My pet peeve about tote bags is that many don’t have any side pockets and all the small but essential stuff disappears in the dark depths of the bag.
So I came up with these “Bag Buddies” - little pouches that can be attached to the handles of a bigger bag.
Plop the Bag Buddy inside your tote, and when you need it, just tug at the cord to unearth the pouch and easily access your keys, lip balm, chewing gum, and whatever else you need.

This pattern is ideal for using up small amounts of sock yarn and looks especially pretty when knitted with self-striping or variegated yarn.

The instructions are written, the stranded pattern is also available as a chart.

This pattern is a quick knit.
With a shorter cord it can also be used as a regular pouch for all sorts of purposes.

Size S: Circumference 21.5 cm / 8.5””, Height 11 cm / 4.25”
Size M: Circumference 26.5 cm / 10.5”, Height 13 cm / 5”
Size L: Circumference 32 cm / 12.5”, Height 16 cm / 6.25”

You will need one main color and two contrast colors.
Main color: approximately 17 (19, 21) grams or 72 (80, 89) meters / 79 (88, 98) yards
Each contrast color: approximately 10 (11, 12) meters / 11 (12, 13) yards
Plus some extra for making the cord (optional).

Note that wildly variegated yarns are not very suitable as a main color because they will obscure the pattern. A variegated yarn might work as a contrast color if it’s different enough from the main color.