Make a Knitted Tote Bag – Have you ever wished you could make one of those beautiful made crocheted tote bags after seeing them? Guess what, though? Yes, you can! Beginners will love knitting a tote bag because it’s a great project that teaches useful skills while producing a useful and fashionable item. Besides, it’s an eco-friendly method to get rid of disposable bags and flaunt your DIY skills!
Even if you’re a total novice, this in-depth tutorial will walk you through every step of knitting your very own tote bag. The necessary tools, fundamental abilities, and detailed instructions with explanations will all be covered.
Material
Assemble your materials and prepare to knit! What you’ll need is as follows:
Knitting Needles: Select a size of needle that matches the weight of yarn you have chosen. Usage: Size US 7 (4.5 mm) needles work well for worsted-weight yarn.
Yarn: A versatile choice for tote bags is a yarn with a wrinkly weight. If you want a more varied range of colors, use acrylic mixes or use cotton blends for durability and washable finish. Select a yarn that has a decent amount of yardage; depending on the size of the tote you want, aim for at least 200–300 yards.
Tapestry Needle: For a tidy finish, this little needle with a blunt tip is useful for weaving in loose ends.
Optional: scissors, tape measure, and stitch markers (to record pattern repeats).
Required Skills
If you’re new to knitting, don’t worry! Only a few simple, easily learnable techniques are needed for this project. Here’s a brief synopsis:
In every knitting project, the first step is called “casting on,” during which you make the first row of stitches on your needles.
Knit Stitch: This is the basic knitting stitch. All you have to do is thread your needle through a stitch, cover it with yarn, and then pull the fresh loop through the previous stitch on your needle.
Purl Stitch (Selective): Although it’s not required for this simple bag, mastering the purl stitch lets you work with many textures and designs. In essence, it is the knit stitch’s opposite.
Binding Off: By using this method, you may stop your knitting creation from unraveling.
Libraries and the internet provide a plethora of resources to get you started if any of these are new to you. We suggest visiting websites like as https://knitting.com/ for written instructions and easy-to-follow video lessons.
Building the Tote’s Body
- Cast on: Cast on the number of stitches required for the breadth of your tote bag using the yarn and needle size of your choice. A medium-sized bag works best with a starting point of about 40–50 stitches.
- Knit the upper body: Cast on your stitches and start knitting! All you have to do is knit each row until your bag body reaches the correct height. To determine how many rows you’ll need for your desired height, think about swatching your yarn and needle size beforehand.
- Base Shaping (Optional): You can add some basic shape to your tote bag to give it a defined base. Here’s one method that works:
- Knit about 4–6 rows in a typical row pattern.
- At the start and finish of the following row, reduce one stitch. By knitting two stitches together, you can reduce.
- Once you have around 10–12 stitches left, continue knitting rows, decreasing one stitch at the beginning and end of every other row.
- Close the base by knitting the remaining stitches together.
Handles are Knitted
- Cast On: For each handle, cast on fewer stitches (around 20–30). Depending on the thickness you want for your handles, you can change this quantity.
- Make the handles by knitting: Knit back and forth in rows, just like you would with the body, until the handles are the length you want.
- Finishing Details (Optional): Give the ends of your handles a small curvature for a more finished appearance. How to do it is as follows:
- Knit several rows as usual.
- Reduce one stitch at each end of the next row.
- Reduce one stitch at each end of every other row until you have a few stitches left.
- Close the handle end by knitting the remaining stitches together. Proceed with the other handle in the same manner.
Fastening the Straps
- Pick Up Stitches: Find the top edge of the body of the tote bag where you would like the handles to be attached. Along this edge, pick up stitches with your yarn and tapestry needle. Try to pick up an even number of stitches that corresponds to the number on your handle. There are various techniques for picking up stitches, so if you need a visual aid, you can discover online video lessons.
- Attaching and Knitting: Gently knit the stitches onto your knitting needles using the stitches you have picked up on your tapestry needle. At this point, the handle and body stitches will be worked on the same needles.
- Knit a Few Rows: To securely join the handle to the tote’s body, knit a few rows, perhaps two to four.
To attach the second handle to the opposite side of the bag body, pick up stitches and repeat steps 1-3 for the other handle.
Final Details
- Binding Off: The top edge of your tote bag needs to be completed after you’ve sewn on both handles. Utilize the binding-off method to secure the stitches and stop them from unraveling. Select the binding-off technique that you like most from the various options available.
- Weaving in Ends: If you used different yarn colors, use your tapestry needle to weave in any loose ends from binding off, casting on, and color changes. This will result in a tidy and refined end.
- Decorative Accents: Feel free to add your own touch to your tote bag! You can stitch in a fabric lining for added durability, add buttons for closures, embroider initials, or make a lovely design.
Best wishes! You just finished knitting a tote bag of your own! Give your masterpiece a moment of admiration. You’ve gained useful knitting knowledge and created a useful yet fashionable accessory. In addition to being a terrific conversation starter, this reusable tote is an eco-friendly replacement for disposable bags.
Don’t be scared to try new things! Once you’re familiar with the fundamental design, there are countless ways to personalize your tote bag. To boost practicality, experiment with striped or patterned designs, try using different yarn colors or textures, or even add pockets.
We hope that this instruction has given you the confidence to start knitting!
