The Full of Flowers Bag is worked flat in a slip stitch pattern that creates a firm, textured fabric that is suitable for bags. The intarsia technique is also used, creating four graphic shapes.

The Full of Flowers Bag is knitted from the top down, decreasing stitches at the bottom to create the halfmoon shape. Knit both sides of the bag separately and join them with a 3-needle cast (bind) off at the bottom. Sew together the side seams and attach a zipper and cotton ribbon to hide the zipper seam.

An optional wrist strap is worked as a long, narrow rectangle in the same slip stitch pattern used for the bag, then joined at the long edges to form a tube. A carabiner is slipped onto the length before it is joined in a loop. The carabiner hooks onto the hole in the zipper’s pull tab to attach the strap to the bag.

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
This bag can be knitted in various weights of yarn, such as 4-ply (fingering weight), DK (light worsted) or aran (worsted), resulting in various sizes despite using the same pattern.

Measurements of the finished bag in the suggested yarns:

1. Length: 22cm (8½in)
2. Width: 14.5cm (5¾in)

YARN
Two strands of light 4-ply (fingering weight) yarn held double or, alternatively, use one strand of a heavier 5-ply (sport weight) yarn. For the motifs, use up some leftovers, for example 3 strands of lace weight yarn held together.

These quantities are for if you are using MC and CC1 held double, and CC2, CC3 and CC4 held triple. If using single strands, halve the quantities for MC and CC1, and use one-third of the quantities for CC2, CC3 and CC4.

MC: 156m (171yds)
CC1: 117m (128yds)
CC2: 30m (33yds)
CC3: 30m (33yds)
CC4: 30m (33yds)

Yarn required for the wrist strap:
MC: 32m (35yds)
CC1: 26m (29yds)

Yarn used in the sample: G-uld, No. 4 Mini (75 per cent wool - Falkland, 25 per cent wool - Gotland, 162m / 177yds – 25g / 7/8oz), held double.

MC: Walnut, G1 (1 skein)
CC1: Heather & Indigo, G2 (1 skein)

G-uld, Embroidery Wool (100 per cent wool, 40m / 44yds – 4g / 1/8oz), held triple.
CC2: Fern, B2 (1 skein)
CC3: Madder root B4 (1 skein)
CC4: Indigo, B4 (1 skein)

ZIPPER & CARABINER
Use a zipper suitable for the size of your finished purse.
Zipper for the suggested yarn: 21cm (8¼in) long.
Small carabiner.

COTTON RIBBON
1.5cm (½in) wide, approx 50cm (19½in) long, or to suit the size of the finished bag.

NEEDLES
4mm (US 6) circular needles, or size needed to obtain correct tension (gauge), plus a separate needle in the same size for the 3-needle cast (bind) off.

TENSION (GAUGE)
30 sts x 31 rows to 10 x 10cm (4 x 4in) in the 2-coloured slip stitch pattern, measured after washing and blocking.

SKILL LEVEL
3 of 5