Simple Knit Tote
A hand-knit handbag, made with love not logos, can really carry the day, and our beautifully shaped, minimally wrought Simple Knit Tote does just that!
The nubbly texture of our cotton-linen Lantern (here in White Smoke, for a glorious modern-cloud effect) lends a natural raw beauty, and in simple linen stitch, the bag has a lovely woven look and a dense, sturdy feel.
Construction is in keeping with the easy aesthetic: You knit the bottom flat, pick up around the edges and knit the body of the bag in the round, then knit each side of the strap and join in the middle with a 3-needle bind off.
Knit it for you or your favorite bag-user… This Simple Knit Tote, with its perfect form, detail without fuss, and slouchy-cool structure, is our kind of everyday hero!
Designed by Purl Soho designer, Jake Canton. Click here to see even more of Jake’s designs!
Share your progress + connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho, #PurlSohoBusyHands, #PurlSohoSimpleKnitTote, and #PurlSohoLantern. We can’t wait to see what you make!
Materials
- 3 skeins of Purl Soho’s Lantern, 61% cotton and 39% linen. Each skein is 164 yards/ 100 grams; approximately 386 yards required. We used White Smoke. (NOTE: We no longer offer Lantern, but choose from one of our other worsted weight yarns.)
- US 8 (5 mm), 24- or 32- inch circular needles
- A spare US 8 circular or double pointed needle
- A few yards of sport or light worsted scrap yarn
- A stitch marker
- A stitch holder (optional)
Gauge
27 stitches and 50 rows = 4 inches in stitch pattern
Size
- Finished Circumference: 25 inches
- Finished Height: 11 inches
- Base of Bag: 3½ inches wide x 9 inches long
- Strap Width: 3½ inches
- Strap Length: 22 inches
Notes
Construction
You will make this bag by first knitting the Base flat, then picking up around the Base and knitting the Body of the bag in the round.
Slip Stitches
Slip all slip stitches purlwise unless indicated otherwise in pattern.
Provisional Cast On
For assistance, including how to put live stitches back onto needles, please visit our Provisional Cast-On: A Two-Step Method Tutorial.
Pattern
Base
Using a Provisional Cast-on (see Notes), cast on 24 stitches.
Row 1 (wrong side): Slip 1 knitwise with yarn in front (wyif), *p1, slip 1 (see Notes) with yarn in back (wyib), repeat from * to last stitch, k1.
Row 2 (right side): Slip 1 knitwise wyif, *k1, slip 1 wyif, repeat from * to last stitch, k1.
Repeat Rows 1 and 2 fifty nine more times, ending with Row 2. [120 total rows, measuring approximately 9 inches from cast-on edge]
Body
Pick Up + Knit
With right side facing you, turn piece 90 degrees clockwise and with working yarn, pick up and knit 61 stitches evenly along left selvage. [85 stitches]
With right side facing you and cast-on edge at top, slip 24 cast-on stitches onto left needle (see Notes), starting with top left corner stitch. With working yarn and right needle, knit 24 cast-on stitches. [109 stitches]
With right side still facing you, turn work 90 degrees clockwise and pick up and knit 60 stitches along remaining selvage. [169 total stitches]
Continue Even
With right side facing you, place marker and join for working in the round.
Round 1: *K1, slip 1 wyif, repeat from * to last stitch, k1.
Round 2: *Slip 1 wyif, k1, repeat from * to last stitch, slip 1 wyif.
Repeat Rounds 1 and 2 until piece measures 11 inches from picked-up edge, ending with Round 2.
Bind-Off Round: [K1, slip 1 wyif] 12 times, bind off 61 stitches knitwise, [slip 1 wyif, k1] 11 times, slip 1 wyif, place previous 24 stitches on stitch holder or scrap yarn, bind off to end of round. [25 stitches]
Strap
Work First Side
NOTE: As you work Row 1, pass final bind off stitch over first slip stitch. [24 stitches]
**Row 1 (right side): Slip 1 knitwise wyif, *k1, slip 1 wyif, repeat from * to last stitch, k1.
Row 2 (wrong side): Slip 1 knitwise wyif, *p1, slip 1 wyib, repeat from * to last stitch, k1.
Repeat Rows 1 and 2 until Strap measures 11 inches from Bind-Off Round, ending with Row 2.***
Slip stitches onto spare needle and cut yarn.
Work Second Side
With right side facing you, place 24 on-hold stitches onto left needle. Repeat from ** to *** to work second side of Strap.
Keep stitches on needle and do not cut yarn,
Connect Ends
With right sides of Strap pieces untwisted and facing each other and holding needles parallel, use working yarn to work a 3-Needle Bind Off over Strap stitches.
Cut yarn and pull through last stitch.
Finishing
Weave in ends and block as desired.
After doing the provisional cast-on with scrap yarn, row 1 starts with “slip stitch.” Does that mean I’m slipping the first PROVISIONAL stitch? Or should I knit a row first (into my provisional stitches), so when I slip a stitch, I’m actually slipping a stitch that will ultimately be part of the bag?
Hi Amy,
That is a great question! When you are creating your provisional cast on, you will use the scrap yarn as a ‘tool’ to hold your live stitches but the actual stitches that should end up on your needle should be with the working yarn you are using for your pattern. Therefore, once you start at row 1, you should already have 24 stitches in your working yarn ready to knit. So in this case you will indeed slip the first stitch knitwise with yarn in front.
I hope this helps but please let me know if you have any other questions!
Happy knitting,
Gavriella
I’ve been knitting for years until about 2 yrs ago when I suddenly quit. However, I am now beginning to get interested again, and I’m really glad you’re still around. I’m still interested in knitting your Simple Knit Tote. Since you no longer carry Latern, Soho’s Hedgerow yarn might be a good replacement. My problem is how I change the pattern for the different gauge. Thank you for any advice you may have.
Hi Dianne,
Thank you for writing in! We are thrilled to hear you are jumping back into knitting. Instead of altering the gauge of the pattern, I would first begin with a gauge swatch to see how you like the fabric and if you can meet the gauge written into the pattern. That way you won’t have to alter the pattern too much. I also think you might enjoy the result of a more sturdy fabric that Hedgerow could provide with this pattern. I hope this helps!
Happy knitting,
Gavriella