Instant Gratification
A Bulky Cabled Purse By Vanessa Earl
Description
This project is knit flat and folded in half to make a chic, yet practical purse with cable panels. It knits up quickly and is a great way to learn and practice cables. There are no increases or decreases, just knits and purls! The bag can be lined for extra stability if you wish.
Materials
Approximately 175-200 yards of bulky weight yarn. (Bag is shown with 2 skeins of Cascade Yarns Lana Grande, Color 6034, $100\%$ Peruvian Highland Wool, 100gr/87 yards.) 1 set of 13" Us Size 15 straight needles or 29" Us Size15 circular needles (or size needed to obtain gauge). 1 cable needle (can be a size 15 double pointed needle). 1 tapestry needle for sewing seams. 2 purse handles (these can be any style you wish, but at least 8" in width/diameter to hold bag).
Size
Finished purse measures 14" at base and is 9" deep.
Gauge
2 stitches $=$ 1" in stockinette stitch with bulky weight yarn and size 15 needles. Note: If you choose to knit a smaller purse by using medium weight yarn and smaller needles, the gauge given will not apply.
Abbreviations
RS = Right Side Ws=WrongSide $K=\mathsf{K}\mathsf{n}\mathsf{i}\mathsf{t}$ $\mathsf{P}=\mathsf{P}\mathsf{U}\mathsf{I}$ St = Stitch C8B = Slip 4 sts to the cable needle and hold in back. K4, then K4 off of cable needle.
Directions
Cast on 50 stitches. Row 1: \*P2, K3, P8, ${\sf K3^{*}}$ repeat 3 times, P2. Row 2: $\mathsf{*}\mathsf{K}2.$ ,P3, K8, $\mathsf{P3^{*}}$ repeat 3 times, K2. Row 3: same as row 1. Row 4: \*K2, P3, C8B, $\mathsf{P3^{*}}$ repeat 3x, K2. Row 5, 7, & 9: same as row 1. Row 6, 8, & 10: same as row 2. Repeat rows 4 through 10 until your bag is 18" (or desired length). BE SURE TO HAVE ABOUT 1/4 OFYOUR YARN LEFTOVER TOSEW SIDE SEAMSANDATTACHPURSETOTHEHANDLES. End on row 7. Bind off stitches IN PATTERN.
Finishing
Fold finished piece in half and sew side seams using the matfress stitch. Cables should be running parallel to your seams. Attach purse handles to the open end of the bag with remaining yarn. If you wish, you can line your bag with fabric. This will give it a more finished look and more stability. You will need about 1/2 yard of fabric and a needle and thread to hand sew the lining. You can find a great tutorial for lining knit bags here: http://www.classiceliteyarns.com/WebLetter/Stitches/Lining/Lining.php Enjoy!
