#171 The Spectator Bag by Nora J. Bellows

#171 The Spectator Bag

Knitting
October 2014
Aran (8 wpi) ?
12 stitches and 16 rows = 4 inches
in use a double-strand of yarn in stockinette
US 11 - 8.0 mm
850 yards (777 m)
one size
English
This pattern is available for $8.50 USD
buy it now or visit pattern website

A hardware kit for this bag is available in the Noni Store: http://store.nonipatterns.com/products/The-Spectator-Bag-...

She loved the fashions from the 40s: pretty dresses that flared and swished when you walked but without the flouncy crinolines so popular in the 50s. Peep-toed sandals, spectator pumps. Men in 3 piece suits. A dirty martini at lunch.

When she saw the Spectator Bag it was just the bag: an updated, eminently now version of spectator pump styling. She could imagine carrying it. Its colors reminded her of a blue dress with terra cotta piping she had coveted at the vintage store and regretted not buying.

With the bag’s ring of cabochon rivets around the bottom, its blue leather handles contrast with the chestnut-red leather closure, its long silhouette the sort she liked.

Picture yourself with this bag: It has a nautical or vintage aesthetic without overstating either. Beautifully casual, you can wear it across the body or over your shoulder. It is the perfect size for everything and yet not too deep to find your phone when it rings.
Finished Dimensions

16” (40cm) wide across top
13” (33cm) tall
27” (68cm) circumference around bag bottom

Pattern Difficulty
Intrepid Intermediate: Requires knowledge of knitting, purling, increasing, decreasing, knitting in the round on two circular needles, picking up stitches within fabric, and some hand-sewing during the finishing process.

Gauge
Pre-felted Gauge: 12 stitches and 16 rounds = 4” (10cm) in St st with a double-strand of worsted weight yarn.

Materials
Spectator Bag Hardware Kit Includes:

2 Noni Handle Brackets
4 Noni Big 24mm bag feet in nickel
11.25 x 13.5 in sheet of stiffener
JUL Lock closure in Chestnut
2 packages of Noni Cabochon rivets in nickel
Noni Train locket with key
1 Noni Design label

Yarn Requirements
750 yds (670m) A
100 yds (90m) B (contrast piping)

Needles and Other Materials
1 Size 11 (8mm) 24” (60cm) circular needle
1 Size 11 (8mm) 32” (80cm) circular needle (- optional for working piping around bag opening)
Size 10 (6mm) needles (to work closure flap)
Stitch markers
Tapestry needle
Sewing needle
Nylon beading thread
Clear, quick-drying fabric glue (for cabochon rivet application)

Pictured Samples
The bag pictured was created using Stonehedge Fiber Mill Shepherd’s Wool in Beaches with Berries piping. The JUL lock is Chestnut and the handle is Lake Blue (this color is, unfortunately, no longer available).