Reminiscent of the historical reticule, this lovely little pouch is just the thing when you want to carry your essentials without the need for a full size purse. It would also make a perfect little treat/gift bag, or even a scented sachet! Created using a seamless technique, with a bit of Chain Lace to house the drawstring ribbon, this is a terrific little project to enjoy during an afternoon’s knitting.
Notions
Knitting loom: KB 32 Peg Basic Loom
Yarn: MC used approx. 1/2 skein Plymouth Encore (sample in 0597), Worsted Weight #4, 200 yards, 75% Acrylic/25% wool, CC used approx. 8 yards Berroco Vintage (sample in kiwi), Worsted Weight #4, 100% wool.
Notions: Loom tool, yarn needle, scissors. (Also helpful: peg markers, row counter, 5mm crochet hook (for cast on and help with possible missed stitches, etc))
Gauge: 3.75 stitches and 7.5 rows per inch on average.
Finished pouch measures 7″ tall, with an 8.5″ circumference.
Skills Needed: True Knit Stitch or U-stitch, E-wrap, Double Wrap Short Row Method (shown in video links below), Chain Lace Stitch, Chain CO, and Basic BO
Abbreviations:
CO: cast on
CC: Contrast Color
MC: Main Color
EW: E-wrap
K: knit stitch or U-stitch, as desired
KO: knit off
St(s): stitches
WY: working yarn
CLS: Chain Lace Stitch
HHCO: Half Hitch Cast On
BO: Bind off
Pattern Notes:
All knit stitches are either worked as a true knit stitch, or as a U-stitch– not EW– unless EW is specifically called for.
Video Tutorials and Web Tools:
Bottom of Bag: Double Wrapped Short Row Method (For those who need it, the Step by Step written instructions are at the bottom of this post)
Chain Lace Stitch: Tutorial Video (For those who need it, the Step by Step written instructions are at the bottom of this post)
**To contact Bethany Dailey, simply submit a comment at the bottom of this post.
Pattern Instructions:
Using your CC yarn, Chain CO to pegs 1-16, centering the sts on one side of the loom. (*Note: this portion is just to help you with stretching your stitches over to the other side of the loom after knitting the bottom section…they will be removed after that step is complete.)
K 4 rows on these 16 pegs. Trim CC yarn.
Join your MC yarn and using the Double Wrap Short Row Method, decrease until there are 6 pegs unwrapped. (For those who need it, the Step by Step written instructions are at the bottom of this post)
Increase back to a full 16 pegs. After wrapping peg 16, knit back to peg 1. Pegs 1 & 16 will still have wrapped loops-just knit these loops together as one during the next knitted row.
Carefully stretch CO edge across loom and place onto the corresponding pegs on the other side of the loom, filling all 32 pegs. You will be able to see quite clearly where the stitches are that will need to be placed on the pegs, due to your use of CC yarn for those first 4 rows.
At the trimmed CC tail, begin unraveling the CC knitted section, being careful not to lose any sts from your newly filled pegs. You should now have only MC on your loom.
*(Note: you will now be knitting from the first peg after the heel section (your new peg 1) toward the newly CO pegs, then proceeding on to the short row pegs. Please adjust the numbers of the pegs to reflect this change.)
Rows 1-12: Using MC, K all pegs.
Row 13: Using MC, K all EVEN pegs. Set aside MC and join CC to K all ODD pegs. (*Note: Make sure not to pull your sts too snugly across the skipped pegs to ensure an even tension throughout.) Set aside CC (Do not trim).
Rows 14-18: Using MC, K all pegs.
Row 19: Using MC, K all ODD pegs. Set aside MC. Pull up CC without adding extra tension and K all EVEN pegs. Set aside CC.
Rows 20-24: Using MC, K all pegs.
Row 25: Using MC, K all EVEN pegs. Set aside MC. Pull up CC without adding extra tension and K all ODD pegs. Set aside CC.
Rows 26-34: Using MC, K all pegs.
Using MC, complete 1 row of Chain Lace Stitch, using 4 EWs rather than the 6 shown in the video.
(For those who need it, the Step by Step written instructions are at the bottom of this post)
Pull all the trailing lengths of yarn to the front of the corresponding pegs.
Row 35: Using MC, EW all pegs with loops, and HHCO all empty pegs. (HHCO is shown in the video above.)
Rows 36-40: Using MC, EW all pegs. Trim MC.
Join CC and bind off all sts using the Basic BO.
Weave in all ends. Trim close to work.
Thread a pretty ribbon through every other CLS, starting at the center front. At the back inside of the pouch, thread another length of ribbon to be used as the carry strap through the center CLS and tie in an overhand knot.
**Step by Step Double Wrap Short Row Instructions:
To wrap and turn (W&T): Remove the loop from the peg and hold it. With working yarn, simply e-wrap around the peg, then place the loop back on the peg.
- K15, W&T peg 16.
- K14, W&T peg 1.
- K13, W&T peg 15.
- K12, W&T peg 2.
- K11, W&T peg 14.
- K10, W&T peg 3
- K9, W&T peg 13.
- K8, W&T peg 4
- K7, W&T peg 12
- K6, W&T peg 5
- K7 (Treating the wrap and loop as one stitch). Lift both loops and W&T peg 13.
- K8 (Treating the wrap and loop as one stitch). Lift both loops and W&T peg 4.
- K9 (Treating the wrap(s) and the loop as one stitch). Lift both loops and W&T peg 14.
- K10 (Treating the wrap(s) and the loop as one stitch). Lift both loops and W&T peg 3.
- K11 (Treating the wrap(s) and the loop as one stitch). Lift both loops and W&T peg 15.
- K12 (Treating the wrap(s) and the loop as one stitch). Lift both loops and W&T peg 2.
- K13 (Treating the wrap(s) and the loop as one stitch). Lift both loops and W&T peg 16.
- K14 (Treating the wrap(s) and the loop as one stitch). Lift both loops and W&T peg 1.
***Pegs 1 and 16 have 2 wraps. Leave them on the pegs as you continue with the rest of the instructions. On the very next round, treat the stitches and wraps on these pegs as one stitch.***
**Step by Step CLS Row Instructions:
* Peg 1: move loop to peg 2, EW around peg 3 times (DO NOT KO!)
Peg 2: EW once, KO 2 loops over 1. Move the top EW from peg 1 to peg 2 and KO. Repeat process to KO all 3 EW’s from peg 1. Peg 1 will now be empty.
Peg 3: move loop to peg 4
Peg 4: EW and KO 2 loops over 1. EW and KO 3 more times to create a chain.
Repeat from * until the end of the CLS row.