Getting Stitched on the Farm: Brilliant Bags from The World Knits Collection

Thursday, February 06, 2020

Brilliant Bags from The World Knits Collection

Number 9 of The World Knits Collection - Brilliant Bags

This is the beginning entry into Year 3 in the World Knits Collection. Brilliant Bags is a collection of 6 different Fair Isle bags - mostly all knit in the round. I thought it would be fun to have knitted bags for carrying knitting needles and more.

Let's begin with the classic drawstring shape. My inspiration for this project was the Moroccan Fedora pattern. I stumbled upon the Pillbox shape cap (similar to a Moroccan Fez) and loved how it knit up quickly without much of a chance to get bored. What if I turned it upside down and added an eyelet round to make the hat shape turn into a drawstring bag? So that's what I did. There are 3 sizes of the round drawstring bag with the smallest version perfect for toting circular needles. The largest bag is a backpack and you can see it at the center of the photo. Two versions of the middle size bag are shown on the red chair on the left.

Here's a drawstring bag I made several years ago for my circular needles. It is the smallest round bag called a Circular Needle Bag. I drew a Fair Isle Chart for the main part of the bag and knit it in red and purple.

You can see more photos of this bag at the end of this post.

Continuing with the knitting needle carry bag, I worked up a long thin bag perfect for straight needles. You can see that bag on the right chair. Notice the pearl buttons and the fringe that the knitter added for fun.

Years ago, my sister Jenn gave me a handmade cotton bag that was the perfect size for the small amount of cosmetics I use every day. It's hard to believe but I still use that bag -- every day! It has been packed in my carry on bag for my entire adult life. It hangs on a hook in the kitchen holding a mirror, some eyeshadow and mascara. I pull it off the hook and use it every day. Every time it shows up at my mom's house, she and my sisters cannot believe that I still use it. "Don't you think you should throw that thing away?" they say. I have become very attached to its threadbare qualities. Once in a while it gets mended and I have no intention of giving it up. Here it is in all its tattered glory.

This perfect sized bag was the inspiration for the square bag with the pointed flap shown in 2 versions on the right and left chairs. It too would work for carrying circular needles.

Lastly, I designed a small pouch that can also be worn as a necklace. In it, you can keep $, coins, a credit card, or a cellphone. Granted - this pattern was designed before everyone had their own cellphone. A perfect thing to be worn at a needlework convention, wouldn't you say?

Here are some close-ups and descriptions of my Circular Needle Bag. Here is a close-up of the duplicate stitch and French knot embroidery that I added to the red and purple Fair Isle Pattern.