You may or may not have noticed the plain blue yarn I have been using in my samples for a number of the articles on this site. It's a plain blue Aran weight yarn which was made in the late 1970s/early 1980s and which has been sitting around in my stash waiting to be used up. This particular yarn was rather mean in terms of length per ball and the reason it got put to one side was that I was using it to make a cabled sweater pattern and although I should have had enough I realised fairly early on that I wasn't going to - and by that time the yarn had already been discontinued. Last summer I decided that a tote bag would be a good beginner's pattern, providing some interesting things to do towards the end and not too big or boring to make. I chose the yarn used to make the bag in the picture because it makes up a good solid fabric which will wear very well.

The tote bag in question will be a great project for any knitting beginner and I received quite a number of hints from the staff in the office when I showed it off earlier this week after it was finished. It would make a wonderful present for someone or you could use it as your knitting bag or for any number of other purposes. I made mine absolutely plain but there is no reason you couldn't add buttons, snap fasteners or a zip to close the top and decorate it with beads or anything else that takes your fancy.

I would suggest a good alternative yarn would be something like Noro Kureyon or a plain yarn that knits at a gauge of 18 stitches and 24-28 rows to 10 cm. As always check your stitch gauge before starting!

MATERIALS REQUIRED

• 1 x 4 mm circular knitting needle (for the I-cord finish at the end)
• 1 pair of size 4.5 mm straight knitting needles
• 1 pair of size 5 mm straight knitting needles
• I used about 5 balls of the yarn mentioned above, which weighed 2 oz per ball. I'd suggest buying 5 x 50 gramme balls of an aran weight yarn to start with and make a note of how much you have left for future projects.

FINISHED SIZE

The bag will measure approximately 12 inches wide and 13.5 inches high excluding the handles, if made in a yarn that knits to the gauge stated. Obviously if you choose to use a different yarn you will need more (or less) and the size will be different.

THE PATTERN

1. Using the 5 mm knitting needles, cast on 54 stitches.
2. Work 75 rows of Stocking Stitch (1 row knit, 1 row purl). The first and last rows should be knitted.
3. Change to size 4.5 mm knitting needles.
4. Work 10 rows in Garter Stitch (every row knit).
5. Cast off 10 sts, K 5 sts, Cast off 24 sts, K 5 sts, cast off 10 sts.
6. Right side facing, rejoin yarn to one of the groups of 5 sts.
7. Next row: Slip 1^st st purlwise, yarn back between needles, K remaining 4 stitches.
8. Repeat the previous row slipping the 1^st stitch purlwise on every row until you have worked 60 rows in garter stitch.
9. Leave these stitches on the needle and rejoin the yarn to the second set of stitches. Work exactly as for the first handle strip.
10. I grafted the two ends of the handles together but you can do the Three Needle Cast Off just as effectively. Make sure the handles are not twisted, and that the stitches of the strips are on two separate 4.5 mm knitting needles. Hold these needles right sides together. Using the 5 mm knitting needle (to ensure a cast off which is not too tight) slip the tip of this needle into the first stitch on the FRONT needle AND ALSO into the first stitch on the BACK needle. Knit these two stitches together. Repeat once more, then lift the first stitch on the right hand needle over the second stitch to cast off as normal. Continue till all five stitches have been used up.
11. Make a second piece of knitting exactly the same as the first piece.
12. Sew the two pieces of knitting together down one side, across the bottom and then up the second side.
13. Now take the 4 mm circular knitting needle. Starting at one side of the bag, join the yarn back on and pick up 10 stitches from the first 10 cast off stitches on one side of the bag. Then start working along the handle on that side and pick up one stitch for each slipped stitch loop. Complete that side by picking up one stitch from each of the 10 remaining cast off stitches, then work along the second side of the bag in exactly the same way.
14. Cast on 3 stitches.
15. Now without turning the work continue along the first side that you picked up as follows: K 2, slip 1 stitch as if to purl, K 1 stitch (from the picked up stitches at the edge of the bag), pass the slipped stitch over. Repeat right round the bag, forming a neat stream of i-cord on the edge which will also strengthen the handles.
16. When you get to the end of the second side, join the end of the i-cord into the three cast on stitches.
17. Repeat this procedure for the inside of the two handles, picking up the 24 stitches along the edge of the bag and along the edge of the handle, then work the i-cord exactly as before. Make sure the right hand side of the bag is facing you at all times.

Now you can enjoy using your new bag!