So confused

#1

http://cyberseams.com/article/105160/all_things_knitting/knitted_felted_tote_bag_with_pockets_part_i.html

I want to knit the body of this bag in the round. I’m using Knit Picks Bulky weight, which the tag says: 3 - 3.75 sts = 1" on 11 needles. I’m pretty sure that’s comparable to the yarn it called for in the pattern.

I’m doing it a bit different from the pattern. I was just going to knit the body without the handles, so I’m trying to figure out how many stitches to cast on. I came up with 63, is that right? I ended up casting on 70, but it just looks so very small compared to the videos. The bag in the third video that shows how to put on the pockets looks absolutely huge before felting… mine barely goes around a 24" needle. Have I missed something??

TIA!:heart:

#2

Ok, I think I figured it out… after studying it for like 3 hours! :slight_smile: The pattern is knitted flat, with the handles added on the top and bottom, then, the bag is constructed by folding the top up to the bottom and having 2 side seams. I was thinking there was only one side seam, so it would be easier to knit ITR. But since there is two side seams, then the 120 rows need to be converted to the correct number of stitches on the round needles and I’d be knitting from the side rather than from the top. any suggestions on figuring the right number?

#3

Well now I’m thinking it would be better to knit it flat due to the structure and that it will be felted. But I don’t want to knit it in St st. How important to the structure is the stitch? Are garter st and st st interchangable? Because I feel like two rows of garter st is not the same “height” as two rows of st st. Do I just suck it up and do the st st?

#4

Why not CO just a tube with about 120 sts and knit it in the round? Or you can use a turkish CO or magic caston which will close up the bottom.

Garter st and stockinette are not interchangeable; garter rows are shorter. 2 rows of garter are equal to the width of one stictch. In stockinette it’s more like 4 rows are equal to the width of 3 sts.

#5

Well, I’m not sure if knitting in the round will work because it will be felted. In the pattern it says if you want to add an inch to the width, add 4 stiches, if you want to add an inch to the depth, add 14 rows. so, I’m guessing it will shrink more from the depth dimension than the width dimension… does that make sense?

#6

There’s a lot of bag patterns that are knit in the round, then felted, so the sides must not felt together. And this pattern is sewn together, with pockets, before felting. It says to stuff it to dry, so that must be where you have to keep the sides from sticking together.