKnac Bag!!

[Tracey4610]

Here's one that's really easy, and can be done in any fiber (within reason, of course!). Some of you asked for the pattern in the Accessories SAT, so here it is!!

 

The KnicKnac Bag

 

Materials:

1. Fiber of choice
   
2. Hook of choice
   
3. 6"x12" piece of plastic canvas (doesn't matter the gauge, and I cut mine to size. This is just a stabilizer for the bottom of the bag)
   
4. yarn needle to weave in ends
   
5. 2 purse handles with flat bottoms

Directions:

This purse can be easily personalized, so you can use your own square pattern of choice. Mine was made with 4" basic grannies to make a 12"x12"x6" bag. Check out Crochet Pattern Central for 6" and 8" squares, and if you're using fiber that's smaller than regular ww yarn, go for 8" or 12" square patterns. The number diagrams look a bit wonky, because for some reason when I type up the pattern, it looks fine under "editing" but when it's posted the whole thing is reformatted, so the spacing is off. Please forgive me that!

 

1. Make 10 4" (8") squares and 2 half squares (basically, make 2 separate halves of a square).

2. Make 2 6" (12") squares.

3. Make 2 6"triangle motifs (I forget how I did it, since KnicKnac has her bag and I forgot to write down the directions! However, I think LionBrand has a triangle motif pattern, and so does Carol Alexander in the archives of her newsletter on Annie's Attic).

 

Now, for the fun part.

Front and Back: (Make 2)

Take 5 of the smaller squares and sew/crochet them together in one line. Take one more square and add it to the side of one of the end squares, like this: (please ignore the "x"--it's only here for spacing purposes!)

 

4 x 5

1 2 3

 

Add another square in the same way on the other end of the line. Now, take a half square and put it between numbers 4 & 5, like this:

 

4 6 5

1 2 3

 

Bottom:

Sew/crochet the two larger squares together, then sc or sl st the triangles to either end, like this:

 

<7 x 8>

 

Sl st or sc the front and back pieces to the long sides of the larger squares, and to the triangles like this:

 

4 6 5

1 2 3

<7 x 8>

1 2 3

4 6 5

 

Looking at it from the front or back it should be like this:

 

4 6 5

^1 2 3^

(Imagine that the triangles go halfway up squares 4 & 5!)

 

Join fiber of choice at any stitch of squares 4, except the corner. Sc all the way around, working 3 scs in the outer corners and sc3tog at the inner corners, including the tops of the triangles. Work 3 rounds of scs on top of this round.

 

Attaching the handles:

This will largely depend on the type of handles you chose. The ones I used for KnicKnac were a great thrift store find the day before I found out she was my partner. They are honest-to-goodness vintage 1971 handles, so I don't know if anyone can find them anywhere any more. However, look for handles with a flat edge. You can crochet or sew on loops like belt loops for pants/slacks, or do what I did and just make larger scs across the top, but skipping the entire area where there is a 1/2 square on the front and the back. You can add a closure on top of the half squares, too.

 

Take your lining fabric and make a 12"x6" cover for the plastic canvas, much like a simple bag. Insert the canvas and close the 4th end. The lining of the bag can be sewn around the sides of this bag, or a simple lining can be made, and the two pieces sewn into the bag.

 

Personalization variations:

Use square patterns of choice. If you desire pockets, make the inner squares plain grannies and make your outer squares the square that matches the rest of the bag, and be sure to line your pocket inside the outer square!

 

Use straps instead of handles. Use really small squares or even grannies daughters or yo-yos sewn together, or perhaps lengths of ribbon of your choice. Crochet a strap by making a chain the length you desire, then sc for a few rows (or whatever pattern stitch you choose) and sew the ends to the sides of the bag. The possibilities are endless!

 

If you choose to make this bag, please post pics, because I'd love to see what y'all come up with!!

 

[KnicKnac]

Thank you so much! How sweet of you to name a pattern after me! And how utterly simple this is - WOW!!!

 

Truly talented!

[Tracey4610]

Awww...shucks! 'Twas nothin'! :sheepjump