Simple Knot Bag

A cute and clever little take-along, our Simple Knot Bag pattern ties snugly around anything from a knitting project to a tasty snack. Choose from three sizes, and cast on with our new Field Notes yarn, a mix of hemp and cotton that is earthy, elegant, and totally beautiful.

The shape of this bag is called an “azuma bukuro” in Japanese, a traditional cloth bag secured with a knot. We wanted to see if we could knit this shape without any seaming, and we found a simple and satisfying way to do it. All easy knitting, with step-by-step photos to guide you along the way, but a fun brain-tickler to see how it comes together!

Knitting the Simple Knot Bag is a journey full of happy discoveries, and Field Notes is a lovely companion—soft, supple, and absolutely gorgeous on the needles. This DK-weight yarn is half French hemp and half rare Sicilian cotton, the perfect balance between hearty, rustic character and remarkable softness. A robust multi-ply structure and sturdy plant-based fibers make your bag easy to care for and even machine-washable.

This yarn truly shines in stockinette, the ideal showcase for its handsome hempen texture. Pick from a palette of rich colors: warm Stepping Stone, bright Yellow Zest, deep Fresh Huckleberry, and more. You’ll need two balls of Field Notes for the smallest size, three for the medium size, and five for the largest.

Whether tucked under your arm or into another bag as an interior organizer, the Simple Knot Bag is so handy and helpful that you’ll just have to make one in each size!

Yarn lovers, if you adore the yarn used in this project, you’ll love exploring all of our other yarn collections! Discover over 55 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!

Pattern designed and written by Purl Soho designer, Hiromi Glover. See even more of Hiromi’s work on her Instagram!

Story written by Andrea Lotz for Purl Soho.

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

• 2 (3, 5) balls of Purl Soho’s Field Notes, 50% Sicilian cotton and 50% hemp. Each ball of this light worsted/DK-weight yarn is 104 yards/ 50 grams; approximately 190 (312, 510) total yards required. We used Yellow Zest, Stepping Stone, and Fresh Huckleberry.
• US 4 (3.5 mm) circular knitting needles, 24-inch for Small and Medium sizes or 32-inch for Large size
• A set of US 4 double pointed needles OR US 4, 32-inch circular needles for Magic Loop
• Stitch markers, including one unique

NOTE: We used every last yard for the Medium size! To avoid running short, be sure to check your gauge, reuse your swatch yarn, and keep tails short. Or, consider ordering an extra ball just for swatching. If you don’t end up needing it, you can return it for a refund within 30 days of purchase, or within 6 months, for store credit. Our Return Policy has all the details!

GAUGE

24 stitches and 36 rows = 4 inches in stockinette stitch

SIZES

Small (Medium, Large)

• Finished Circumference: 22½ (28½, 37) inches
• Finished Height at Corners: 11½ (14½, 18¾) inches
• Finished Height at Center: 5¾ (7¼, 9½) inches

SAMPLES: The Yellow Zest bag is the Small size, the Stepping Stone bag is the Medium size, and the Fresh Huckleberry bag is the Large size.

NOTE

Construction

First, you will knit a square. Next, you will use a cable cast on to add new stitches, then pick up and knit stitches along one edge of the square. You will join these stitches in the round, which folds the square in half along its diagonal to create one bottom corner, then work decreases to create the other bottom corner. You will finish by picking up around the edge and working an I-Cord Bind Off. Don’t worry, there are photos along the way to help you visualize!

PATTERN

WORK SQUARE

Cast on 48 (60, 78) stitches onto circular needles. We used a basic Long Tail Cast On.

Do not join to work in the round.

Set-Up Row (wrong side): Purl to end of row, place a removable stitch marker on last stitch worked.

Row 1 (right side): Knit to end of row.

Row 2 (wrong side): Purl to end of row.

Continue in stockinette stitch, repeating Rows 1 and 2, until piece measures 8 (10, 13) inches from cast-on edge, ending with a right-side row.

PICK UP + JOIN IN ROUND

Turn work so wrong side is facing you and cable cast on 48 (60, 78) stitches, place marker, and cable cast on 48 (60, 78) more stitches.

Without turning work, fold bottom left corner to top right corner so wrong sides are facing each other, forming a triangle. Then, being careful not to twist the stitches and starting at removable stitch marker, pick up and knit 48 (60, 78) stitches along selvage edge, at a rate of approximately 2 stitches per 3 rows. [192 (240, 312) total stitches]

NOTE: For help with picking up stitches, please visit our Picking Up Stitches Tutorial and scroll down the page to the Along A Vertical Edge: Stockinette Stitch section.

Remove removable stitch marker.

Place unique marker and join for working in the round.

DECREASE

NOTE: If using 24-inch circular needles, switch to double pointed needles when necessary.

Rounds 1 and 2: [Slip slip knit, knit to 2 stitches before next marker, knit 2 together, slip marker] 2 times. [4 stitches decreased]

Round 3: Knit to end of round, slipping markers as you come to them.

Repeat Rounds 1–3 twenty-two (28, 37) more times. [8 stitches remain]

Repeat Round 1 one more time, removing markers as you come to them. [4 stitches remain]

Cut yarn and thread tail onto a tapestry needle. Draw needle through remaining stitches, pull taut, and bring tail to inside of bag to weave in.

FINISHING

With 24-inch circular needles for Small + Medium sizes or 32-inch circular needles for Large size, cast on 2 stitches. Then beginning at either pointed tip along selvage edge of bag, pick up and knit around the bag opening at a rate of approximately 2 stitches per 3 rows along vertical selvages and every stitch along horizontal cast-on edges.  

Join for working in the round and bind off picked-up stitches using an I-Cord Bind Off.

NOTE: For help, please visit our I-Cord Bind Off Tutorial.

Weave in the ends and gently wet block.

Share your progress and connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho. We can’t wait to see what you make!

Looking for more inspiration? Explore all of our knitting patterns (including tons of free knitting patterns) and knitting tutorials, buy one of our many knitting kits and yarn bundles, and shop for beautiful yarn. We have over 35 gorgeous natural fiber yarns in 100’s of magnificent colors, designed to bring integrity, beauty, and joy to your next knitting project and only available at Purl Soho!