Knitting a Personalised Scandi-Style Purse

Some people have difficult or uncommon names... and well... these people never get personalised items. So here is a solution - a custom knitted purse. The larger ones can fit a cell phone, the smaller one perfect for coins.

If you can knit simple knit and purl stitches, you can make this purse.

You will need:

• 4mm straight knitting needles
• DK cotton yarn in 2 shades (red and white, or blue and white works nicely)
• Sharp darning needle and scissors
• 13cm zip
• optional - cotton fabric

Print out the red or the blue pattern (or both).

The Orange striped section is for the name of your person.

Using the letter templates, spell out the name on the orange bar. The squares that remain orange are knit in white (or your paler shade) and the ones you draw in become the darker shade (or in the example included here).

You are now ready to cast on.

Following the pattern basics:

1. The purse is knit flat in stockinette stitch (alternating rows of knit and purl)
2. Each odd numbered row is a knit row and should be read right to left.
3. Each even numbered row is a purl row and should be read left to right.
4. When knitting, carry the other colour across the back of your work, twisting it over the yarn before you knit.

The Larger Purse:

Cast on 41 stitches in the main colour.

Follow the chart as instructed in the notes above.

Cast off when you finish the pattern.

Take your finished piece to an ironing board. With your iron on a hot, very steamy setting, iron the work flat. Fold in half, and iron a crease down the bottom.

The Smaller Purse

As for the larger purse, but cast on only 21 stitches.

Darn in your yarn tails out of the way. Taking the zip and your sharp darning needle, stitch the zip to the top of the purse. Without sewing up the sides, fold the other side around as shown to stitch the other side to the zip. Make sure to keep things in line. Then sew up the sides of the purse. Your purse is good to go.

Optional lining:

Cut out a piece of fabric the same size as the knitted piece. Fold it in half and stitch up the 2 short sides with the right side facing inwards. Insert this into the purse and stitch onto the inside of the zip.