Weekend Tote
Look out, weekend, here you come! Designed by Aubrey Baumgartner, our free Weekend Tote knitting pattern is an easy-to-knit bag that’s structural, sturdy, and super soft in our delightfully dappled Sunshower Cotton yarn!
Depending on your weekend plans, pick from two sizes. The smaller size will fit everything you need to bop around town for an afternoon, while the larger bag can hold an overnight’s worth of take-alongs with room to spare.
Aubrey chose Sunshower Cotton for this project, a favorite yarn for knitting bags, thanks to its mix of softness, strength, and structure. Knitting with needles on the smaller side of the recommended gauge results in a dense yet supple fabric that won’t stretch and grow too much. Made with 100% organically grown cotton, this 4-ply worsted-weight yarn is machine wash- and dry-able, too, so you don’t have to be overly precious about this beautiful knit!
Choose which color you’d love to sling over your shoulder from a palette of sunny and stormy stippled shades, each color printed onto the yarn in a lovely drizzle, or pick the classic, goes-with-everything Heirloom White. Three skeins make the smaller bag, or grab five for the larger size!
There’s lots of simple, satisfying knitting ahead: You’ll begin with a flat, garter-stitch bottom, then pick up stitches around the edge to knit the body in stockinette in the round. To shape the straps, divide the stitches in half and decrease at the edges to form a comfy V, then finish with just a handful of stitches and join the straps with Kitchener Stitch. Aubrey cleverly leaned into stockinette’s natural curl here, with the top of the strap edges rolling in to create a beautifully rounded, hand-friendly handle!
As full of promise as the weekend itself, the Weekend Tote is made to carry the best kind of baggage: books, bathing suits, fresh market finds, or whatever makes your days feel wide open!
Yarn lovers, if you adore the yarn used in this project, you’ll love exploring all of our other yarn collections! Discover over 45 thoughtfully designed yarns in nearly every natural fiber and in every spectacular color you can imagine. Only available here at Purl Soho’s online yarn store, where every skein is created with care and your creativity in mind!
Designed for Purl Soho by Aubrey Baumgartner. Aubrey is a New York based knitwear designer originally from Greenwood, Indiana. Geometry and bold colors drive her designs, and she draws inspiration from her love of nature, architecture, and history. Aubrey is a wife and mother to three children and loves being outdoors, singing, gardening, and doing arts and crafts with her kiddos. She hopes to one day pass her passion for knitting on to them!
Share your progress and connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho. We can’t wait to see what you make!
Want to print this pattern? On desktop, find the “print” icon in the right margin, and on mobile, scroll to the end of the pattern for it. Use the on-screen instructions to remove anything you don’t want to print!
Materials
- 3 (5) skeins of Purl Soho’s Sunshower Cotton, 100% organically grown cotton. Each skein of this worsted/aran-weight yarn is 159 yards/ 100 grams; approximately 475 (710) total yards required. We used the colors Heirloom White and Upper Atmosphere.
- US 5 (3.75 mm), 24- or 32-inch circular knitting needles, depending on size you are making
- Stitch marker
- Stitch holder or scrap yarn
GAUGE
21 stitches and 42 rows = 4 inches in garter stitch
21 stitches and 32 rows = 4 inches in stockinette stitch
SIZES
Small (Large)
- Finished Circumference: 31½ (36¼) inches
- Finished Depth: 10¾ (14¾) inches
- Base of Bag: 12 inches wide x 3¾ inches long (13½ inches wide x 4½ inches long)
- Strap Depth: 9¾ (11) inches
SAMPLE: The Heirloom White bag is the Small size, and the Upper Atmosphere bag is the Large size.
NOTES
SLIP STITCHES
Slip stitches purlwise with yarn in back on right-side rows, and with yarn in front on wrong-side rows, unless directed otherwise.
PATTERN
BASE
Cast on 63 (71) stitches. We used a Long Tail Cast On.
NOTE: Place a removable stitch marker or piece of scrap yarn on first row to indicate right side.
Knit every row until piece measures 3¾ (4½) inches from cast-on edge and you have 20 (24) garter ridges on right side. End with a wrong-side row.
BODY
NOTE: For help with picking up stitches, visit our Picking Up Stitches Tutorial and scroll down to the Along a Vertical Edge: Garter Stitch, Between Ridges video for picking up along selvage edges, and the Along a Horizontal Edge video for picking up into the cast-on edge.
Set-Up Row (right side): K63 (71); rotate work 90 degrees clockwise, and pick up and knit 20 (24) stitches along left selvage (one stitch between every garter ridge); rotate work 90 degrees clockwise, and pick up and knit 63 (71) along cast-on edge (one stitch for each cast-on stitch); rotate work 90 degrees clockwise, and pick up and knit 20 (24) stitches along right selvage (one stitch between every garter ridge). [166 (190) total stitches]
Place unique marker and join for working in the round.
Knit every round until piece measures 9 (12½) inches from Set-Up Row.
DIVIDE FOR HANDLES
Division Round (right side): K114 (130), slip next 83 (95) stitches onto stitch holders or scrap yarn, removing end-of-round marker as you come to it. [83 (95) stitches remain on needles; 83 (95) stitches on hold for Second Handle]
FIRST HANDLE
Set-Up Row (wrong side): Slip 1 (see Notes), purl to end of row.
Row 1 (right side): Slip 1 (see Notes), k2, slip slip knit (ssk), knit to last 5 stitches, knit 2 together (k2tog), k3. [2 stitches decreased]
Row 2 (wrong side): Slip 2, purl to last 4 stitches, purl 1 through the back loop, p3, slip last 2 stitches back onto left needle and p2.
Row 3: Slip 2, k1, ssk, knit to last 5 stitches, k2tog, k3, slip last 2 stitches back onto left needle and k2. [2 stitches decreased]
Repeat Rows 2 and 3 until 9 stitches remain (35 [41] more times), then repeat Row 2 one more time.
Next Row (right side): Slip 2, k1, slip 1 knitwise with yarn in back, k1, pass slipped stitch over and off right needle, slip resulting stitch from right needle to left needle, pass second stitch on left needle over first, slip resulting stitch back to right needle, k3, slip last 2 stitches back onto left needle and k2. [7 stitches remain]
Next Row (wrong side): Slip 2, purl to end of row.
Place stitches on stitch holder or scrap yarn.
Cut yarn.
SECOND HANDLE
Return 83 (95) on-hold stitches to needles and rejoin yarn, ready to work a wrong-side row.
Work as for First Handle, beginning with Set-Up Row. When finished, leave stitches on needles and cut yarn, leaving a 13-inch tail for grafting.
Slip on-hold First Handle stitches onto other end of needles, making sure Handle is not twisted.
Holding needles parallel with tips pointing to right and working stitches on front needle, use long tail and Kitchener Stitch to graft Handles together.
FINISHING
Weave in all ends. Wet block as desired.
Learn About Sunshower Cotton + All Our Beautiful Yarns
We used Sunshower Cotton for this project to show off its soft, stippled surface, like the sun shining through an afternoon drizzle! This worsted/aran-weight yarn has a very pleasant hand, both substantial and soft, as well as supple. A machine washable yarn, Sunshower Cotton is 100% organically grown cotton and absolutely wonderful for adding interest to lovely garments, blankets, baby knits, and housewares. Take a sunshower!
More Free Knitting Patterns
- Be sure to explore our inspiring collection of free Sunshower Cotton knitting patterns and cast on!
More Worsted/Aran-Weight Yarns
- Shop our entire collection of worsted/aran-weight yarn (What does worsted-weight yarn mean, really? Our guide to worsted-weight yarn will answer your questions and more!)
- If you want to use a different yarn, be sure to take the time to get the correct gauge. Need help? Check our All About Gauge Tutorial!
More Yarns With Similar Fiber
- Shop cotton yarn (What helps cotton keep its cool? Learn all about this soft, natural fiber in our guide to cotton yarn!)
- Shop plant-based yarn
- Shop machine washable yarn
Looking for more inspiration? Explore all of our free knitting patterns and knitting tutorials, buy one of our many knitting kits and yarn bundles, and shop for beautiful yarn. We have over 45 gorgeous natural fiber yarns in 1000’s of magnificent colors, designed to bring integrity, beauty, and joy to your next knitting project and only available at Purl Soho!
Looks like an excellent pattern
I wonder how heavy are the bags themselves?
Hi KT,
Great question! The smaller size requires 475 yards of Sunshower Cotton, and since that yarn comes with 159 yards per 100g skein, that size would end up weighing about 298.74 oz, or about 0.66 lb. Likewise, the larger size requires 710 yards, so it would weigh approximately 446.54 oz, or 0.98 lb.
I also want to mention that the type of yarn you use will affect the weight! Plant fibers, like cotton, are relatively heavy compared to animal fibers, like wool. So if you choose to use a different yarn than Sunshower Cotton, the finished tote will weigh slightly different!
All the best,
Lili
Is there a video tutorial available for this weekend tote?
Hi Tracy,
Can you please let us know if there’s any section of the tote you’d like clarity on? We don’t have a full video tutorial for this project, but we’re happy to help guide you in other ways!
All the best,
Zha Zha
Is there a printable version of the Weekend Tote pattern
Hi Melissa,
Yep, you can absolutely print this pattern out! Here’s how: If you’re on your computer, you’ll find a “print” icon in the right column just below the “Save To Favorites” button. If you’re on a mobile version of the site, you will find the “print” icon below the pattern and above the comments.
Click on this button, and a window will pop up where you can delete whichever parts of the pattern you don’t want to print. When you hover over any image or a text block, it will be highlighted in yellow and a “trash” icon will appear. Just click on this icon to delete anything that’s not necessary to the pattern! For example, you may decide to shorten the pattern by omitting certain images or the list of materials. Then, just click on the “Print” button in the upper left-hand corner of the pop-up window!
All the best,
Lili
Thank you for the amazing weekend tote bag pattern. It is just what I need. I intend to make several as Christmas presents to good friends and family members. It is perfect as is but I intend to also crochet a large initial for thier first name on the center front!
Do you offer this in a crochet pattern?
Hi Lynn,
I’m afraid we haven’t designed a crochet version of this tote bag yet, but I love that idea! I’ve passed along your message to the rest of my team for future consideration!
All the best,
Lili
When you say add a stitch marker to indicate the right side row, is this after already knitting the first row, or just after casting on, ie do we end on an even or odd number of rows knit?
Hi A P,
That’s a great question! I’d recommend attaching the removable stitch marker after knitting at least the first row. That’ll give you more space to attach it to. I also like moving the stitch marker up after I’ve knit more rows just so that it’s moved more towards the middle of the right side and that way it’s more visible as you knit!
All the best,
Lili
Hi, I have the same question as AP. I understand how to put on a stitch marker, but how do we determine which side is the “right side”? As the directions are written, it appears the first side we begin knitting on (ie, after the cast on) is the “right” side, but I’m not sure. Thanks!
Hi Anne,
That is correct! Row 1 will be your right side.
Happy knitting!
Gavriella
Can’t wait to make this! I used Sunshower Cotton for the Double Thick Potholders and they’re favorites in our household; the only difficult part will be trying to decide which color to use for this tote.
Is the model in the pictures wearing a store-bought or handmade dress? Asking because it’s gorgeous and I’d love a link to the pattern if it’s handmade. <3
Hi Kira,
We’re so glad you’re eager to make this tote! The dress our model is wearing is store-bought; it’s the Garment Dyed Linen V Neck Dress from Toast!
All the best,
Lili
I am looking forward to attempting this.
Love this yarn
Please help! I am an intermediate knitter so I know just enough to be dangerous with a pair of needles, but……I am stuck at the body portion. Specifically “pick up and knit along the left selvage, rotate 90 degrees, and pick up and knit 63, etc, etc. I’ve googled how to do this to no avail. Is there a video tutorial available for this Weekend Tote bag? Or can you direct me to a site where I can visually see how to do this part?
Appreciate the help,
Tracy C
Trinity, Florida
Hi Tracy,
Happy to help! For this step, the end goal is to have live stitches all the way around the base of the tote. You’ll already have 63 live stitches on your needles, so you begin the row by knitting those, then you pick up 20 stitches along the edge that’s perpendicular to the live stitches, then 63 along the next edge of the base, and finally 20 stitches along the final edge!
I completely understand that something like this might be easier to visualize though, so I’d recommend booking a 1-On-1 Help appointment so we can demonstrate this over Zoom for you!
All the best,
Lili
Lili,
I wish we could post a picture here so I could show you I did it! Your instructions made much more sense to me:)
Thank you so much!
Tracy
Hi Tracy!
We are so happy you found Lili’s instructions helpful! You can always email us at [email protected] if you’d ever like to send in photos of your current project or ask any specific questions as well!
Happy making!
Gavriella
Can you estimate how much yarn one handle will take? I’m half way through this project and am starting to wonder if I’m going to have enough yarn. I subbed Tulip Cotton for the yarn. I could stripe the body of the bag if I needed more yardage but want the handles to be the same color as the base and bottom half.
Thanks!
Hi Kathy,
Thanks for writing in! For the smaller size, you’ll need about 68 yards per handle, and for the larger size, you’ll need approximately 89 yards per handle.
The way I calculated this was first by breaking the bag down into components (base, body, handles) and calculating the surface area of each. Then I added these up to find the total surface area for the bag and created a ratio between that, the surface area of just one handle, and the original yardage. Finally, I solved for the yardage of just one handle!
I hope this helps, and please let me know if you have any other questions!
All the best,
Lili
I am having a hard time getting the gauge correct. I have tried a US 5 and US 4 needle. Even with the size 4 needle my swatch is about 5 inches. I’m not an extremely loose knitter. Any suggestions?
Hi Teresa,
That’s concerning to hear… You might have to go down even further to a size 3 needle, but first, can you please let us know how many stitches and rows you’re getting across 4 inches on both of your swatches? It would also help to know if your gauge swatches are in garter or stockinette stitch and lastly, if you’ve blocked your swatch yet.
If you aren’t already, I also recommend casting on more stitches than your gauge calls for. This is because you always need a little extra border on each side to account for curling and a more accurate count. In this case, I recommend casting on 28 stitches.
We’ll keep an eye out for your response and go from there!
All the best,
Zha Zha
With the size 4 needle I am getting 17 stiches and 36 rows in blocked garter stitch. In blocked stockinette, I get 17 stitches and 28 rows.
I have already frogged the size 5 sample.
Thanks for your help,
Teresa
Thanks so much for letting us know! It looks like your gauge is loose, so I agree with Zha Zha’s recommendation to try a size US 3 needle next! Let us know how that turns out!
All the best,
Lili
Hi Lili,
I had to go down one size needle to a 4 and knit really tightly to get the 13.5″ width. So once I have knitted about 2+ inches, I should have 12 purl bumps. Is that correct?
Thanks
Hi Anna,
Since the garter stitch gauge for this pattern is 21 stitches and 42 rows = 4 inches in garter stitch. This means you should have 21 rows completed for 2 inches of work. I hope this helps clarify!
Happy knitting,
Gavriella
Hi Graviella,
Not really. The pattern instructs to knit 13.5″ wide and 4.5″ in length for the larger bag with 24 garter bumps, which is slightly different than the stated gauge for the project.
Hi Anna,
Happy to further clarify! If you divide the row gauge (42 rows) by 4 this will result in your rows per inch which in this case is 10.5 rows per inch. You will then multiply 10.5 x 4.5″ which results in 47.25 rows but we’ve rounded that number up to 48 rows which will give you 24 garter ridges for your base.
So if you have knitted 2″ of work, you should have knit 21 rows (2″ x 10.5).
I hope this helps and happy making!
All the best,
Gavriella
I’m fully enjoying this weekend tote. I totally love the yarn as it’s weight will provide a nice sturdy bag. I’m looking ahead to the division for the handles and I’m definitely confused. As I read it I am to knit 114 stitches and then place 83 on a stitch holder but this means that I’m exceeding my total number of stitches at 166. Am I correct that each handle begins with 83 stitches? Can you help see what part I’m interpreting incorrectly?
Hi Sue,
That’s a great observation! On the Division Round, you will end up working past your end-of-round marker for more than the total number of stitches on the round. You knit 114 stitches and then transfer the next 83 stitches onto scrap yarn, and that part will go past the end-of-round marker. You should end up with 83 live stitches and 83 on-hold stitches!
All the best,
Lili
Lilli,
Thanks so much for your reply. As you have indicated, I now see how this works out. I appreciate your response and look forward to the finished tote.
I’m confused about the handle step where it says to p3, slip last two to left needle, and purl 2. What it the purpose of this step? Is it meant to make a decorative edge? Thank you!
Hi Jessica,
That is correct! These instructions are to make sure you end up with a nice clean edge.
Happy knitting!
Gavriella
Is there any overlap between the given strap lengths and bag depths? I’m trying to decide on a size to knit. Is the overall length 20.5 for the small, and 25.75 for the large? Thanks!
Hi Irene,
That’s totally correct for the overall length of each size! You can also adjust the depth of the bag part only by knitting more ore fewer rounds before dividing for the handles.
All the best,
Lili
Hi,
Just confirming – the gauge swatch should be unblocked? Thanks!
Leah
Hi Leah,
Thanks for asking! The gauge included in this pattern is actually for a blocked swatch.
I hope this helps and happy making!
Gavriella
Does it make sense that the “right side” is on the inside of the tote? I am on the first few rows after picking up stitches and joining in the round knitting and my right side appears to be on the inside of the tote and not the outside, which I would have expected.
Hi Krista,
Thanks for writing in, and I think I can visualize what you’re describing! Could you try turning your work inside out by popping the base towards the other side? That should turn it around so that the stockinette “V” stitches are on the outside instead of the inside!
All the best,
Lili
I’m having issues with the handles. When I’ve divided for the handles the decreases are on either side of the bag not the center.
I’m not quite sure how to explain.
My end of round stitch marker for the body has been on the side of the bag. Now the triangle split also appears to be on the side of the bag and not the center.
Thank you for any help!!
Hi Emily,
We are so sorry to hear you are running into issues here. Could you please send a photo of your project to [email protected] so we can have a deeper look? We’ll be able to better visualize what’s going on that way!
All the best,
Gavriella
I’m so sorry was completely a mistake by me miscounting!
I ended up finishing the bag and it looks lovely 🙂
Thank you and sorry!
No worries at all, Emily. We are always here to help if anything comes up along the way! We are just happy you were able to complete your project!
All the best,
Gavriella
Hi! Is it possible to knit this bag using “Cotton Pure” yarn or would it be considered too lightweight or not recommended?
Hi Kate,
Thanks for writing in! Cotton Pure is a sportweight yarn, so it’s significantly thinner than Sunshower Cotton. If you knit it at the gauge specified in the pattern, the knit fabric will feel very loose. But you could absolutely modify the stitch and row counts throughout the pattern to make it work for the smaller gauge you’ll probably get with Cotton Pure! You’d mainly just need to cast on more stitches for the base, work more rows, and then pick up more stitches around the base to begin the body. You’d also need to adjust the stitch counts on the Division Round for the handles to accommodate your new overall stitch count. I’m happy to help with any of these modifications if you decide to give Cotton Pure a try for this pattern!
All the best,
Lili
Can I use 16″ or 32″ for the small size? I have 2 24″ circs but don’t like either of them for this lovely yarn?
Hi Diana,
Thanks for writing in! Either length should work! The finished circumference of the small size is 31 1/2, so the stitches will feel cramped on 16″ needles, but slightly stretched on 32″ needles. I’d suggest trying them both out and seeing which you prefer–you can always switch them out if you don’t like the length you start with!
All the best,
Lili
I’m so excited to try this bag but will have to substitute the yarn. Would you give some dimensions (say the size of the base, height to the start of the handles and full length), for each bag? Want to make sure I’m getting somewhere close to the correct sizing.
Thank you for sharing.
Hi Roisin,
Thanks for writing in! The dimensions of the bag (for each size) are as follows:
Finished Circumference: 31½ (36¼) inches
Finished Depth: 10¾ (14¾) inches
Base of Bag: 12 inches wide x 3¾ inches long (13½ inches wide x 4½ inches long)
Strap Depth: 9¾ (11) inches
Please let me know if there are any other measurements that you’d find helpful to have on hand as you begin your project!
All the best,
Lili