HP House Fair Isle Pouch Bags
Posted on August 2nd, 2007 at 1:06 pmHere is a little something I’ve been working on for the last few weeks. I started my first Gryffindor bag in response to Norah Gaughan’s Intricate Stag Bag, which is awesome but constructed in an odd way. Once I got thinking about doing the whole thing in the round, I then began to feel like I should use my own fair isle design as well.
Then I of course felt like I should share the finished pattern with everyone else.
(Check back at this page for errata and updates.)
Edit 08.26.07: Added circular needle length.
Pattern:
HP House Fair Isle Pouch Bags
This flat, pouch-style bag or purse is a simple shape and construction and would be a great starting point for the knitter/crafter who would like to add pockets, hardware, or more dimension.
The charts and colors are inspired by the Harry Potter books by J. K. Rowling. Harry, Hogwarts, and the four Hogwarts houses are not mine; this pattern is just a manifestation of my love
Techniques required:
Fair Isle, knitting in the round, basic crochet, simple sewing.
Yarn:
Your preferred yarn in your chosen house’s colors. Bag as shown is knit with DK weight yarn; less than 150 meters of contrast color, slightly more than 150 m in main color.
Hogwarts’ house colors:
• Gryffindor – Scarlet (MC), Gold (CC)
• Hufflepuff – Black (MC), Yellow (CC)
• Ravenclaw (book) – Blue (MC), Bronze (CC)
• Ravenclaw (movie) – Blue (MC), Silver (CC)
• Slytherin – Green (MC), Silver (CC)
Other materials needed:
• Needles appropriate for your yarn, plus a set of the next size down. Circulars (16” for bag as shown) or double-pointed, for working in the round. Bag as shown is worked on 3.25mm (US 3).
• Crochet hook appropriate to your yarn. Size D for bag as shown.
• Stitch Markers
• Yarn needle for weaving in ends.
• Fabric for lining. Optional interfacing.
• Needle and strong thread.
Gauge:
Bag as shown is knit with 26 stitches per 4 inches, stockinette in the round. This project can be knit at any gauge.
Finished size:
Dependent on gauge of knitting. Bag as shown measures about 9” wide x 10” long, not including fringe and strap.
Knitting instructions:
1. With main color (MC) and larger needles, cast on 114 stitches. Join in the round and work first row of chart, place stitch marker (after 57 stitches), work first row of chart again. Place marker.
2. Continue working each row of chart twice on every round.
3. Upon completing chart (73 rounds) break off CC and switch to main color and smaller needles. Knit one round.
4. [Knit one round, purl one round] three times.
5. Bind off loosely. While binding off, mark the bound off stitches on either side of stitch markers with a safety pin or tied string. Marked stitches indicate the columns behind which the strap is later crocheted.
6. Weave in ends.
7. Wash bag according to yarn’s instructions and block flat, making sure that the marked stitches are precisely the first and last stitches on either side.
When blocked and dry, you may want to pin bag flat, matching the front pattern to the back.
Crocheted strap instructions:
1. Start at bottom corner of bag and slip stitch bottom closed.
2. Begin row one of crochet: Chain one, and passing the hook behind both the first stitch of the front and the last stitch of the back, slip stitch in every other row along the side of the bag.
3. At the top corner of the bag, crochet a chain as long as your desired strap. Bag as shown has 36” strap.
4. Join strap chain to opposite top of bag with a slip stitch. As with first side, slip stitch through every other row down the side of the bag. At the bottom, chain 2 and turn.
5. Row 2: Half-double crochet in each slip stitch of the side, each chain stitch of the strap, and each slip stitch of second side.
6. Cut and pull yarn through last stitch. Remove markers. Weave in ends.
Fringe bottom of bag with 2 strands of MC placed about 2 stitches apart, 1” or desired length.
Make and attach lining:
Use a fabric of your choice for the lining. Try to match your fabric’s care instructions as closely as possible to your yarn care’s instructions.
If your fabric is thin or slinky, you may want to cut some interfacing in the same shape and hold it together with the fabric while performing the following steps. Interfacing should be on the “wrong” side and sandwiched between the lining and the knit bag. Pre wash your fabric according to its care instructions.
1. Measure your finished bag widthwise between the crocheted edges. In other words, the places where the bag is actually open on the inside. Mark your fabric as that wide, plus 1/2 inch.
2. Measure your bag from just inside the top edge of the bag, to just above the top of the fringe. Mark your fabric as twice that long plus two inches for a hem.
3. Fold the fabric so that the bottom of the bag lining is the fold line. Fold both top edges down 1” to the outside. Pin in place.
4. Sew the side seams first, 1/4 inch in. Working around the circumference of the lining, sew the hem in place.
5. With wrong side still out, pin lining inside bag. Line up the lining’s side seams with the very side seams of the bag.
6. Using a nearly invisible stitch (overhand stitch, slip stitch, whipstitch), hand-stitch the top fold of the lining to the inside top of the bag. For consistency, sew along the same round of the bag and try to make a stitch for each “purl bump” in that round.
Pattern, text, and images by Rosemary Waits. Free for you to enjoy, but not for resale or commercial purposes.
Spot an error or have questions? Email rosemaryDOTwaitsATgmailDOTcom
Charts: (Click through to the images on Flickr, choose “All sizes” above the photo, right click and save the biggest version for printing)
Key:
Main color (MC) = grey, Contrast color (CC) = white
Lion / Gryffindor
Badger / Hufflepuff
Eagle / Ravenclaw
Serpent / Slytherin
Huge, huge thankses to my wondermous test-knitters Kara and Omly. You all are the best, and super fast!
August 2nd, 2007 at 1:40 pm
Looks like it does in real life! Good job honey!
August 2nd, 2007 at 1:55 pm
It was a pleasure, and I learned something, too!
August 2nd, 2007 at 2:11 pm
Nice pouch!
August 2nd, 2007 at 2:13 pm
Awesome pattern!! :)
August 2nd, 2007 at 2:34 pm
i absolutely LOOOOVE this bag and can’t wait to knit it up as my very first fair ilse project. i need a good challenge. thanks for posting it!
August 2nd, 2007 at 3:15 pm
Beautiful! It is simply amazing, and as a non-knitter, I just have to ask… Any chance you’d consider making one to sell?
August 2nd, 2007 at 3:30 pm
That is simply amazing! I am so impressed!
August 2nd, 2007 at 4:25 pm
That is just absolutely awesome! I want one so bad it hurts.
August 2nd, 2007 at 4:38 pm
wow! this looks so great! thanks for sharing the pattern! I must make one…or two…
what yarn did you use or would recommend? I’m thinking about Knitpicks’ Telemark but would have to buy a color card first.
August 3rd, 2007 at 1:41 am
I’m with Celeste, since I don’t knit either, but I love your pattern and your purse!!!!
August 3rd, 2007 at 5:36 am
I love this pattern, do you mind if I post the picture and a link on my blog?
August 3rd, 2007 at 7:06 am
I am saving a copy of this pattern. Now the only thing left to to decide is just which one I am going to make first. Thanks for the creative idea. I was looking for something to introduce me to fair isle and I think this will be perfect.
August 3rd, 2007 at 7:49 am
I am just barely learning to knit but these are AMAZING! I wish I could tackle them now but I will be saving the pattern for later!
August 3rd, 2007 at 8:18 am
Awesome! I can’t wait to start mine.
August 3rd, 2007 at 8:37 am
Wow, that’s great! Now to decide if the nieces & nephews would appreciate them enough for it to be worthwhile making them.
August 3rd, 2007 at 10:00 am
WOWWWWW. That is amazing. Might have to attempt one myself. It figures though - I have been using up the leftover yarn from my Gryffindor scarf making book scarves, and now I probably don’t have enough to make this without buying more. Great job, and thanks for sharing!!
August 3rd, 2007 at 10:29 am
That is absoutely wonderful. Definitely moved to my “to do” list! Thank you very much for sharing this pattern as a free one! You are very generous.
August 3rd, 2007 at 10:56 am
I only hope I can do your pattern justice! It looks WONDERFUL!
August 3rd, 2007 at 11:25 am
These are really beautiful! Thanks for charting up all four houses too…I’m a Ravenclaw. :)
August 3rd, 2007 at 1:31 pm
Ohhh I love it! Starting a Slytherin one tonight!
August 3rd, 2007 at 2:50 pm
Love it! You are such a talent!
August 3rd, 2007 at 4:22 pm
Simply stunning!! What a fabulous pattern! Thank you!!!
August 3rd, 2007 at 10:48 pm
I love it! :)
August 4th, 2007 at 1:37 am
Absolutely lurve it!!!
August 4th, 2007 at 7:02 am
WOW! Very nice!
August 4th, 2007 at 11:16 pm
WOW! I’m totally amazed and in awe of your talent!
August 5th, 2007 at 12:17 pm
Very cool pouch! How on earth you do you get so much done!
August 6th, 2007 at 7:27 pm
Oh my buddha!!! That is so cute!!! I am going to make one for my next Sock Kit Swap partner!!!
August 7th, 2007 at 6:06 am
Fabulous bag! Thanks for sharing the pattern!! Any chance of bags for the other Hogwarts houses?
August 7th, 2007 at 6:13 am
Oops, you’re ‘way ahead of me - I shoulda checked the pattern before commenting. Thanks again!
August 7th, 2007 at 1:42 pm
[…] on for my second sock. I’ve been wanting to start on some more projects, There’s this House Bag that has some lovely stranded work, I want to start on a sweater, and a shawl. Plus many more […]
August 7th, 2007 at 2:28 pm
Thank you! My son will love this for his birthday. I am actually also making the stag bag, but in my mind, it’s a Patronus bag for him. ;) Thank you again!
August 7th, 2007 at 6:37 pm
What a beautiful bag! Thank you for sharing your pattern. I could just eat this up! (Or, you know, knit one. Probably better for the digestion. :-D )
August 8th, 2007 at 3:00 pm
I love love love these bags!! I can’t wait to advance on to fair isle knitting so I can try these out!! I too am curious about the yarn you recommend for these!
August 15th, 2007 at 9:41 pm
Iam having trouble getting this pattern. When I click on the link it just sits there. Guess I am not meant to knit this bag. SIGH
September 13th, 2007 at 3:08 pm
Wow Wow Wow
September 24th, 2007 at 12:06 pm
How can I get this pattern. Thanks
October 3rd, 2007 at 8:58 pm
Oh my goodness, I love it! I have never been able to find a good pattern for Ravenclaw! Thank you SOOO much for this!
November 8th, 2007 at 10:37 am
I love this!! and i’m totally making it for my sister for christmas!!! she’s going to love it!!! ^_^ *does a little dance*
November 10th, 2007 at 11:17 pm
Thanks for the wonderful work you have done.
November 24th, 2007 at 2:49 pm
[…] also a huge Harry Potter nut, so many of them are HP themed. Here are some of my favorites… HP House Fair Isle Bags By FAR the cutest purse in the Harry Potter fandom. Show me a cuter one. I dare you. Weasley […]
November 30th, 2007 at 10:40 am
I can’t seem to ge anything on the PDF link it isn’t broken but there is no file ?
My daughter really liked the bag :)
December 11th, 2007 at 8:47 am
Wow! That SO just went in my Ravelry queue, thanks for sharing!
January 13th, 2008 at 5:25 pm
those are amazing! thankyou!
February 1st, 2008 at 1:44 pm
Wow. These are awesome!
Thanks for sharing!
March 6th, 2008 at 7:12 am
[…] Quietish » Blog Archive » HP House Fair Isle Pouch Bags (tags: bag free hp knitting pattern) […]
April 17th, 2008 at 12:38 pm
Thanks for such a lovely, challenging pattern! I made one of the Gryffindor variety (actually I decided to turn it into a pillow) and am SO pleased with how it turned out. I posted a picture of it on my blog with a link to your site, I hope that’s OK!
http://youknowyoucantread.blogspot.com/2008/04/fair-isle-in-round-no-less.html
April 30th, 2008 at 2:17 pm
[…] I love this pattern, it’s by Rosemary Waits (pattern available by downable pdf on her site) and is loosely based on the Stag Bag that is up for grabs on Knitting Daily (you need to log in to […]
May 15th, 2008 at 3:14 pm
[…] I have time to actually to go to a store and look at fabric, I’ll line it. I used the graph from this knitting pattern and crocheted the bag in the round using single crochet, size 3 cotton thread and […]
May 18th, 2008 at 8:33 am
[…] I have time to actually to go to a store and look at fabric, I’ll line it. I used the graph from this knitting pattern and crocheted the bag in the round using single crochet, size 3 cotton thread and […]
May 31st, 2008 at 7:53 am
[…] Hogwarts House Fair Isle Bags […]
July 11th, 2008 at 2:46 am
hsks5 and the secret project…
Yay, my spoilee for HSKS5 got her package today!! I’ve also had a report from my spoiler that there’s one in the mail for me now, too! Swaps are fun!
Since the veil of secrecy is now lifted, I can finally tell you about the so-called SECRET projec…