Peacock Bag

After last night's Lakeside Knitters Guild meeting, I was asked if I would do the program for the March meeting and demonstate my pattern for a knitted drawstring bag, which I had named the Peacock bag, since the first yarn I used to make the bag was a Jo-Ann Sensations yarn called Peacock. I went on their website and it is no longer there. I haven't seen it in the store recently either, so I'm guessing it has been discontinued but the pattern works great with any bulky weight novelty yarn. It also works great with railroad ribbon yarn. The novelty yarn is held together with a basic worsted weight so there are endless options.

Knitted Peacock Bag Pattern

Designed and knitted by Mari Loosen

Materials:
· 3 skeins Jo-Ann Sensations Peacock yarn – Black colorway – (1 3/4 oz/50 gram skein /43.75 yards/40 meters each) or other Novelty yarn
· 1 skein TLC Lustre – black- (5 ounce skein, 253 yards) or any worsted weight yarn
· 1 size 11 – 16” circular needle
· 1 pair of size 11 double pointed needles (for I cord)
· 1 darning needle (for sewing together ends of I-cord and working in ends of bag).

Note: Bag is worked with 1 strand of each yarn held together throughout.

Bag bottom: Cast on 16 stitches. Work back and forth in garter stitch (knit every row) for 32 rows. You will have 16 garter stitch ridges on each side. Do not bind off.

Body of bag: Pick up 16 stitches on all three remaining sides. (One in each ridge on sides and one in each cast on stitch at bottom.) Place marker. Earmark this round *** you should have 64 stitches on your needle. Work in round in stockinette stitch (knit all rows) until piece measures 8.5” from earmarked round slipping marker each round. End at marker.

*** You can mark this round with a safety pin, or I like to carry a thin yarn in a contrasting color with my yarn for 2 or 3 stitches. I will remove that yarn when finished.

Drawstring Eyelets: *K2 together, YO, repeat from * across to marker.

Top: K around bag for 3 more rows. Bind off in knit. With darning needle, weave in ends.

Drawstring: Make 3 stitch I-cord for 65” or desired length. Bind off. Pull through eyelets in bag. Sew together 2 ends of drawstring securely with darning needle. Pull up cord in middle of front and back for 2 handles.


Copyright 2005, Mari Loosen
This pattern is for individual use only and may be shared freely between knitters but this notice must be retained on any copies. It may not be reprinted in any commercial publication or used on any web site without written permission from the author. Copies of the pattern may not be sold without written permission.E-mail: sloosen1@wi.rr.com