SEASHELLS & SAND BAG by Anita Moore This eye-catching and practical bag is worked in one piece, knitted in the round from the bottom up, with lazy cables on the sides, and the flap knitted onto one side at the top. Size: Approximately 14" wide by 10" high, after felting, with flap closed Materials: 3 balls each of elann.com Peruvian Highland Wool in colors A (shown as 3706 warm tan) and B (shown as 9749 seashell pink) 2 balls of elann.com Sonata or elann.com Sonata Print for color C (shown in Sonata Print 9749 Sea Shell) Size 9 mm (US 13) 24" circular needle Size 6.5 mm (US 10 1/2) 24" circular needle Size 8 mm (US 11) double pointed needles (for I-cords) Cable needle Stitch marker 2 metal D rings 1 large button Yarn needle Note: Entire bag is worked with 2 strands of yarn held together throughout. Gauge: Not critical, because bag is felted, but about 2.5 sts per inch (10 st/4”) with 2 strands of Peruvian Highland Wool, before felting. STITCHES USED Cable Pattern: (Worked over 6 sts) Put first 3 sts on cable needle and hold at front of work, K3, K3 from cable needle. Garter St in the round: When knitting in the round, garter st is created by knitting one round and purling the next. Stockinette St in the round: Knit every round. METHOD With larger circular needle and Color A, CO 60 sts, join to form a circle. Place Marker, move this marker up each round as you go. Work 4 rounds of garter stitch. Increase round: (Now continue knitting every round until noted) *K2, inc 1 by knitting into front and back loop of next st*, rep from * to * around, for a total of 80 sts. Work 2 rounds even. Increase round: *K7, inc 1 as before*, rep from * to * around for a total of 90 sts. Work 5 rounds even. Switch to Color B. Increase round: *K14, inc 1 as before*, rep from * to * around for a total of 96 sts. Work 3 rounds of P6, K6 around. Next round: *Work Cable, P6*, rep from * to * around. K 6 rounds. Next round: Repeat cable round. K 6 rounds. Next round: Repeat cable round. K 3 rounds. Switch to Color A, and K 8 rounds even. Decrease round: *K4, K2tog*, rep from * to * around, for a total of 80 sts. K 1 round even. Join Color C, and using smaller circular needle, K6 rounds even. Next round: K32 sts, bind off remaining sts knitwise. Continue on remaining 32 sts in rows: R1: K2, P to last 2 sts, K2 R2: K Repeat rows 1 & 2 five times. Then rep row 1 again. **Decrease row: K2, K2tog, K to last 4 sts, SSK, K2. Next row: K2, P to last 2 sts, K2** Repeat from ** to ** 6 times. (12 more rows completed) Next row: K2, K2tog, (P2, K2 across to last 4 sts), SSK, K2. Next row: K2, match previous row - K where K is and P where P is, to last 2 sts, K2. Bind off. I-Cords: Make three I-cords, one each in Colors A, B, and C. With 2 DPN’s, CO 4 sts. Knit the first row. Do not turn the work. Slide the stitches to the opposite end of the needle. Now the working yarn is at the bottom of the row. Knit another row, pulling the working yarn along the back of the piece so that you can work with it. Again slide the stitches to the opposite end of the needle. Repeat in this manner until cord is 50" long. As you pull the yarn, the back will close up on itself, like magic. Note: Use only 1 strand of Highland Wool for the I-cords for colors A and B, and 2 strands of Sonata for the I-cord for Color C . Felt the two wool I-Cords and let them dry before knitting the cotton I-Cord, so that you can match the length of the cotton I-Cord to the felted cords. Finishing: Sew bottom of bag together. Felt all wool items, as follows: place in washing machine using warm water and a low water level, a little soap, and a couple pairs of jeans. Watch process carefully, as felting can happen very quickly. Rinse by hand in cold water. Roll in towels to remove excess water. Stretch the I-cords so they become long and skinny. Shape bag. I let the I-cords air dry, but I put the bag in the dryer so the cotton would shrink some. After everything is dried, braid the 3 I-cords together, sew to the D rings, and attach D rings to both ends of bag. I made 2 tassels with the Sonata cotton and tied them to one D ring. Sew large button to front flap - it doesn’t actually do anything, just decorative, the flap is long enough to stay closed on its own. Abbreviations: CO – cast on, DPN – double pointed needle(s), k – knit, p – purl, rep – repeat, SSK - sl next 2 sts knitwise one at a time, to RH needle; then insert LH needle through front of sts and k2tog, st(s) – stitch(es). 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.