Peacock Bag revisited

I haven't posted in a while. In fact, I haven't done much of anything in over a week. I was hit with a bad cold and my asthma kicked in to put me on the couch or in bed for almost a week. I've gotten a bit of reading done and knit up a few samples of the Peacock bag. (See previous post for original pattern.) I came to realize that the peacock bag is not so much a pattern but a technique for making a drawstring bag that is very versatile depending on the yarns and needles chosen. With a few minor changes, the bag can be made in a variety of sizes.


The black/fushia bag was knit exactly to the pattern using 1 strand black acrylic worsted held together with on stand Modea Dea TuTu in fushia. It's a bit wild but would be a nice summer bag.








Next, I decided to try the same pattern but with a ribbon yarn. I used a single stand of Lion Brand Incredible. I worked the base square the same - 16 sts - 32 rows and knit around the 64 sts as for the first bag. Since it was turning out smaller, I knit for 6 inches instead of 8-1/2 and started my eyelets. I still need to work in the ends, but you can see it makes a cute evening bag. I did a little different strap on this one. I knit a 4o" I cord and put it through just like the pattern. Instead of pulling up 2 straps, I pulled one long and one short and tucked the long one through the short to seal the bag. (Kind of like the Lucy bag closure but much skinnier!)

My third bag is made with double yarn throughout. The base is doubled worsted. I made the regular square base and then binded off. I picked up 64 stitches around the bag with 1 strand worsted and one strand of a sparkly novelty yarn I had only a small ball of. I knit 6 rows, then did 4 rows of garter (k1 round, P1 round because you are knitting in the round) until I had 4 stripes of the sparkly stockinette and 3 stripes of garter. I knit then did the eyelet section (K1 row, P1 row, K1 row, eyelet row, K1 row, P1 row, and cast off in knit with 1 strand of each yarn for the last row only(see detailed instructions to follow) . The strap will be 2 strands of worsted I cord since I have just inches of the novelty yarn left. I love to buy one or two skeins of a neat novelty yarn and this is a great way to use them.

The following are some pictures of other Peacock bags I have made. For this one I used Lion Brand Trellis held together with a black worsted. If the railroad yarn is thinner you would need the one strand worsted and 2 strands of the railroad yarn.
These next two are a bigger version of the bag knit with one strand of worsted and one strand of Lion Brand Homepun held together. You can get some really neat combinations of colors and striping patterns. Both bags below are the same. The one on the top is gathered up and the one on the bottom is spread out. The eyelets are spaced further apart on this bag and the bottom is a rectangle rather than a square. Cast on 20 stitches for the bottom and work 60 rows in garter stitch. Pick up 100 stitches and knit around to 10" before eyelet row. Detailed instructions will follow.