Stitch Along with Yarnspirations on a Summer’s Worth of Bags

Yarnspirations is hosting a three-week, three-project knit and crochet along (three patterns for each craft), with Vickie Howell providing the knit patterns and Mikey of the Crochet Crowd sharing the crochet projects.

Starting June 29, you’ll be able to pick up one free pattern a week for a different beach bag, with videos to help you with the techniques. Stitchers who join the stitch along formally have until August 15 to finish their bags and share pictures for a chance to win prizes. There will be a prize for each weekly bag and a grand prize for someone who makes all the bags (I assume just all the knit or crochet bags, not all six).

Winners will be chosen at random from entrants who meet the requirements. Weekly prizes will be 20 balls of Lily Sugar’n Cream, while the grand prize winner will receive one ball in every color that’s produced.

Bags can be made in any color but must follow the instructions, and photos must be submitted via email in order to be in the running for the prizes.

The knit bags that will be part of the stitch along are: the Market Bag, Poolside Tote Bag and Sea Breeze Bag. My favorite is the Sea Breeze Bag, which looks really simple and quick to knit with all those elongated stitches, which also makes it perfect for the beach because sand can get out.

I’d love to know if you plan to participate or if any of the patterns caught your eye!

[Photo via Yarnspirations.] Looking for more patterns? Check these market bag patterns out on Etsy.

Next Pattern:

I’ve been toying with the idea of making a yarn cozy or yarn ball holder on the circular knitting machine, but I haven’t gotten to it yet. In the meantime, here are some yarn cozy knitting patterns you can make with knitting needles. Use yarn to hold you yarn!

In its simplest form, a yarn cozy is just a sleeve or a little basket that holds your yarn when you’re working with a center-pull ball so it doesn’t fall apart when you knit. The easiest ones I could find are from Love in Stitches KN, which has a regular size and a mini size. They’re worked with sock yarn and there are options for making them with ribbing, faux cables and with self-striping yarn.

For bigger cakes there’s a project called We call it the “bail holder” from Nicole LeBlanc. This pattern is available on Ravelry and you can use any yarn and make it any size you like. It features an I-cord edging that has a loop in it so you can thread they yarn through the loop to keep it extra contained as you knit.

Another large one that has a slightly fancier pattern is this one by Mareike Meye. You can use any yarn and any gauge, and slip stitch pattern worked in different colors on the sides makes it a little more fun and uses a bit more stash. A strap buttons across the top to hold the ball in place and you can add a buttonhole to the middle of the strap to thread the yarn through. Check this one out on Ravelry.

Adding lace to a yarn cozy makes it fit a wider variety of balls and expand or shrink a bit as needed. Jennifer Sugarman’s Ball Sack uses sock yarn and is made to hold sock yarn. It has the option of making I-cord or using ribbon or cord you already have to make a drawstring at the top. You can find this pattern on Ravelry.

Another lacy option is the yarn ball holder from Frugal Knitting Haus. This one uses worsted weight yarn and has an easy mesh lace pattern and an I-cord drawstring that’s sewn together at the ends so you could loop it over your wrist while you knit if you like. This pattern is also on Ravelry.

Speaking of wrist yarn holders, I also found this one form Knituition. This one uses sport weight yarn and has a spiral rib pattern on the body. The strap is attached to the bag with D-rings, or you could make it a little longer and just sew it into the bag.

Next Pattern:

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