Knitting Pattern - Mini Crossword Bag (small)

I hope that you enjoy this cute little crossword bag. I know it's stranded colour knitting (Fair Isle), but don't be put off. Because it's knit in the round, it is really easy and fast. You can finish one or two in an evening, no worries!

If you wanted to make it longer, for glasses, pencils, or whatever, after Row 27 of the grid pattern, simply start again at Row 1 and knit as much extra of the grid as you need. The bag shown here has the English style crossword grid pattern.

For a slightly bigger bag, try out the Large Mini Bag.

Both bags are on Ravelry, too.

Cheers, Denise

A Pretty Easy Knit : a little experience with stranded and circular knitting is needed.

Materials

• ~10 g of black 10 ply / worsted yarn
• ~10 g of white 10 ply / worsted yarn

  I used Lincraft Bamboozle (Bamboo/Cotton), but any other smooth 10 ply / worsted yarn would be fine. Any fibre is okay, the main thing is to make sure both colours are the same brand. It's a good idea to choose something that can be washed easily.

• 3.5 mm / US 4 needles; DPNs or a long circular (for Magic Loop method). Use a slightly smaller needle than recommended for the yarn, to give a firmer fabric.

• Darning needle & scissors

• Fabric for lining if you desire (optional)

• Snap closure (optional)

• Note : instructions within brackets are to be repeated. So (K1, P1) means to knit K1, P1, K1, P1, K1, P1 etc across the entire row.

Gauge

Roughly 20 stitches : 10 cm / 4" - but it's not too important.

Size

About 6 cm wide x 14.5 cm high (2 1/4" x 5 3/4")

Method - Small Bag

• Decide whether you want to knit a British Crossword or an American Crossword - the grids are quite different (British crosswords have more black squares, American ones have more white squares).

• Cast on 24 stitches using black, using a stretchy cast on method (eg long tail). Make sure you leave a tail of at least 10 cm (4").

• Knit 1 row of (K1, P1) ribbing.

• Join to knit in the round, and knit another 5 rows in ribbing (6 rows in total).

• Join the white yarn, and either knit from the graphed pattern (PDF), or follow the line-by-line instructions below for the crossword grid. Choose either the British OR the American grid.

  BRITISH CROSSWORD

  1. 8 x (2 white, 1 black)
  2. 8 x (2 white, 1 black)
  3. 1 row of black
  4. 4 x (2 white, 4 black)
  5. 4 x (2 white, 4 black)
  6. 1 row of black
  7. 8 x (2 white, 1 black)
  8. 8 x (2 white, 1 black)
  9. 1 row of black
  10. 4 x (3 black, 2 white, 1 black)
  11. 4 x (3 black, 2 white, 1 black)
  12. 1 row of black
  13. 8 x (2 white, 1 black)
  14. 8 x (2 white, 1 black)
  15. 1 row of black
  16. 4 x (3 black, 2 white, 1 black)
  17. 4 x (3 black, 2 white, 1 black)
  18. 1 row of black
  19. 8 x (2 white, 1 black)
  20. 8 x (2 white, 1 black)
  21. 1 row of black
  22. 4 x (2 white, 4 black)
  23. 4 x (2 white, 4 black)
  24. 1 row of black
  25. 8 x (2 white, 1 black)
  26. 8 x (2 white, 1 black)
  27. 1 row of black

  OR

  AMERICAN CROSSWORD

  1. 8 x (2 white, 1 black)
  2. 8 x (2 white, 1 black)
  3. 1 row black
  4. 2 x (2 white, 1 black), 2 white, 4 black, 4 x (2 white, 1 black)
  5. 2 x (2 white, 1 black), 2 white, 4 black, 4 x (2 white, 1 black)
  6. 1 row black
  7. 2 white, 4 black, 6 x (2 white, 1 black)
  8. 2 white, 4 black, 6 x (2 white, 1 black)
  9. 1 row black
  10. 6 x (2 white, 1 black), 2 white, 4 black
  11. 6 x (2 white, 1 black), 2 white, 4 black
  12. 1 row black
  13. 8 x (2 white, 1 black)
  14. 8 x (2 white, 1 black)
  15. 1 row black
  16. 2 white, 1 black, 2 white, 4 black, 5 x (2 white, 1 black)
  17. 2 white, 1 black, 2 white, 4 black, 5 x (2 white, 1 black)
  18. 1 row black
  19. 3 black, 7 x (2 white, 1 black)
  20. 3 black, 7 x (2 white, 1 black)
  21. 1 row black
  22. 4 x (2 white, 1 black), 2 white, 4 black, 2 x (2 white, 1 black)
  23. 4 x (2 white, 1 black), 2 white, 4 black, 2 x (2 white, 1 black)
  24. 1 row black
  25. 8 x (2 white, 1 black)
  26. 8 x (2 white, 1 black)
  27. 1 row black

• Cut the white yarn, leaving a ~10 cm / 4" tail. Knit 1 round (just using black from here on in).

• (SSK, K8, K2tog) repeat across row (20 stitches remain)

• Knit 1 round

• (SSK, K6, K2tog) repeat across row (16 stitches remain)

• Knit 1 round

• Either : graft the last 16 stitches together using Kitchener Stitch; do a 3 needle bind off; or bind off all stitches, and then sew the end closed.

• Darn in all ends. Use the tail from the cast on to tidy up the start of the ribbing, where you joined in the round.

• If the 'floats' of yarn on the inside of the bag catch on your phone / camera / treasures, you may like to sew a simple soft lining for the bag out of an old t-shirt or other fabric scraps.

• You also might like to sew a snap closure onto the ribbed section.

© Denise Sutherland 2009. For personal use only.

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