They ventured deeper into the moss-carpeted forest, inhaling the sweet scent of decay, sensing with their animal body—both soft and wild— all of the secret haunts of the mushrooms…

Meanwhile…

Those enchanting, luminous Beings of Change, the fungi, were luring them deeper with their subtle glow, as if tiny Lights in the Forest.

Time slowed; the light faded. They wandered out of the forest realm making no sound, foraging bags heavy with magic, leaving naught but a trail of glittering spores in their wake…

Years in development, this knit hexagon lace foraging bag was designed with ethical mushroom foraging in mind, in the spirit of those energetic whisperers of the forest, calling seekers to them like homing beacons. The knit foraging bag has dual function; a well-starched bag doubles as a lantern when filled with fairy lights and hung from a branch or placed on the mossy forest floor!

This intermediate level knit is suitable for those with some lace/openwork experience. A swatch pattern in both chart and written instructions is included. The detailed pattern is 11 pages long in PDF form, and contains both charts and written instructions as well as color photographs. Knit in the round from the base up, it features 2 size options in 2 different weights of linen yarn (cotton or other natural plant fiber would be well-suited substitutes), with instructions for an optional mushroom motif and 3 different bag handle/finish options. The bag is further customizable through the addition of beads and/or embroidery. Happy Foraging!

If you wish to starch the bag for use as a lantern, here is the starching method I recommend: Mix 1 Tbsp tapioca starch (or arrowroot powder, cornstarch etc.) and 1 cup water in a small pot on the stove. Heat and stir until starch is dissolved and mixture is clear. Let cool slightly, then dip the finished and blocked knit bag into the pan of starch to thoroughly saturate. Wring out the excess starch. Insert a 12-inch balloon (or larger spherical inflatable exercise ball) into the bag and inflate. shape the bag around the inflated balloon and hang to dry completely before popping balloon or deflating the ball. Depending on your climate and humidity, the starch will hold for weeks, but the bag may be washed in hot water to clean, and re-starched as needed.

Use Restrictions: The downloadable knitting pattern PDF is ©2020 Lumos Craftworks, LLC All Rights Reserved. Pattern is for personal use only and may not be resold, copied, or redistributed in whole or in part, without explicit written permission of Lumos Craftworks, LLC. Products made from this pattern may not be sold, but may be given as gifts.