This project is a formula, a starting point for the creative process if you wish to take it further. Once you learn the formula, you can use it to make larger and smaller bags, work with different yarns, even make a rug for your bedside or bath, as one student is doing!

The stitch pattern is easy and does not curl or roll. It makes a thick and cushy fabric, and if you knit it in resilient yarns, it should stand up to use and abuse. My own bags are several years old.

I had a bag with this structure that I loved so much I wore it out. It was woven.

I later had a pile of yarn scraps, mostly Brown Sheep Nature Spun, in a lot of colors but mostly turquoise and pink/purple. I got an idea that holding those scraps together and changing yarns as I ran out, might just look woven and be strong enough to carry my notebook computer.

It does, in fact, support my 3.5 lb computer just fine. With sticky wool/mohair yarns that works very well.

However, if you use yarns with some cotton or acrylic (known for stretching and not “sproinging” back) or want to carry a heavier load, you may want to reinforce the bag vertically.

Run ribbon yarn through the channels left from the slip stitches. I used some gros-grain ribbon to reinforce the top edge while also anchoring my ribbon-yarn supports. Photos are included in the pattern to help you do this.

(If you don’t want to fuss with small balls, there’s nothing wrong with using ~120oz each of two different color-changing yarns like Noro Kureyon or Kaleidoscope. Let them do some of the color-changing process for you.)