Need help finishing the knitpicks cable night purse, stuck

#1

I’m making the chunky cable handbag pattern shown on knitpicks site. So far it’s gone pretty well, I’m using circular needles and am doing the cables. I’m down to the last few rows and here’s where I don’t understand. Under begin bag bottom - K1, Loosely BO 8 sts from side, K21 sts across long side and 8 sts from second short side. K across remaining 23 sts. Turn and purl across. Work 7 more rows back and forth in st st, for a total of 9 rows. BO loosely, break yarn.
Seaming - Using a single strand of yarn, sew flap to bag bottom on 3 open sides. Use 1 full st as a seam allowance. This bulk will add weight and stabulity to bag base.

I’m new at knitting and can do most of the stitches, but I’m flown through a loop when it goes into stuff I don’t understand. This is a really cute purse and I’m trying to make if for my daughter. Any advice, please?

#2

Ok I assume the bottom is a rectangle and you are starting this on one of the long sides.

K1
Loosely BO (bind off…if you don’t know how, Amy has a video) 8 sts from long side
just continue on after you BO 8 sts and K21 sts

Now you should be to the short side? Work 8 sts.
K across remaining 23 sts.
Turn and purl across. Work 7 more rows back and forth in st st (just knit) for a total of 9 rows.

BO loosely, break yarn.

Seaming - Using a single strand of yarn, sew flap to bag bottom on 3 open sides. Use 1 full st as a seam allowance (go in one row on the knitting and sew it so it makes a bulkier seam)

This bulk will add weight and stabulity to bag base.

If this doesn’t help let me know where you’re still stuck.

#3

Ok…didn’t realize it is a free pattern. I just looked at it and so you’ve knit the whole purse in the round. At the beginning of the round when you k1 then bo 8, the place where you bo 8 is making the short side of the bottom.

Now when you knit the 21 and begin working back and forth, you’ll be making a flap that is attached at the side where you just knit the 21 sts after the bo. Make sense?

#4

Thanks, I will go and give this a try - I really have trouble reading off patterns w/out knowing what it’s supposed to look like. I wish I had someone close who could just sit down by me and show me what I’m doing wrong - maybe this site will do it for me! I really want to be able to make some sweaters and things, not just scarves and blankets! (Although they are nice to have too.) Thanks again, I’ll let you know if I need any further help.

#5

You’re welcome. As long as you do exactly what it says there you’ll be fine. You’ll probably get the idea about what your doing once you get to the turn and do the purl row.

#6

sorry, this just seems foreign to me. In the directions, I get the K1, Loosely BO 8 sts (not sure what they mean from the side since this is knit in the round),then K 21 sts across long side. then is says “and 8sts from second short side”. Do they mean to bind those off to make a side? then K across remaninin 23 sts.

Turn and purl across. Work 7 more rows back and forth in st st for a total of 9 rows. BO loosely, break yarn.

I’m still not picturing this, should I have 2 sides from binding off 8 and 2 longer sides? And if so, do I stitch just the long sides and not the bound off 8 stitches?

Sorry, I’m probably confusing you all, but I’d like this to turn out!
Thanks, Gina

#7

Hi, Gina- and everyone. I’m the designer of that pattern. I’m really sorry for the error, but KP has just posted a corrected version online. You can download the correction.

On the bottom, you’re supposed to bind off 3 sides: 1 short side, 1 long side, and the other short side. Then you knit back and forth across the side that’s still on the needles to make a flap. You’re working on 2 extra stitches (23) to give a full stitch seam allowance- in my test bags, a full fat seam allowance added stability to the base.

Anyway, I am sorry for the error- at least three people knitted through the pattern and we still all missed it!

One request: please, can I see your finished bags? I would love to see what you’ve done with them, any yarn subs, handle subs, anything you’ve done to make it your own!

Thanks!