In the Bag

Last week I posted a selection of clutch and wrist bag patterns; in today's post I offer my picks for handbag/purse designs. I've also done posts on selected tote bag, messenger bag, and backpack designs.

The above photo is of the mini-backpack and handbag of the Tensity pattern, designed by Talitha Kuomi. Having scrolled through 65 pages of handbag designs on Ravelry to find the eighteen patterns for this post, I can tell you that I definitely recommend using commercially made handles, buckles, and other hardware to finish off a handknitted bag. It elevates the look from "homemade" to "polished". These bags simply wouldn't be nearly as smart-looking without their straps and buckles. Since selection of straps, handles, and hardware can be limited, I also advise purchasing them before you begin your project -- perhaps even before selecting your yarn -- as it can be such a letdown to finish one's bag project and then not be able to find complementary hardware. I also advise lining your bags whenever possible, even if the pattern doesn't call for it (these particular bags are lined), not only with a durable, washable lining fabric, but also with a sturdy interfacing and possibly also batting if it seems necessary to give the bag shape. This will generally require the use of a home sewing machine and at least basic sewing skills.

The Damask bag, from the Berroco Design Team. Felting is another recommended direction for handmade bags, as it makes the bag far sturdier than knitting alone can do. And it can be used to create some interesting visual effects. Love the damask flower on this bag, the handles work perfectly with it, and the braided cord adds a lot too.

The Viking Bag, by Karen S. Lauger. A classic bag. Interesting yarn and hardware choices will go a long way towards mitigating the "knitting bag" look.

The Billington Bag, by Snowden Becker. How cute are these bags? The stitchwork gives the simple shapes and colour choices all the interest they need.

The Cinch, by Nora J. Bellows. This looks exactly like the kind of bag you'd see in an expensive store and sigh over. The little metal label is a nice touch.

Molly's Carpetbag, by Cricket Toomey. This bag is so cute, and smart enough to carry with a suit. If my enthusiasm over this quality comes across as over-the-top, well, you weren't sitting beside me as I trawled through the aforementioned 65 pages of handbag designs on Ravelry, a disturbing proportion of which looked for all the world like toilet paper cosies with straps.

Tree of Life Felted Purse, by Cindy Pilon. The exception I would make to my "go with commercially made hardware and straps" advice is if you want a monotone look like this one, which of course you're often not going to get with anything but handles made from the same yarn.

Trellis Tote and Flap Bag, by Diane Sutliff. This one's a lot of fun. Noro yarns like these will make a uniquely colourful bag.

Bag of Checks. A felted, oversized houndstooth effect combined with a good shape.

That's Mr. Morris to You, by Jenny Tabrum. Here's another appealing handbag with an attractive felted motif and a good shape.

Floral Felted Bag, by Nicky Epstein. I think I'd know a Nicky Epstein design if I met it in the dark. She's very fond of whimsy and of tapestry-inspired designs.

Wishbone Cable Handbag, by Karen Payzant. Some interesting cabling in this, and the shape is good.

Bow Me Over, by Bonnie Golding. This project would be a fun one to pick out a yarn/fabric combination for.

Junior Doctor's Bag, by Mel Clark. The chevron stitch used here is such a good look with a classic shape.

Lacey Leaf Satchel, by Pam Powers. Very pretty and distinctive bag.

Evelyn, by Carol Galasso. Reinforcing flat felted straps with fabric is another handle option, and a good one, as this bag could definitely pass for "commercially made and sold at an expensive, trendy store".

Magnolia Handbag, by Sini Huupponen. Felted handbags make good canvases for some charming embroidery motifs if you're so inclined. This is adorable.

Plaid Felted Purse, by Cindy Pilon. Another super cute bag. Make this bag in a woman's personal palette of favourite colours and it will be a perfect and useful accent bag for her wardrobe.

Knitscene Fall 2018: A Review

Knitscene has released its Fall 2018 issue. Let's have a look at it, shall we?

Frances Sweater. Not bad. Putting this open-centre cables on the sleeves gives the classic cabled sweater design a contemporary feel.

Felicity Sweater. Nice. I like the inclusion of a touch of lace in the cable pattern.

Greta Cardigan. Another nice modern twist on the cabled cardigan, but I would fix the mullet hem. Ain't nothing modern or cool about the mullet.

Lucy Sweater. I love the Art Deco vibe of the cabled device on this one, and the detailed cuffs, but I would fix the dropped shoulders.

Olivia Sweater. Quite smart and striking.

Suzy Cardigan. Really attractive and wearable, with an interesting bit of detail in the cable across the back. I'd consider making this one for myself.

Natalie Sweater. The designer has tried to introduce some asymmetry into this piece, but didn't achieve the counterbalance that asymmetry requires. With one sleeve cabled and the other plain, and all that cabled detail on the bottom two-third of the body, this one has a lop-sided, bottom heavy feel to it.

Eleanor Mittens. These are so big and clumsy-looking they look more like oven mitts than cold weather mittens.

Wendy Cowl. Nice. That's one graphically striking pattern.

Margot Top. Honestly, this one comes across like some stretched-out thrift shop number some editor decided to include (and even more inexplicably style over a prairie dress) because they hadn't met quota on the number of designs for this issue.

Cate Cardigan. This one has a cute, fun, young look to it. Nice shaping and play of colour.

Ingrid Vest. This one would be a useful top layer for fall. And a way to brighten up the wearer's day if you go with a bright colour like this one.

Agatha Shawl. Very cool stitchwork in this one. It's like an art print.

Beatrice Sweater. I like the lace insert concept, but not that the lace piece hangs below the hem of the body of the sweater. It looks like a mistake. I'd fix that so the sweater has an even hemline all the way around.

Helen Cowl. Some really attractive stitchwork in this, and I like the combination of turquoise and copper.

(There aren't, at least as of this writing, Ravelry pages for this cowl or the three others that follow it.) I like this one, which has the look of a seascape.

I like this one too, with its simple yet effective check stitch.

A garter stitch cowl isn't a bad way to showcase a self-striping yarn.

I like the combination of the teal, lime, and white colour scheme and the garter and stockinette stitchwork. They set each other off.

Claire Sweater. Some lovely yoke detailing on this one, and the shape is perfect.

Clutch This

In today's post I'm going to offer a selection of clutch and wrist bag patterns. I'm planning to do a series of posts on selected patterns for knitted bags over the next several weeks, starting with this post of clutch and wristlet patterns, moving on to a post on handbag patterns, and from there to a selection of tote bag patterns, and winding up with backpack and messenger bag posts. It'll be a good, useful series of posts for my readers, as well as a way to harmlessly indulge my fetish for nice bags. Because I can't knit every beautiful bag design I see, can I? (Narrator, sternly: She cannot.)

Let's start with the Grace Clutch, designed by Julie Grantz LeFrancois. How smart is this clutch? This one's not an evening bag, but would be fine for any occasion to which a woman can wear dressy street clothes: a daytime wedding, a lunch or dinner date. And as you can see it's the perfect accessory for a simple black outfit.

This is the Clutch This bag, designed by Debbie Bliss, and available in the book Knits to Give: 30 Knitted Gifts Made With Love. This little clutch would work just fine with evening wear. After checking out 15 pages of clutch and wristlet patterns on Ravelry to find patterns for this post, I can tell you that knitted evening clutches require certain yarns and findings, as clutches knitted out of regular sweater-type yarn tend to look too homely and unpolished for evening wear. You'll need to go with certain kinds of materials to wind up with an evening bag that looks right with evening wear: yarns that have a sheen or a halo, metallic yarns, novelty yarns that contain sequins or ruffles, and/or add beads or other embellishments.

Smocking Clutch, by Laura Zukaite, available in Luxe Knits: The Accessories: Couture Adornments to Knit & Crochet. This one's another daytime bag that is a little more roomy than any of the others in this post, and therefore more practical -- women tend to need to carry much more stuff with them during the workday! I'm not thrilled with the yarn choice used here (though it is an alpaca silk), but I do love the shape of this bag.

The Buckle Bag, designed by Cecily Glowik MacDonald. This pattern is available in Vogue Knitting on the Go: Bags Two! This one's another smart clutch that I'd consider best employed for daytime wear, though it could be turned into an evening bag with a different yarn and possibly buckle choice, if you can find fancier buckles.

The CoCo bag pattern, designed by Janine Le Cras, imitates the classic Chanel bag. I'd be inclined to make this one in a glossy black yarn and run a silk or velvet ribbon through the links of the chain strap, rather than yarn.

The Verdigris clutch, by Charmaine Fletcher, looks like the perfect little daytime summer clutch to make in a cotton or linen.

Envelope Clutch, by Gwen Bortner. This pattern was published in Bortner's Entrée to Entrelac: The Definitive Guide from a Biased Knitter. Another daytime/street wear clutch. I'm having fun thinking of all the different variegated yarns this one might be done in, though of course a neutral-colour clutch is the most versatile.

Ada, by Louisa Harding, published in Harding's book Knits from an English Rose: 25 Modern-Vintage Accessories. Love the stitchwork on the flap of this one.

Felted Clutch, by Jill Wright. Felting is a good direction to go with in making bags, because it's a considerable help with the sturdiness factor. And the right toggle can do a lot for a clutch.

The RYTA Felted Clutch Handbag, by Tanya Alpert. If you're like me and like the look of a nice brooch but don't like actually wearing them because they leave little brooch holes in your clothing, a felted clutch such as those shown here can be the perfect way to showcase a family heirloom brooch or a pretty inexpensive brooch that came from your local discount or thrift store.

But I Wanted Tiffany's, by Cheryl Erlandson. I'm not a big fan of frame bags, which have a rather too fussy look for my liking, but I can hardly overlook such a classic small bag style (I even own a few myself), so I'll close out this post with a selection of four of them. This is an undeniably sweet little confection of a bag.

The Cascading Ruffle Clutch, by Christina Behnke. This bag would hold its own alongside many a far more expensive, commercially made evening bag, and it's a good way to use a novelty ruffled yarn. If you'd like to save money on the frame, check thrift stores for old frame bags, as the frames can be stripped and reused.

Morning Glory, by Angela Sixian Wu. The combination of Rowan Kidsilk Haze and beads makes for a very pretty effect.

Diamonds are Forever, by Theresa Williams. This pattern was published in Williams' Bead Knitting Handbags 1. This has an Art Deco, 1930's vibe to it, and I am here for that.

Free the Feather Boas and Other Knitting Fables

Shanice felt fashion was all about balance. One could wear a too small skirt anywhere as long as one coordinated it with too much hat.

Hunter felt her Bathmat Vest was perfect for camping trips. Why pack towels or a sleeping bag when she had the perfect multi-purpose item?

Carly had done pretty well at finding a colour-blocked handbag to go with her colour blocked ensemble, but try as she would she had not been able to find the right colour-blocked shoes. But then, she reminded herself, she couldn't expect shoe designers to be ahead of the curve like her.

Molly, Jenna, and Nia were thrilled with their new "Edwardian lingerie as outerwear" looks, but agreed that for their next round of designs someone really had to go whole hog and wear the bloomers.

Tierra saw no reason why feather boas should always be confined to the neck region. Feather boas deserved to roam free! Or failing that, to at least be given the chance to be a skirt now and then.

Claire did her best to make "green" outfits by working with found materials. Her latest creation employed garbage bags, a fishing net, and part of a suit left behind by her last ex-boyfriend.

Mauve took the ordinary pale blue cabled turtleneck she'd been given for her birthday and gave it some real personality by adding ruffles and braids and hooked loops of roving. It was a bit of a drag to have to put so much work into her gifts, but her family just couldn't seem to understand her personal style. Or remember that her name was Mauve now.

Michaela was so thrilled with her new knitted pajamas that she'd sometimes levitate for sheer pleasure.

Iris got halfway down the runway before she began to wonder if the dresser had forgotten something. Could it be her pants? No, that didn't seem to be it.

Nicola so hated weaving in ends that she'd decided to just not do it and turn the ends into a design feature.