My beachside knitting project, a crossbody phone purse, began with no real plan. Before casting on, I only knew two things for certain: 1) the yarn (Lion Brand Yarn/Tom Daly collaboration, Made with Love “The Cottony One”) and 2) the size (big enough to fit my iPhone, keys, and small wallet). I also picked a stitch pattern (The Old Shale Pattern) from my stack of Knitting Stitches cards that I thought I might like to incorporate at some point.
I love projects that can slowly take shape as I work on them. Knitting without a pattern and without any restrictions challenges me to go with the flow and trust the process. I am reminded that I am in control, and I can make adjustments based on how it’s going, even frogging the entire thing, if necessary. So, I knit by feel, making real-time choices on what I wanted to do next.
I started with simple stockinette stitch, not knowing if I would use The Old Shale Pattern at all. After a couple of inches, I decided that a little band of the wavy stitch pattern would be a nice detail for this summertime project. The sand-colored yarn with the gentle waves felt like the perfect coastal accessory for the remainder of the long, hot summer days ahead.
After five repeats of The Old Shale Pattern, I returned to stockinette stitch for several more inches before purling a turning row to be used to create a nice, folded hem edge. The strap is a six stitch i-cord, sewn to either side of the small bag. Finally, I lined the bag with a scrap of linen to prevent my keys poking through.
Project Details
Yarn: Lion Brand Yarn/Tom Daly collaboration, Made with Love “The Cottony One”
Color: Marvelous Mushroom
Weight: 4 – Worsted
Content: 60% Cotton/40% Acrylic
Review:
I liked the color of this yarn for my small summertime projects, so I bought 3 balls of it without a plan for their use. After making a small sunglasses case and this crossbody bag, I still have 2 balls remaining. The yarn was perfect for these items, and I enjoyed the feel of the yarn as I worked. The yarn ply/twist was really stable, which made for easy k2tog repeats in the pattern without accidental splitting.
Pattern: Custom
My general game plan was to cast on a multiple of 18 in case I wanted to use the Old Shale Pattern, so I started with 54 sts on size US 3, 12″ circular needles. After a few inches of stockinette, I did five repeats of the pattern before returning to stockinette stitch, knitting every round. The switch back to stockinette did make the final row of The Old Shale Pattern straighten out, but I ultimately liked the border effect it created.
The crossbody phone purse will be a useful accessory, and I think it will work with my summer outfits – from denim shorts to sundresses.
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