I made a few more bags, using up leftovers and found a new use! I make gluten-free bread for my son and sometimes he comes to get it before it's totally cool and I never seem to have a clean paper bag large enough! Here's my revised pattern - hope you use it whether you're a beginner or not! I'm using it to get back into the practise of knitting!
Shopping Bag - Japanese Machine Version by Mary Anne Oger
Yeoman Yarns Cannele, mercerized cotton.
Gauge, not really important, but T7, mesh, 28 sts and 40 row to10 cm. Finished weight, 185g, finished flat size, 40 cm wide X 38 cm high.
Notes: Bag is knit from top of one side to bottom and back up other side with handles attached at each top side as you go. Then side edge is rehung to make neat sides. Knit side is used as right side throughout. Every other needle birdseye tuck is single bed knit. Stitch pattern used is the 1X1 birdseye pattern double width. This means that with every other needle in work, the tuck is alternating every other needle on every other row and it is not necessary to worry about proper needle selection.
Punchcard machines, make card as shown. Electronics, program as shown. Set to tuck.
HANDLES: 8-0-8 ns. Cast on WY and ravel cord. Leaving long tails at each end of MC, knit stockinette, T5, K160R. WY, K16R. MC, K160R. Remove on WY.
BAG: 60-0-61 ns. Cast on WY and ravel cord. MC, T6, K10R. (If desired, transfer to EON for Picot - Transfer 2nd and every other stitch to next left needle for picot, empty ns in WP). T9, K1R. T6, K10R. RC021. Pick up sts from first row of MC to make hem. Remove WY. Take one end of handle, purl side facing, hang starting on 30th needle from end, toward centre. Repeat at other side with other end of same strap.T7, K10R.
MESH: Transfer to EON, empty ns out of work. Hang weights for tuck knitting. Set up stitch pattern and use next row to read/select if necessary. T4, K1R (Note, this tighter row makes a smaller hole, going into the tuck on every other needle!). RC000. Program for tuck, T7, K116R. BOTTOM OF BAG: Bring all ns to work. RC000. T6, K20R. T9, K1R. T6, K20R. SECOND MESH SIDE: Transfer to EON, empty ns out of work. T4, K1R, using this row to program. Set to tuck. T7, K116R. Bring all ns to work. T4, K1R.
SECOND TOP HEM: RC000. T6, K10R, ending at right. This next row is a marker row for the top hem. T10, K1R. T6, K10R. (If desired make picot row as above.) T9, K1R. T6, K10R. Hang sinker loops of marked row. Take the other handle, knit side facing, hang from 30th needle from each end as first side. Manually knit very loose row and chain off.
Side Panels. 75-0-75 ns. Wrong side facing, pick up side of bag, hanging half
outside edge stitch, from bottom of stockinette top on each end with centre fold line of bottom at 0. Bring needles out and close latches. CAR, MC, T8, K1R. T6, K11R, ending CAR. Take MC out of feeder - do not cut. Put right side in hold. Knit waste yarn on left side, about 1 inch. Drop from ns. Place carriage back at right, rethread MC. Cancel hold. K1R to return ns to work. Rip out last row, leaving sts in hooks of ns in B position. Fold left side over to correspond and hang these sts on top of right side. Manually knit very loose row and chain off.
Sew the handles up on to top edge of band. Darn in ends. Press well.
Have fun and make several!
