How do you store your Works in Progress (WiPs), especially if you work on more than one thing at a time and enjoy working on your projects on the go? My newest pattern, the Amelina Small Project Bag, is now available to purchase on Ravelry and Etsy and I'm really enjoying using my version for my next project: the Clarion Multiway Scarf.
It is the latest in a long line of different types of bags I've used for projects over the year. Here are a few more.
Knitting Bag
This was my first project bag, a hand-me-down from my mum when I first tried learning to knit in the 1980s. It fitted my long needles, a pattern and plenty of yarn along with the completed project pieces and any notions and the needles never stuck out as it was so sturdy. It wasn't great for carrying around though with only short handles and its long thin shape and I often got the zip stuck in the yarn when I closed it. I asked my mum about it recently when we visited her and was so happy to find that she still has it!
Canvas bags
When I eventually had success in learning to knit as an adult and really caught the yarncrafting bug, I tended to use canvas shoulder bags to carry everything. My daily train commute was my main crafting time and so it was handy to have something with a shoulder strap that could fit a large project. I particularly liked knitting garments that were made in one piece on circular needles with no seaming and often chose heavier weight yarns, so size was important. I did have to carry a separate cover for my hook or needles though as I was worried about poking other commuters if the tips came through the lightweight cloth and once or twice my project got soaked through the fabric when it rained.
Organza bags
While taking a career break to look after my young children, I bought yarn online more and didn't tend to craft as much outside the house, so my projects lived in these handy organza bags that Wool Warehouse package purchases in before wrapping them for delivery. They were great for letting me see which project was which and whether I'd left the needles or pattern or my notions bag in with a particular project but not hugely protective if a passing toddler knocked over a drink on the nearby table. They did double up well as laundry bags when I had to wash the crispy dried oat milk coating out of the yarn balls and project, though!
Wash bags
After the second oat milk incident, I switched to wash bags, for smaller projects at least, They were much more protective and some had had handy pockets and dividers for all the smaller craft items too so I think this would be perfect as a travel knitting and crochet bag though, lightweight and easy to pack and keep all the project pieces, yarns, tools, notions and printed patterns organised. While the ones I had were great for storing projects like accessories or granny squares, they seemed just a bit too small for winter garment projects I was making.
Lunch box
My older son came to the rescue by losing his dinosaur lunch bag at school and finding it a couple of weeks after I'd bought a new space themed one, so now my main knitting bag is a dinosaur neoprene lunch bag. It's perfect though: waterproof, strong adjustable shoulder strap, tight fabric to prevent needles poking through, smooth enough that fluffy yarn doesn't catch on it and big/stretchy enough to hold a pullover's worth of project and the working yarn, plus my needles, tape measure and scissors along with a folded A4 pattern printout, not to mention that it has my surname on it! Somehow I never catch the zip on the yarn with it either (although I'm sure I've jinxed that now I've said it!).
Handmade bag
Feeling some nostalgia for my first knitting bag and also wanting a mini bag to hold any small project I'm working on alongside my main projects, I designed the Amelina Small Project Bag as a version that suits my preference for circular needles or DPNs and crochet hooks over the long needles I learnt on.
It was great fun to make and really handy to use, although I do need a cover for smaller crochet hooks or needles to prevent poking through. I thought I'd write up the patterns in case anyone else would like one and I'm really happy that so many great crafters helped me test the project too before publication and suggested helpful ideas like additional images to include to make things clearer. Have a look through the photos of completed projects to see how they selected their colours for each section to achieve different looks.
Scroll to see the tester's Amelina Bags
The bag is ideal to transport small works in progress and should fit around 150g (5 ¼ oz) yarn in project/ball form, an average sized crochet hook, DPN or circular knitting needles and your notions. It's a quick make too, of around eight hours start to finish, so great if you're looking for a for a speedy handmade gift.
The pattern includes a diagram and photos for steps where a visual aid might be handy and is available in two versions: UK crochet terms and US crochet terms so you can work from your chosen version.
Get your copy of the pattern
If you'd like to get your on copy of the pattern, the Amelina Small Project Bag, is now available to purchase on Ravelry and Etsy . I hope you'll enjoy it!
Let me know what you think of the bag design or how you like to store your works in progress in the comments below.
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