Chevron Market Bag

Chevron Market Bag

When I first considered the idea of making a bag like this one, I picked a lovely yarn that I knew would be perfect and started to design the thing in my head. Unfortunately, however, while I PICKED a yarn, I didn't actually BUY it, and it was gone by the next time I visited the shop. So the Chevron Market Bag is the redesigned version of my imaginary-yarn bag, not that you would know it in a glance. This bad boy turned out pretty striking on its own, after all, even if it might be a bit rainbow-y for some people's tastes (luckily, you can pick your own yarn!). Furthermore, while I knit this bag with a provisional cast-on and a three-needle bind off to attach the handles, I am providing two sets of instructions, one for a bag exactly like the one I made, and one for a bag that skips the provisional cast-on and seams the handles in place rather than attaching them with the three-needle bind off. So, it's your choice how you want to make it, and you'll find the second set of instructions following the first!

Yarn: Lily Sugar 'n Cream (100% Cotton; 95 yards [86 meters]/56.7 grams); #02739 Over the Rainbow - 4 skeins

A close-up of the chevron pattern

Needles: One 24" circular needle in size 10 or 10.5, one 24" circular needle in size 7, one 16" circular needle in size 7, and one set of double pointed needles, also in size 7

Notions: Tapestry needle, stitch marker

Gauge: 20 stitches = 4 inches in stockinette on size 7 needles

Let's begin with the handles! Using your largest gauge needles and the provisional cast-on technique (we'll be working back-and-forth for these guys, and using a three-needle bind off to attach them to the top of the bag so we want live stitches on either end of each handle), cast on 9 stitches. Transfer stitches to any of your size 7 needles and knit the following set-up rows:

Set-up Rows 1 & 3: knit

Set-up Rows 2 & 4: purl

Now, we'll begin to work I-cord edgings on to both sides of the handle, which are accomplished simply by slipping stitches. Or in other words, we'll be knitting like so:

Handle Row 1: slip 3 stitches with yarn in back, k3, slip 3 stitches with yarn in back

Handle Row 2: p3, k3, p3

Work handle rows 1 & 2 until handle measures about 13" and you've just finished row 2 of the pattern. Then, knit your set up rows again. Once those four rows are done, transfer live stitches to a piece of scrap yarn to hold. Make another.

Once your handles are done, it's time to begin the bag. So, using your largest 24" circular needle and the provisional cast-on technique, cast on 120 stitches. Transfer to your size 7 24" needle, place marker, and join in round. Then knit the following set-up rows:

Set-up Rows 1 & 2: * k3, p3; rep from *

Set-up Row 3: * p3, k9 *

Once you've knit these rows, it's time to move on to our main pattern, which is a variation of Daintier Chevron from page 275 of Barbara G. Walker's A Second Treasury of Knitting Patterns. So let's keep going like so:

Rows 1 & 2: * p3, k1, ssk, (k1, yo) twice, k1, k2tog, k1 *

Row 3: * p3, k1, yo, ssk, k3, k2tog, yo, k1 *

Row 4: * p3, k2, yo, ssk, k1, k2tog, yo, k2 *

Row 5: * p3, k3, yo, slip 2 together knitwise-k1-p2sso, yo, k3 *

Knit rows 1 - 5 fourteen times. Then, we'll begin the decreases at the bottom of the bag, like so:

Decrease Row 1: * p3, k9 *

Decrease Row 2: * p2tog, p1, k9 *

Decrease Rows 3 - 5: * p2, k9 *

Decrease Row 6: * p2tog, k9 *

Decrease Rows 7 - 9: * p1, k9 *

You may want to switch to your 16" needle about now...

Decrease Row 10: * ssk, k8 *

Decrease Rows 11 & 12: knit

Decrease Row 13: * ssk, k7 *

Decrease Rows 14 & 15: knit

Decrease Row 16: * ssk, k6 *

Decrease Row 17: knit

You may want to switch to your dpns about now...

Decrease Row 18: * ssk, k5 *

Decrease Row 19: knit

Decrease Row 20: * ssk, k4 *

Decrease Row 21: knit

Decrease Row 22: * ssk, k3 *

Decrease Row 23: knit

Decrease Row 24: * ssk, k2 *

Decrease Row 25: knit

Decrease Row 26: * ssk, k1 *

Decrease Row 27: * ssk *

Clip tail, thread through final 10 stitches, and pull tight. And now that most of the body of the bag is done, we're going to work a few more border rows and then bind off and seam the handles. So, pick up your provisionally cast on stitches using your 24" size 7 needle, place row marker, and then proceed as follows. Note that you may need to un-twist your provisional stitches, but that the pattern of the bag will also effectively hide it if a few remain twisted.

Border Rows 1 & 2: * k3, p3 *

Border Rows 3 & 4: * p3, k3 *

Border Rows 5 & 6: repeat rows 1 & 2

Once these six rows are complete, it's time to bind off. We are going to attach the handles to the bag using a three needle bind-off, and bind off the rest of piece normally.  You can look at the tutorial I've linked to for some guidance, and I'll also walk you through it below.

First, then, bind off 12 stitches normally, purling the purls and knitting the knit stitches. You should now have 1 stitch on your right-hand needle, and you should be about to begin a set of nine stitches that turn into our nine-stitch chevron below. Place the live stitches from one end of one of your handles onto one of your dpns and place it next to bag, with right sides together. Transfer the stitch on your right-hand needle to your larger gauge needle for the purposes of the three needle bind off. 

The handle, the live stitches, and my larger needle holding a stitch

Insert your right-hand needle through the first stitch of your handle knitwise and then insert it through the first stitch on your left hand needle knitwise as well. 

Inserting as if to knit

Loop yarn as if to knit, pull loop through both stitches, and slide stitches from needle.

Looping yarn around needle

Pulling stitch through

Sliding stitches from needle

Lift first stitch on your right hand needle over second stitch, as you would a normal bind off.

Binding off

Repeat for all handle stitches, then transfer right hand stitch back to your size 7 needle and continue binding off normally for 27 more stitches. Repeat the three needle bind off with the other end of the same handle. Bind off 15 stitches normally, then repeat three needle bind off with first end of second handle. Bind off 27 stitches normally, and then use three needle bind off with second end of second handle. Finish binding off in pattern and tuck in ends. For best results, block.

Alternate Instructions:

Let's start with the handles! Using any set of your size 7 needles, cast on 9 stitches loosely. Then work the following four set-up rows:

Set-up Rows 1 & 3: knit

Set-up Rows 2 & 4: purl

Now, we'll begin to work I-cord edgings on to both sides of the handle, which are accomplished simply by slipping stitches. Or in other words, we'll be knitting like so:

Handle Row 1: slip 3 stitches with yarn in back, k3, slip 3 stitches with yarn in back

Handle Row 2: p3, k3, p3

Work handle rows 1 & 2 until handle measures about 13" and you've just finished row 2 of the pattern. Then, knit your set up rows again. Once those four rows are done, bind off loosely. Make another handle.

Now, it's time to work the bag. Using your 24" size 7 needle, cast on 120 stitches, place marker, and join in round. Then we'll work the following border rows:

Border Rows 1 & 2: * p3, k3; rep from *

Border Rows 3 & 4: * k3, p3 *

Border Rows 5 & 6: repeats rows 1 & 2

Border Rows 7 & 8: repeat rows 3 & 4

Border Row 9: * p3, k9 *

Once you've knit these rows, it's time to move on to our main pattern, which is a variation of Daintier Chevron from page 275 of Barbara G. Walker's A Second Treasury of Knitting Patterns. So let's keep going like so:

Rows 1 & 2: * p3, k1, ssk, (k1, yo) twice, k1, k2tog, k1 *

Row 3: * p3, k1, yo, ssk, k3, k2tog, yo, k1 *

Row 4: * p3, k2, yo, ssk, k1, k2tog, yo, k2 *

Row 5: * p3, k3, yo, slip 2 together knitwise-k1-p2sso, yo, k3 *

Knit rows 1 - 5 fourteen times. Then, we'll begin the decreases at the bottom of the bag, like so:

Decrease Row 1: * p3, k9 *

Decrease Row 2: * p2tog, p1, k9 *

Decrease Rows 3 - 5: * p2, k9 *

Decrease Row 6: * p2tog, k9 *

Decrease Rows 7 - 9: * p1, k9 *

You may want to switch to your 16" needle about now...

Decrease Row 10: * ssk, k8 *

Decrease Rows 11 & 12: knit

Decrease Row 13: * ssk, k7 *

Decrease Rows 14 & 15: knit

Decrease Row 16: * ssk, k6 *

Decrease Row 17: knit

You may want to switch to your dpns about now...

Decrease Row 18: * ssk, k5 *

Decrease Row 19: knit

Decrease Row 20: * ssk, k4 *

Decrease Row 21: knit

Decrease Row 22: * ssk, k3 *

Decrease Row 23: knit

Decrease Row 24: * ssk, k2 *

Decrease Row 25: knit

Decrease Row 26: * ssk, k1 *

Decrease Row 27: * ssk *

Clip tail, thread through final 10 stitches, and pull tight. Seam handles as shown, so each handle base lines up with a chevron stripe and that the two ends of the handle have two stripes between them. Tuck in ends and block.
 

See! I can block things.

The three-needle bind off sure does make a pretty seam!