For my latest knitting project, I wanted to make a small handbag that could be used for household and garden tools. Things like hammers, screwdrivers, hand shovels, wrenches and leather gloves. Dirty things. Rusty things. Things you would never, ever, ever let near your pretty yarn stash.

I guess I could have made the bag out of cheap acrylic yarn, but since most of these dirty tools came from my local hardware store, that seemed like a good a place as any to find an appropriate fiber for the bag. Sure enough, in the bargain bin, I found jute twine.

That’s right, jute twine. For home, office, garden, camping, fishing, general utility and knitting. Comes in a variety of thicknesses and whips up in a flash.

I realize there’s a fine line between knitting with twine and macramé, but as long as I stay away from some vintage macramé patterns, I think I’m okay.

And here’s a picture of the finished bag. Before I jump into the full pattern here’s some key info you should know about knitting with twine before you start your own project.

• Depending on the type of twine you get, it can be really rough and hard and your hands. Delicate hands beware!
• Twine is a fiber that doesn’t stretch and likes to do its own thing, so it doesn’t respond well to a lot of force and pulling. Consequently, don’t expect your gauge to be perfectly even throughout the finished product.
• Based on the two previous tips, I would not recommend this for someone learning how to knit. You should have completed at least two or three basic knitting projects before attempting this one.

Finally, this pattern is fairly basic and generic, so it goes without saying that you can adapt this to make larger bags or for use with thicker and thinner materials from your hardware store like other types of twine, nylon cord, electrical wire, you name it….

Jute-a-lo Handbag
Bag Pattern

• CO 92 stitches to size 8 circular needles, connect the work (careful not to twist)
• Work 10 rounds in (K1P1)*
• Work in K around and around until the work is at least 18” long or to desired length.
• K16, pm, K30, pm, K16, pm, K30, pm
• K2tog* until marker, K30 (to marker), K2tog until marker, K30 (to marker)
• Repeat this row three more times (until there are 62 stitches left)
• Turn the work inside out, and line up 31 stitches side by side
• K2tog along the seam, and bind off along the way to create the bottom seam of the bag.

Bag Handle

• CO 4 stitches to size 8 DPN
• Work in K for 10 rows
• Work in i-cord for 18”
• Work in K for 10 rows
• BO

Assembly

• Knit one bag, and two handles
• Hand sew the handles to the bag using leftover twine

You might have been expecting a post about colonic health and a great way to add fiber to your diet, but instead you’re getting pictures of some things I knitted for my friend’s baby. Baby booties AND the glorious Chicken Viking Hat.

Both were knitted on a set of bamboo #5 double pointed needles, and with the exception of the yellow chicken feet, I managed to make the whole set with just one skein of Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino.

The pattern for the Chicken Viking Hat is freely available under the Creative Commons license, and I made up the pattern for the booties by combining basic patterns from Maggie Righetti’s Knitting in Plain English and Nancy Bush’s Folk Socks. Does that make it an original pattern? A mashup? Not quite sure, but the Righetti book is worth getting if you’re interested in learning how to knit.

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