Pette Froupous A Cat & Judy Design
Offering more than enough room to hold all of life's everyday important stuff, this fun ruffled tote knits up quickly using just a single skein of Frill Seeker yarn. Finished dimensions approximately: 10"w x 7"d Gauge: not required for this project Knitting skills: cast-on, knit, purl, and cast-off Sewing skills: hand or machine sewing ability (or a friend who sews for you)
Materials
1 skein Frill Seeker by Estelle, (200g/60m), shown in colour 703 1 pair 9mm (U.S. 13) straight needles 1 10mm (U.S. 15) straight needle for casting off 1 very large-eyed darning needle Thread to match lining & yarn 14 yard of fabric for lining Quilt batting (optional) Piece of cardboard or plastic canvas 1 pair purse handles
Design Notes:
-lf you are unfamiliar with using this yarn, please watch this video before beginning. The yarn used is not the same but the method is. -This yarn is strong in its whole form, but when unravelled, the mesh fabric breaks quite easily. Work gently on the ruffle rows to avoid frayed ends. -There should be more than enough yarn remaining to sew up the bottom and side seams using the yarn in its whole form. If for some reason there is not, use a coordinating shade and all 6-strands of a matching embroidery floss. -lt's advisable to line bag as significant holes are created by the ruffle rows. The lining gives structure and allows for personal customization of interior pockets.
Instructions
Cast on: 36 sts using 9mm needles and cable cast-on method. Work 8 rows stockinet with yarn whole. This forms bag's base when sewn up.
Ruffle Rows
Row 1: Unravel several inches of yarn. Using the fingers of your right hand to keep the yarn flat, push left-hand needle into the middle of the mesh about 1.5" away from where it's joined to the previous row. With the tip of the needle, pick up 4-6 strands of fabric and use these strands to knit the stitch as you normally would. Continue in this fashion for the entire row. The ruffle will form on the "wrong side". This is intentional as it keeps the working side smooth to reduce needle plucking and will ultimately form the bag's interior when completed. Row 2: purl, holding yarn whole Row 3: repeat row 1 Rows 4,6,8,10,12,14,16,18,20: purl Rows 5,9,11,13,17,19: repeat row 1 Rows 7,15: knit, holding yarn whole Row 21: cast off using 10mm needle; do not cut yarn
Making-up
1. Thread yarn through large-eyed needle; sew up bag's side and bottom. 2. It's best to have the bag lying flat when measuring the depth; add 1" for seam allowances. Measure the bag's circumference and add 1/2" for seam allowance. Cut fabric to size. Fold fabric's top edge over by a /2" and towards lining's wrong side, pin down, press with an iron and sew 1/8" from top. If you'd like interior pockets for small electronics add those to fabric's right side before sewing seams. To square the “bag envelope's" corners, Craftapple has a demo here --a terrific site for those with a love/hate relationship with their sewing machines. 3. Some handles are quite heavy--for this reason you may wish to sew tabs (see picture) to further support the bag. Using small strips of fabric (3" long by 2" wide) fold the long edges in towards and touching at the centre, fold the piece in half again with the raw edges captured inside; sew closed. Insert through handle slots and sew to the back of lining for a neater look. Customize tabs to fit type of handles purchased. 4. Slip stitch lining into bag using matching thread or embroidery floss. 5. Using bag as a guide, cut cardboard or plastic canvas to fit bottom. Cover with quilt batting (optional) and fabric. Fold raw edges over neatly and sew closed. Insert panel seam side down into purse.
About the designers
Cat Wong designed this little bag after her LYS owner asked her to knit something other than a scarf with ruffle yarn. She is ever so grateful for Judy's ability to sew because she can't.... On Ravelry, she's FarmerCath, or e-mail her. Judy Pollock lives a fibre-filled life and is never without a spinning or knitting project close at hand. A quilter (with no time to quilt because she'd rather knit and steek things) she created Froufrou's interior. An experienced knitter, Judy teaches a variety of knitting classes at Black Sheep Yarns in Port Moody, B.C.
