https://www.cutoutandkeep.net/projects/summer-totebag • Posted by Renee D.
I made this tote out of necessity. I could never find what I needed in a hurry because it was all buried in a huge tote bag. This one is smaller and it's made out of cotton so you just throw it in the wash and it will come out like new! I used Kamsnaps snaps for all the closures and they look great!! I also made a makeup bag and a cellphone case to snap to the side of the tote. I love the colourful snaps, they matched the yarn perfectly!!
I made this tote out of necessity. I could never find what I needed in a hurry because it was all buried in a huge tote bag. This one is smaller and it's made out of cotton so you just throw it in the wash and it will come out like new! I used Kamsnaps snaps for all the closures and they look great!! I also made a makeup bag and a cellphone case to snap to the side of the tote. I love the colourful snaps, they matched the yarn perfectly!!
With this pattern, I really didn't write up an exact pattern and gauge. Just use the needles you have. I used "Judy's magic cast-on" and knit in a circle with the Magic Loop method. Youtube has all kinds of videos on how to do it. I highly recommend trying it! You could also cast on with straight needles and sew up the sides when you are done or use double-points to knit in the round! It's all up to you!
For the Tote: Cast on 80 stitches and knit until your work is 12 inches long. For the Small Makeup bag: Cast on 54 stitches and knit for 4 inches. For the Cell phone case: Cast on 26 stitches for 7 inches (my phone is huge, most phones should be around 6 inches). To work Stockinette Stitch in the round you Knit all stitches. For straight needles you Knit one round, Purl the next round. I love how the striped cotton worked out!
Once your piece is the desired length cast off knitwise. If you did use straight needles, now is the time to sew up your sides. Next you need to make the I-cord for the handles. Use the double-point needles and cast on 3 stitches. Keep knitting until your cord is about 25 inches long. Make 2 of these.
Thread the I-cord through the side of the tote and knot the end. Do the same for all sides and trim your loose ends. The stockinette stitch always curls under so I ironed the top of the bags to flatten it up a bit.
Now the fun part!! Cut Out and Keep arranged to send me a starter pack from Kamsnaps! They are really colourful and come in different shapes such as round, heart, flowers and stars! I had no problem finding the right colours to match!
I used the tool from Kamsnaps to attach the snaps to the bag. There is a Youtube tutorial that shows how to change the tool to use different snaps and how to attach them. The only thing I wish I would have done different is to use a small amount of fabric to give the snaps more grip. They attached well on the knitted fabric, I just think a thin piece of fabric would make it even better! Do the same for all your pieces.
After I finished all the pieces I attached the snaps to the back of the makeup bag and cell phone bag and attached them to the inside of the tote bag. You will never have to search for your phone or lip gloss in a huge bag again!!