Easy to knit small gift (goodie) bags

[miccisue]

Hi all!

I've been absent for a while. My 35th class reunion is next year, and I've already started working on it. See, our town has an annual celebration and most classes having reunions schedule them for that weekend, so plans need to start really early before everything gets booked up (learned that lesson the last time when the planning got dumped in my lap in October and the reunion was the following June - tried booking a venue, and none was to be had. ARGH!!!) Anyway, I digress.

Our school colors were orange and black, and at a clearance sale shortly after our last reunion I picked up a bunch of orange and black Super Saver yarn (yeah, I know, most of you are saying "yuck", but I was going for cost effectiveness). What I'd like to do is use it to knit orange and black goodie bags to hand out to classmates with a little gift or two inside.

Does anyone know of a pattern that is really simple, knit so the bag is round rather than rectangular, doesn't use dpns (I've never used them - circs I can deal with), and is pretty small? I've looked all over the place, and can't find a pattern that looks like I can handle it.
:doh:
Any help would be appreciated!!!

Thanks a million!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :muah:

[Jan in CA]

Oh! Jamadian just posted this recently and I think it might be exactly what you want. If you have questions you can PM her or answer in that thread.

http://www.knittinghelp.com/knitting/forum/viewtopic.php?t=31556

[tab]

I don't know of any patterns like that that are knit flat, and if you want to use circs the normal way then the bags will probably be a fair bit bigger than you want. However, you can take a pattern that calls for DPNs (like the baglove pattern, which is extremely cute) and use Magic Loop instead. As well as the excellent video (http://www.knittinghelp.com/knitting/advanced_techniques/) here at KH, Knitpicks (http://www.knitpicks.com/content/index.php/archive/magic-loop/) has clear, simple instructions.
(BTW, your school has the most awesome colours ever. Halloween is by far the best holiday. ;))

[of troy]

Or start with any cast on.
cast on an even number of stitches.

divide the stitches evenly (a DPN really helps -or one of those clover stitch holder that is double ended)

fold the knitting in half (cast on row)

hold the two needle as you would for a 3 needle bind off.

take yarn and *knit 1 from front needle.
bring yarn forward (as if to purl)
slip next stitch from back needle
(off of stitch holder, onto right needle, unknit)
bring yarn back (as if to knit)
repeat from *
repeat this 'pattern' every row.

(after row 1, all the stitches will be worked just using 2 standard straight needles)

this is simple double knitting, and it will result in a "pocket" --you'll be knitting in 'round' on 2 straight needles. you'll have flat Pockets.

(check the pocket every other row or so--if you make a mistake, you'll knit the 2 sides together! if you just did it in the last row, you can knit to the point were they are joined and just undo the stitch, (no need to frog.) the stitches will be a little loose, but will block out fine! --or you can tink.

finish by working a standard bind off, worked tight.

for more on double knitting, check out my blog!
i love double knitting.. simple, and jacquard interlocking double knitting especially!

[madametj]

Oh! Jamadian just posted this recently and I think it might be exactly what you want. If you have questions you can PM her or answer in that thread.

http://www.knittinghelp.com/knitting/forum/viewtopic.php?t=31556

yes, use this pattern and if you use 2 circs or magic loop, then you won't need the DPNs! :happydance:

[miccisue]

Thanks to all who responded.:muah: I watched the "Magic Loop" video, and it looks like something I'd be REALLY slow at, LOL!!! Guess I'm going to have to pick up some dpns, and give it a whirl.:think:

Again, many thanks, and here's hoping I pick this dpn thing fast, 'cause I've only got a little over a year to make 50-60 of these things (on top of the other stuff OTN). YIKES!!!!!!!!!!!!:shock: