Homemade Gifts: Knitted Handbags and Purses

This is a very attractive triangular bag that teenagers love. The line down the center and the triangular shape is achieved by knitting three stitches together in the center of every alternate row.

You can make them as small or as large as you like - you adjust the size by increasing the number of stitches used, just add as many as you want proportionately, that is, you will need to add them in increments of 2 to keep the shape.

You can alter how it looks by the type of yarn you use. . In this illustration I have used yarn with two colors but there is a huge variety of yarn available to buy today. Check the label on your yarn to determine needle size

Alter the type of handles you use. The ones used in this illustration were girl's bangles I had in the house or you could buy handles and bangles from ebay or Amazon.

FREE PATTERN

KNIT 2 of the following pattern

Cast on 39 stitches

ROW 1: knit 1 - *purl 1, knit 1* to end. This is ribbing.

ROW 2: work in ribbing as set from the first row for 18 stitches then knit 3 together (K3tog), work in ribbing to the end.

ROW 3: work in ribbing as set

ROW 4: work in ribbing for 17 stitches, K3tog, (this creates the center line) work in ribbing to end

Continue in this way, decreasing 2 stitches every second row, so you have 1 less stitch before and 1 less stitch after the centre line.

With 11 stitches remaining, Cast Off. This leaves a narrow tail to fold over to include the handles.

Sew up side seams - you can either sew them from the inside then turning it the right way out for a smooth finish or you can sew them on the outside perhaps using an different colour to create another effect - you have to be sure you can sew it up evenly and tidily if you do it this way.

Fold the top flap over to include a handles on each side.

All these bags, purses and handbags come from the same pattern, I have simply changed the sizes and the types of yarn used. Some of them have knitted handles and some are fastened shut with buttons.

Adapt the size of the bag by adding or subtracting to the number of stitches used in the pattern. You can make one small enough to fit in a handbag or large enough to take all your supplies. The only thing I would say is that if you want a really large bag, knit double as knitting goods can stretch if you put heavy loads in it.

Change the appearance by the type of yarn used and the type of decoration or buttons you use for fashioning.

Little girls love these small bags - make it with a long handle they can wear slung across them

For this easy purse you use only one stitch - garter stitch - which means you knit every row. You can modify this pattern increasing or decreasing it in scale to make anything from the smallest purse to a pillow cover.

You need to adjust the needle size accoring to the type of wool you use - see the label on the yarn for the correct needle size.

There is no limit to the type of yarn you pick - none! Read the label on the yarn to determine the size of needles to use.

In the illustration is a clutch bag. I used pink eyelash yarn and fastened it with a large button.

PATTERN

1. Cast on 20 stiches

2. Knit in garten stitch for 9 inches

3. Knit 2 together (K2tog), at the beginning of each row, knit to end.
Repeat for 10 rows

4. Knit 4 sts, yarn forward (to make button hole), knit to end

5. Knit 3 more rows.

6. Cast Off

7. Sew in loose ends

8. Fold purse up leave about half an inch at the top to act as a flap

9. Sew seams together

10. Turn it inside out

11. Fold over flap to gage where the button goes

12. Sew on the button and you have a purse.

If you want you can line it with pretty material or felt before you sew the seams together.

TO ADD A HANDLE

Using two balls of wool so you get double strength , cast on 5 sitches and knit the length you want.

Cast off and sew it to the bag.