Pattern Notebook: Yarn Bombing Your Bag

I have this great Jordana Paige knitting bag that I use as a purse, because it’s big and pretty and I like it. I’ve gotten more compliments on it than any other bag I’ve ever owned, probably.

But the handles on the thing got completely torn up in the couple years of use it has gotten.

So I decided to knit covers for the handles. Think of it as yarn bombing for your handbag.

This is totally easy to do and you don’t need a pattern at all, of course. Just knit a little Stockinette Stitch rectangle that will cover your strap, bind off and leave a really long tail.

Then just sew it around the strap using mattress stitch.

This was a really easy project, though the sewing did take rather a long time. And my bag makes me smile again, which is a great bonus.

Have you ever yarn bombed something you use all the time? I’d love to hear about it!

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One of the hardest things about winter for me is the lack of color. It’s like the whole world ran out of toner, and often our clothes reflect the muted landscape outside, which just makes everything more drab.

This year I’m trying to use and wear all the fun colors of yarn I have in my stash, and I think the Minas Sweater from Cecilia Lalanne & Gabriella Calderini for Manos del Uruguay would be a great way to use a lot of colorful yarn on a sweet sweater.

This cropped sweater uses 1×1 stranded colorwork where the colors change as you work the pattern, which makes it look more complex than it is. The project calls for five colors of worsted weight yarn, but you could probably even use more (or use a multicolored yarn as one or some of your options) to bring even more color to the party.

It’s a simple drop shoulder crewneck with straight sleeves, so pretty much all you have to focus on is changing your colors when you need to.

There are seven size options in the pattern, ranging from a bust circumference (on the sweater, not the wearer) from 42.75 to 69.25 inches, or 108.5 to 176 cm. It’s intended to be worn with around 8 inches or 20 cm of positive ease for a casual, oversized look.

You can go bold with the color choices like the sample shown here, or pick a couple of more neutral colors to combine with some brighter shades if that’s more your style. Either way this project should be as easy to knit as it is fun to wear. And of course those bright colors make me think a teenager in your life might love it, but of course there’s no rule that says you have to stop wearing fun colors at a certain age. Thank goodness.

The pattern is free to download from Ravelry and is available in both English and Spanish.

[Photo: Cecilia Lalanne & Gabriella Calderini]

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