The Forager Messenger Bag is a worsted-weight cotton bag with a diagonal texture and plenty of pockets. I designed this bag for my husband, who is constantly picking up treasures and toting tools and supplies for our family adventures. You can easily customize the bag for your intended recipient by adding extra pockets or using a different color scheme.

To create this bag knitters will need to know how to knit and purl flat pieces, seam together pieces, cast on and bind off for buttonholes, and work simple cables. The front flap and shoulder strap are edged with a small 1/2 cable to prevent the edges of the bag from rolling. The bag is knit in pieces and seamed during finishing. The bag was designed with Knit Picks Dishie in mushroom (400g - MC), and coffee (200g - CC) is used for the edging on the pockets and the strap/bag bottom, which is knit as one piece. The bag as pictured has a toggle button for the front flap of the bag and round buttons to secure the pockets. I used a US 5 needle to get a gauge of 20 sts/ 29 rows = 4” in stockinette stitch. You will have the best results (the fabric being dense enough to hold its shape) if you are able to get a similar gauge, but you can easily work the pieces to fit together if your gauge is not the same as mine. There are directions in the pattern for where you would have to modify length of certain pieces if your gauge is not exact. If you start with the small pocket (written first in the pattern) it makes a perfect gauge swatch!

Materials
Knit Picks Dishie 100% Cotton; 190 yd/174 m per 100g skein
29505 Mushroom - 4 skeins, 25399 Coffee - 2 skeins

1 US #5 / 3.75 mm circular needle, 16-inch
Notions: stitch marker, tapestry needle, waste yarn
Buttons - 1 toggle button, 7 round buttons

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS:

Small Pocket (3) - 5.25” tall x 4.5” wide
Large Pocket (1) - 15” wide x 4” tall
Front Panel - 17” wide x 12” tall
Back panel - 17” wide x 26.5” tall
Strap/bag bottom - 49” long x 3” wide

GAUGE

20 sts / 29 rows = 4 inches/10 cm in stockinette stitch