TWO MEASURES OF JOY by Elizabeth Mamo A simple striped tote becomes something special for musicians, dancers or anyone with a song in their heart. Easy embroidery transforms this bag with two measures of Beethoven’s Ode to Joy. This bag is constructed by knitting the >-< shaped handles first, then joining and knitting in the round. The bottom is mitered into four corners, and finished with a flat bind-off. This gives the maker the option of a flat-bottomed bag, or a U-shaped bag (shown). Instructions are provided to line the U-shaped bag. It measures (after felting) about 12" wide, and 10" tall, not including the straps. Materials: elann.com Peruvian Highland Wool - 2 balls color A (2170 Salmon), 1 ball color B (0100 natural) and one ball color C (0500 black). One circular knitting needle (24” or 29”) size 5.0 mm (US 8), and a straight needle in the same size to bind off. Stitch markers and 5.0 mm (US 5/F) crochet hook, for provisional cast-on. To finish, three skeins of black embroidery floss, a crewel needle. For lining the U shaped bag-3/8 yard lining material, interfacing and a snap, if desired. Nice to have: scotch tape and a few quarters for note layout. Note: You will need the entire ball of color B, but only a partial ball of color C. Select a muted light to medium color for color A, because the embroidery should stand out. Gauge: not critical. About 4.5 stitches per inch. Note: when working on a flat piece, garter stitch is worked by knitting every row. Working in the round, garter stitch is worked by knitting one round, and purling the next. In the round, stockinette is worked by knitting every row. TECHNIQUES USED: Temporary (or Provisional) Cast-On (Crochet Cast On): With crochet hook and waste yarn (preferably smooth cotton), loosely chain the number of stitches needed, plus a few extra chains. Cut yarn. With circular needle and main yarn, pick up and knit 1 stitch into the back ‘bump’ of the first chain. Continue, knitting 1 stitch into each chain until you have the required number of stitches. Do not work into leftover chains. (When ready to work stitches in the opposite direction, transfer stitches to a needle and remove the waste yarn by pulling the tail of the chain.) INSTRUCTIONS: Using color A, circular needles and a provisional cast-on, cast on 50 stitches. Knit one row. Right side-begin decreases. Slip one, k2tog, knit across until three remain on the needles, k2tog, knit one. Turn, slip the next stitch, and knit across. Repeat these two decrease rows until 10 stitches remain, ending with a wrong side row. Continuing in garter stitch, knit 46 rows, slipping the first stitch of every row, finishing with a wrong side row. (This is easier to keep track of if you mark the first row.) Increase by slipping the first stitch, knit into the front and back of the next stitch. Knit until 2 stitches before the end of the row, knit into the front and back of the next stitch, knit the last stitch. Knit the next row. Repeat these two rows until 50 stitches are on the needle, finishing with a wrong side row. Break yarn. Undo the provisional cast-on, (be very careful not to twist the handle), and slide half the stitches to one needle, and half to the other. Place a marker (PM) to mark the beginning of the round. Work 12 rounds in garter stitch (knit one row, purl one row.) You will probably need to purl the first row to stay in pattern. Break yarn and begin color striping in stockinette stitch with color B. Color B - On the first row only, knit 20, make 1 (M1) stitch. Repeat 4 times (105 stitches total). Knit three rows plain. Color C - 1 row Color B - 6 rows Color C - 1 row Color B - 6 rows Color C -1 row Color B - 6 rows Color C - 1 row Color B - 6 rows Color C - 1 row Color B - 4 rows. Increase in the fifth row. Knit 21, make 1. Repeat all the way around the bag. (110 stitches on the needles). Knit one more row plain. Change to color A. Beginning with a knit round, resume garter stitch for 14 rounds. Increase: (K27, M1) four times, end K2 (114 stitches). Staying in garter stitch, work for 6 additional rounds. The next round should be a purl row. (If it’s not, knit another round, and get to one.) Set up to decrease-work 13 stitches, place marker. Work 31 stitches, PM. Work 13 stitches PM. Work 13 stitches, PM, work 31 stitches PM, work 13. Bottom flap (work in stockinette, knitting every round): Row 1 - **K5, slip 1, Knit 2tog, pass slipped stitch over (PSSO) knit 5 ** (one corner established). Knit 31. Repeat from ** to ** twice (slipping markers as you come to them), knit 31, and repeat ** to ** once more. All four corners established (106 sts). Row 2 - Knit one round plain. Row 3 - **K4, slip 1, K2tog, PSSO, knit 4**. Knit 31. Repeat from ** to ** twice (slipping markers as you come to them), knit 31, and repeat ** to ** once more (98 sts). Row 4 - Knit one round plain. Row 5 - **K3, slip 1, K2tog, PSSO, knit 3**. Knit 31. Repeat from ** to ** twice (slipping markers as you come to them), knit 31, and repeat ** to ** once more (90 sts). Row 6 - Knit one round plain. Continue decreasing in this manner until one stitch remains between each set of markers, and you have worked the plain row. Carefully turn the bag inside out. Fold your work so that half of the bag is on one needle, and half is on the other (the excess circular loop will hang out at the other side.) Using a spare needle, knit together one stitch from the front of the bag, and one from the back. In this manner, bind off all stitches using a three-needle bind-off. Trim and tuck in all loose ends. Felt the bag. Trim any hangers-on and fluffies. Embroidery: All embroidery is accomplished with 6 strands of floss in a chain stitch. Treat each side of the bag as a separate measure of music. Referring to the music and photos, embroider in the staff and time signature. Then, using the Scotch tape and quarters, mark out the note layout. Lay the quarters out, then put a piece of tape on the bag to mark placement. Notes are worked in a spiral fashion, starting in the center, using the quarter as a size template. Do not embroider tightly, or your notes will bulge. It may be helpful to slide a paperback or magazine in the bag, so you don’t accidentally sew it shut while you embroider it. Use the quarter to help gauge the length of the note’s “stem”. Protect your embroidery by lining your bag. Use interfacing to provide body to the bag. To line a U-shaped bag-lay the bag out as flat as you possibly can. Trace the shape carefully onto scrap paper, and cut out two pieces of interfacing and fabric. Placing right sides together, sew the edges using a quarter inch seam. (If pockets are desired, now is the time to add them. Trim the seam allowances very carefully. Turn the top hem down, and press. Add snap if desired. Sew into the purse. Variations: this bag should be customized. Get inspired! Consider school fight songs, recital pieces, or hymns. Choosing alternate music: - Be creative. - KEEP IT SIMPLE. I chose the music written with a bass clef because it is easy to embroider, and avoided sharps and flats. - Look for music that has quarter and half notes. Eighths and sixteenths are tricky to fit in, especially in the first measure. If you use them, make the staff narrower (between the black lines) and use a smaller coin as a size template to space the notes properly. - Try to select music that fits in the main body of the staff. Higher or lower notes will require an additional ball of color B, and require extra rows (multiples of your note size) to accommodate them. Alternate color placement suggestions-you may make this bag using two colors-the base color and staff color, and embroider with bright or metallic embroidery floss. Consider black or admiral blue bag with a light grey heather staff, and metallic silver embroidery. Mocha Heather, Mocha Cream, and copper colored floss would be elegant. The sky is the limit, but you MUST provide high contrast between the score and the background. Abbreviations: k – knit, k2tog – knit 2 together, m1 – make one, pm – place marker, psso – pass slipped stitch over. Please note this pattern is copyrighted material and the entire contents of this pattern are copyrighted as a collective work under the copyright laws of Canada and the United States. You may print a copy of this pattern for your own personal use and enjoyment, but editing, publishing, transmitting, e-mailing, posting it to a list service or database, or otherwise commercially exploiting this pattern is strictly forbidden. Copyright Elann.com Inc.