From Knitty:

I admire women who carry small purses, but I am not one of them. When I leave the house, even if it’s only to drop the kids off at school, I carry a satchel of sufficient size to see a more streamlined traveler through several time zones. (It’s my Eastern European heritage: every time we leave a place, we prepare to be away for several generations.) I console myself by trying to carry a bag that is stylish and interesting—and by reminding myself that women with small purses certainly do not have at hand the makings for several pairs of socks, a sweater sleeve, two scarves, a drop spindle, and yak down.

Brighton is knitted in a simple Shetland lace pattern, in the round from the top down, and ends with a gracefully shaped bottom gusset and a three-needle bind off. This bag will serve as a constant reminder of your spinning prowess. Imagine standing in line at the farmer’s market and saying, “Why yes, I did spin the flax for my bag, but it didn’t require a distaff. How astute of you to notice.” (Okay, maybe this is more likely to happen at SOAR.) Brighton will carry a whole summer’s day worth of supplies for whatever life throws at you, be it foreign invasion or impromptu knitting in the park.

PATTERN NOTES

• You can easily substitute a commercial sport or DK weight linen, hemp, or cotton yarn. Good substitutes include Euroflax Sport Weight, Hemp for Knitting Allhemp6, Berroco’s NaturLin, or Knit Picks CotLin. Remember that yardage requirements (and gauge) may vary with another yarn.
• The size of the finished bag will also vary according to how severely you choose to block the lace. I preferred a lightly blocked, rustic look. It’s best to finish the knitting and blocking before buying the lining fabric.