Beaded Bags On The LK 150

The larger bag was made to go inside my hand knitting bag; it will hold accessories like clippers, tape measure, tapestry needle, stitch markers, etc. The cell phone bag was made to fit a Razr 3M phone.

Materials:
1) 1 skein (4 ozs) Down Home Art Yarns Sock yarn, Turquoise Fade. from www.knitivity.com My larger bag final measurement is 5” X 8”. Cell phone bag took final measurement is 4 ½” X 2 ¼”.
2) Fabric for lining (cell phone bag isn’t lined)
3) 7 inch zipper
4) Button for cell phone bag
5) Crochet hook
6) Beads: Beaded Treasures 6/0 Czech Glass Beads from Hobby Lobby, it took 4 vials and I had beads left over. If you just make the larger bag, you will only need 3 vials.
1 package Oral B Superfloss for beading unless you have a bead tool that fits through the beads.

Machine: LK 150 mid gauge machine
Tension: Carriage was set at the lowest possible tension (R) antenna was set at 1.

Gauge: 11.4 rows per inch, 5.7 stitches per inch but gauge isn’t really all that important unless you know exactly how big you want your little bag to be.

Machine Knit Technique: The bags were knitted and woven with the skein of yarn I bought from knitivity.com. I chose to weave it because I thought it needed to be thicker and I didn’t think I’d have enough yarn to double it for a heavy stockinette. Weaving takes very little yarn and I actually ended up with
2 ounces left after I made the 2 bags.

Picture above shows the woven side of the weaving

I did want the stockinette side to be the right side though so although I like the woven side, it will be hidden by a lining.

Stitch Pattern: Knit weave 2 rows, place a bead on every other stitch every 3rd row alternating the stitches where the beads will be placed. By always starting your beading from the carriage side of the work, you can start with stitch 4 each side stitch 2 and your beads will be alternated every 3rd row. Also because you have 44 stitches on the needle bed you can start weaving each side with a yarn over so you won’t get lost trying to figure out if you’re supposed to do a yarn over or a yarn under, its hard to tell when you’re using the same yarn for knitting and weaving.

Wind your yarn into a ball and then put it on an ounce scale. Wind half off into another ball. Knit the first side and switch balls for the second side.

I have a bead tool and the beads I wanted to use didn’t fit on it.
Thanks to zackDS@comcast.net for the following directions:
“I use Oral B Superfloss. Use the smooth stiff part like a needle and thread as many beads as needed for each row. Tie a knot below the fluffy part so the beads won’t fall off although the fluffy part usually holds them on.”
(NOTE:  I tied the floss in a bow knot below the fluffy part so that the beads wouldn’t fall off the other end (just in case).

Directions:

With waste yarn cast on 44 stitches and knit a few rows, knit 1 row with ravel cord
Ewrap cast on over the ravel cord with your main yarn.

Knit one row over the cast on row (carriage on L)—we won’t count this row.

Row 1: Carriage on L, begin weaving starting with needle 1, over, needle 2 under--over and under, over and under (1x1 weave). ) you’ll end with a yarn under at the end of each row and start each row with a yarn over. Knit across, carriage ends on the R.
Row 2: Knit weave this row end with carriage on L.
Row 3: Load 20 beads onto your floss and begin on the carriage side (L) start with stitch 4 and put a bead on every other stitch ending with 2 empty stitches remaining on the R.
Weave your yarn across the bed and then knit across the row slowly. Don’t force the carriage.

Row 4 and 5, knitweave
Row 6: bead across starting with the 4th stitch on carriage side.

Continue weaving putting beads on alternate stitches as above on row 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, etc as above to row 51, continue weaving-only to row 55.

Finishing:

When finished, pin the 2 pieces out on a blocking board and steam to set stitches. Crab Stitch the 2 top sides of your purse before installing zipper. Hand baste the zipper into the 2 top pieces. Once it’s basted by hand, take to sewing machine and sew zipper in, be careful not to sew through your crab stitches.

Now measure and cut out your lining fabric in 1 piece, folded at the bottom.
Mattress stitch the 2 sides of your knitted purse together and turn inside out to sew bottom and weave your ends in. Insert the lining and hand stitch the top to the zipper facing, hiding your zipper stitches if you want. Don't you love how my lining happens to match the yarn?  Its Laurel Burch fabric, I bought in a quilt kit when visiting in Tacoma, WA.  Never will make the quilt I'm having too much fun with the fabric pieces.

Cell Phone Holder
Yarn Used, ½ ounce
Technique, knit weave on LK 150 as above
Cell phone bag isn’t lined because I made it snug so it would stretch a little wider to fit phone.

Cast on 16 stitches with waste yarn and ravel cord (as above)
Knit 1 row plan and start knit weaving and beading as above beading on row 3, 6, 9, 12, etc. Continue to row 108. Stop beading and knit weave 2 more rows. (end RC 110).

Pin your piece out on a blocking mat and steam to set stitches.
Fold piece over your cell phone and determine where you’ll want the bottom to fold. Sew up the sides using that measurement. Crab stitch around the entire top of the bag. Sew button on and crochet a chain buttonhole to fit button.  (I found a mother-of-pearl button that looks so great with the beads).

BONUS BAG

Since I had yarn and beads left over after the first 2 bags  I decided I’d make an iPod bag that would hang around my neck when I walk. I wanted the iPod along with its case in the bag because I feel like it’s a likely thing to get broken without its case. The iPod in its case measures 6 ¼” around its width and is 5” long. I decided to decorate it with beads rather than knit beads in every 3rd row and it’s infinitely faster that way.

DIRECTIONS

Cast on with waste yarn 16 stitches and knit a few rows. Knit 1 row with ravel cord.
With main yarn knit 1 row and then begin weaving as we did with the other 2 bags. Knit and weave 115 rows. Cut your weaving yarn and latch tool bind off with the main yarn. Crochet a crab stitch around the top.

Double the yarn and knit a 3 stitch ICord (knit 1 way, slip the other way). I’m sorry I didn’t count how many rows of ICord I knitted, I knitted until it was 30 inches long. I attached it to the 2 sides of the bag.

POCKET I decided to make a pocket for the ear buds because they are always in the bottom of my purse or pocket, all mixed up with pens, comb, etc and how handy is it to have them right there in the bag with the iPod.

With waste yarn cast on 12 stitches and knit a few rows. Knit 1 row with ravel cord.
With main yarn and weaving yarn, knit weave 11 rows as above.
ROW 12 start the diamond pattern with beads. Center 2 beads on the first row, 4 beads on the second row, 6 beads on the third row, 4 beads on the fourth row and 2 beads on the 5th row. Feel free to make your own bead pattern or omit it altogether.
ROW 17 continue knit weave to row 29.
Cut weaving yarn and latch tool bind off with main yarn.
Sew pocket to front of bag leaving the top open. If you wish, crochet a crab stitch across the top of the pocket. Steam the bag and you’re ready to walk.

By the way, I still have 1.1 ounce of yarn left over, enough for another little bag.
These bags won first place in a 1 skein contest that Ray at Knitivity.com was sponsoring.  Maybe they won because they were the only entry but I like to believe they won because they came out so great and I made so many things with that one skein of yarn.   What did I win?   Why, another skein of yarn (different color).    Maybe I'll post a picture and pattern of what I made with that skein some day...........
ps.  apologize for the quality of the pictures, I had to scan them from the original pattern and they never come out as nice as if I'd taken a new picture.  

Copyright © 2009, Rosalind Porter