A Free Lunch began as a fruitless search for a Goldilocks-esque perfect-fit pattern. I wanted a knit market bag that was seamless, worked top down, didn’t require me to pull out my DPNs, and had a single, sturdy handle. Lightweight enough to carry in a purse, and stretchy enough to hold whatever impulse purchases speak to me at the grocery store or farmer’s market. How tall an order could that possibly be? And yet, as I scrolled through page after page of market bag patterns, it seemed to me that there simply was (drumroll please) no such thing. And so A Free Lunch was born. A Free Lunch makes my fantasy your reality, with a simple lace repeat, a sturdy, double-layered handle, and a vibrant, machine washable yarn to ensure your bag stays strong and beautiful—even if the unthinkable happens with that jar of blackberry jam. (And if you need a bag to take yarn shopping, this one will hold three sweaters’ worth of yarn without breaking a sweat.)

Skill Level: Advanced beginner-low intermediate
Skills needed: knit, purl, knit in the round, K2TOG, SSK, YO, 3-needle bind off, pick up stitches, slip stitches. A step-by-step tutorial with photos is included for the special technique used to attach the handle.

Size Available: one size, approximately 15” tall by 20” wide, unstretched

Yarn Required: worsted weight cotton or cotton blend yarn in two colors
Color A: approximately 130 yds
Color B: approximately 250 yds

Sample was worked in Knit Picks Dishie in Verdigris (color A) and Route 66 Multi (color B).

Low Vision Accessible: A low vision accessible version of this pattern is available. The low vision accessible pdf uses 24 pt sans serif font (Arial), black text on white background, with no italicized text. All instructions are written; no charts are used. Supplemental images are also larger in the low vision pdf. Alt-text image descriptions are included in both the standard pdf and the low vision pdf. To download the low vision accessible pdf, choose the file name beginning with “A_Free_Lunch_Low_Vision” from the download options.

100% of the net proceeds from sales of this pattern are donated to Great Plains Food Bank to support their mission of eliminating hunger and food insecurity in North Dakota.