https://www.cutoutandkeep.net/projects/chunky-multi-strand-knit-bag • Posted by Hachidori
Okay this is my first attempt at multi-strand (or 'Extreme') knitting - I dont work to patterns, but you will be able to duplicate the bag easily - I'm pretty much a novice, so if I can do it, anyone can! It will be a much quicker project if you have a sewing machine to do your hemming for you, but not impossible to do by hand.
Okay this is my first attempt at multi-strand (or 'Extreme') knitting - I dont work to patterns, but you will be able to duplicate the bag easily - I'm pretty much a novice, so if I can do it, anyone can! It will be a much quicker project if you have a sewing machine to do your hemming for you, but not impossible to do by hand.
Using what was left of 7 different wool skeins - some baby wool, some merino, and some normal cheap wool...
Using very chunky knitting needles, I used the 7-strands and cast on 15 stitches, worked 24 rows of moss stitch, then 1 row of knit, and 1 row of purl (to create the 'fold' that forms the base of the bag), then 24 rows of moss, then cast off. But you can cast on as many as you like, and work as many rows as you like, just make sure you do a k row and a p row in the middle...
You can see the 'fold' in the centre, which makes the whole thing MUCH easier to work with - so pretty essential.
You'll need some material to line the bag and strap to give it strength - I used some fat quarters from hobbycraft.
Through a process of pinning, folding and ironing, I made a double-layer of material which fit snugly within the square of my knitted bag - I hemmed the edges for neatness, and pinned and stitched the material onto the 'inside' of my bag. The stitching was just a kind of running stitch, and because the wool is so chunky, you go about half way into it, and it stays really secure, and your thread never needs to show through on the 'outside'...
I also nipped in the corners, again, for neatnes... The fold happens really naturally, and soon I had the makings of my bag, all lined.
Same again for the strap - just cut and hemmed a piece of material to the length I needed. (The strap was cast on 5 stitches, and worked in moss stitch until I felt it was the length I wanted...)
Pinned to the strap.
Stitched to the knitted strap.
Lining attached to the strap.
The bag is actually not sewn together, but latched together with bundles of 6 threads of wool between each of the 'purls' along the edges...
So between the purl, push through the loop of your folded bundle of 6 threads...
Push the loose end through the loop, and pull it tight... Do this up both sides of the bag. (I ended up with about 10 on each side)
You can either leave the tassels as they are (trim them all to the same length) or plait them like I have - (this is why I used 6 strands - so they divide into 3 for braiding)... Trim the ends.
Attach the strap to the bag - I did this by plaiting a length of 6 strands, and then using the braid to 'sew' the bag to the strap.
Here is the finished product! It feels really strong and secure for a knitted bag!
And for scale, you can see what it looks like... I think if I did it again, I would only cast on 3 for the strap, as it is a little thick, but thats just a matter of preference.