Since I bring my lunch to work everyday, I was particularly excited when designer Faith Schmidt showed me her idea for a knitted lunch bag pattern, as an alternative to a boring brown bag. It was perfect – small enough to carry around comfortably but large enough to hold my lunch. And now we have her pattern available for you for free – check out the Lovely Lunch Bag!
This sweet bag knits up super quick! It’s worked in the round, starting at the bottom with the base. Beginning with so few stitches on the needle can be tricky at first, but once you get through a few rounds, it gets easier. And it is so worth it!
Once that is done, the sides are knit in a slip stitch pattern – giving it a fun texture and color without a lot of fuss or a ton of ends to weave in.
Finally, the straps are knit flat in garter stitch and, using a 3 needle bindoff, they are stitched together. Since cotton tends to sag, Faith gives a great suggestion of lining the handles with fabric or ribbon so they won’t stretch out too much. I haven’t had any issues with it unlined so far, but if you plan on carrying a lot of heavy items in it – this is a good work around.
Not only is it great for a lunch bag, it’s wonderful for quick trips to the farmer’s market or supermarket. Since it’s knit up in CotLin, a sturdy mix of linen & cotton, it’ll last a long time. While we knit up ours in Swan and Canary for a sweet cheery look, it’ll look fantastic in any 2 colors – I’m thinking my next one will be in Whisker and Sagebrush.
Download it for free today!
Handy Links!
Lovely Lunch Bag
All of Faith Schmidt’s patterns
CotLin yarn
