from the designer:

This bag was inspired by a trip to Cocoa Beach, FL. We went down to see the Space Shuttle launch in 09 and stayed a little longer to have a respite in the warm weather and the lovely sunny afternoons on the beach. Now, I tend only to carry Noni bags, you can understand this, but I found myself WITHOUT THE RIGHT BAG! … I wanted a big bag that would fit my knitting, my pattern, my knitting needles, scissors, cell phone, a blanket (not too big, you know), some medium-sized towels, a novel, a water bottle (or two), a magazine, a toy for my boy, sunglasses… all in a way that I wasn’t digging around at the bottom of a huge bag for all the little stuff (how frustrating!). This bag was my solution. Yes, if you take it to the beach it might get sand in the wool -- Yes yes yes. So brush it out! The size and facility with which everything can be found is worth the trouble of a little sand in your wooly bag! Make it unfelted if you must! But you suffer sand in your towels and sand in your shoes and sand in the spines of your books for the love of the sun, so why not in a felted bag?

But if the mountains are your respite of choice, or, better yet, a knitting retreat, this bag will work just as well and may make you the envy of the group: You can show off your beautiful hand-carved knitting needles and make them easy to find, stash your water or wine in one of the pockets, put your pattern there, and your class schedule there, and bring three or so projects so you can flit from one to the other as the spirit moves you.

The sunflowers are included in this pattern: make them to decorate the bag or just make them, lots of them and store your knitting needles in their stems. Make felted handles, or choose fabulous rolled leather handles from JUL with chunky 1.5”, 2.5”, or 3” rings-knitters choice. A little stiffener in the bottom to give the bag structure and some JUL “colors” bag feet and your finishing work is complete.

Pattern Difficulty
Intermediate. Requires knowledge of knitting, purling, increasing, decreasing, picking up stitches, and knitting in the round on circular and double-pointed needles.

Gauge
Unfelted gauge: 12 sts and 16 rows over 4”/10 cm.
Finished gauge: 16 sts and 24 rows over 4”/10 cm using a double-strand of worsted weight, feltable yarn on US 11/8 mm needles.

For an unfelted bag, use a single-strand of worsted weight cotton or other fiber on US9/5.5 mm needles or size to obtain gauge. There will be some variation in finished size if gauge differs due to different needle size, yarn type, or fiber content.

Knitting / Beach Bag

Yarn Requirements
2,200 yds / 2,011 m of worsted weight feltable wool in sky blue.

Needles & Other Materials
US 11/8 mm 16”/40 cm and 24”/60 cm circular needles
US 11/8 mm set of double-pointed needles
Sewing needle & like color sewing thread
Stitch markers
8 “Colors” bag feet in Turquoise Blue by JUL
2 “Big Cool Handles” by JUL

Sunflowers

Yarn Requirements
(makes 1 large and 2 small)
~ 420 yds/384 m color 1 Stem green
~ 630 yds/576 m color 2 Sunflower center, chocolate brown
~ 630 yds/576 m color 3 Petals, bright yellow-orange, or orange
1 ball color 4 Crystal Palace Fizz in mink (7342) or black (7321)
Scrap yarn or 3 16” or longer circular needles smaller than US 11/8 mm

Needles & Other Materials
US 11/8 mm, 6/4.25 mm or 7/4.5 mm double-pointed needles (smaller needles & a single strand of yarn = smaller flowers)
Split ring or clip st markers in two colors to use as holders
Tapestry needle, sewing needle, and sewing or beading thread.

Fiber Options
Pictured bag was made with Plymouth Galway in 175, Heritage Blue. The Sunflowers were made with the following. Stems: Plymouth Galway Heather in 754 Turtle and 748 Pistachio and Louet Riverstone in 55 Willow. Petals: Louet Riverstone in 33 Kumquat and 61 Gold Leaf. Flower centers: Chocolate Fizz held with Plymouth Galway 757 Bark or Punta Yarns’ Merisoft Solid 317.