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 a pouch with a swirly texture created by knit and purl stitches.
It is ideal to use up small amounts of left-over sock yarn and will look great with solids, variegated, and self-striping yarns alike.

The Swirly Bag Buddy is worked bottom-up in the round, using a circular needle with the magic loop technique or DPNs.
The instructions are written.

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 20 cm / 8” (64 stitches), height 10.5 cm / 4.25”
Size M: circumference 25 cm / 10” (80 stitches), height 12.5 cm / 5”
Size L: circumference 30 cm / 12” (96 stitches), height 14.5 cm / 5.75”