My two loves- knitting (duh) and nautical- combined in one project. Using the international maritime signal flag alphabet, the front of the bag says “KNIT” and the back says “PURL.” It’s a little meta, but why not keep your knitting project in a knitted project bag? This bag is a good size for a small project, like socks, or use it to store your notions. If you don’t want to use it for storing knitting, it could also be a cosmetics bag, a whimsical clutch for a night out, you name it.

This project is an excellent use of leftover sport-weight yarn. You will only need a very small amount of each flag color. Feel free to mix brands of yarn, so long as the yarns are all the same weight.

Skills Needed: Long tail cast on, working from a colorwork chart, intarsia, casting on to the end of a row with either backwards loop or cable cast on, applied i-cord bind off (instructions are given), seaming, sewing a straight seam with a sewing machine, sewing in a zipper (instructions are given in the pattern), hand stitching with needle and thread.

Construction: The flags are worked using the intarsia method. Front and back are worked separately, then seamed at the sides and bottom. The top edges of each piece are finished with applied i-cord for a tidy finish. To prevent needles from poking through the knitted fabric, the bag is lined with cotton fabric, and closes with a zipper to keep all your notions inside. Instructions are given for making the fabric lining and sewing in the zipper.