Journey Bag Knitting Pattern

Journey Bag in Juniper Moon Farm Herriot Great

What Is Being Made

The Journey Bag is a structured knitted tote bag from the Yorkshire Collection, designed by Sarah Jo Burch. This project transforms soft alpaca yarn into a sturdy, felted carryall through the wet felting process. The finished bag measures approximately 8 inches wide by 3 inches deep by 11 inches tall, making it a practical accessory for everyday use. The finished dimensions can be adjusted by varying the felting time to achieve a larger or smaller finished size.

Knitting Techniques

The Journey Bag employs several key knitting techniques to create its structure and visual interest. The project begins with a garter stitch base panel, which provides a sturdy foundation. The main body is constructed using stockinette stitch worked in the round on a circular needle, creating a seamless cylindrical form. A Fair Isle motif adorns the flap, adding decorative patterning through the use of two contrasting colors worked simultaneously. The pattern incorporates slip stitches strategically placed at regular intervals to create selvage edges and define the bag's structure. After the colorwork motif is completed, additional rows are worked in the established stitch pattern using the main color. The strap is constructed separately using a slip stitch and knit combination that creates a textured, durable handle. Felting is the final and transformative technique, where the completed knitted piece is wet felted to compress the fibers and create a sturdy, fabric-like material suitable for a functional bag.

Stitches Used

• Stockinette stitch – The primary stitch for the main body, worked in the round to create a smooth, flat fabric
• Garter stitch – Used for the base panel to provide structure and stability
• Fair Isle colorwork – A traditional stranded colorwork technique used on the flap, incorporating both main color and contrast color
• Slip stitch – Used throughout the pattern for selvage edges, stitch definition, and the strap construction
• Knit and purl stitches – Fundamental stitches that form the foundation of all stitch patterns in this project

Materials and Tools

This project uses Juniper Moon Farm Herriot Great, a soft alpaca yarn specifically chosen for its felting properties. The main color is #107 Cornflower, with 3 hanks required for the project. The contrast color is #102 Oyster Mushroom, requiring 1 hank. The yarn is worked on a US 10 (6mm) circular needle measuring 24 inches (60 cm) in length. The recommended gauge is 14 stitches and 18 rows per 4 inches (10 cm) when working stockinette stitch in the round before felting. Additional notions include a tapestry needle for finishing, scrap yarn for temporary stitch holders, stitch markers to track pattern repeats and construction points, and two stitch holders to secure stitches during the strap construction phase.