African adventure bag

(Phazelia‘s interpretation of Horst Schulz‘ African Adventure pattern)

Pattern provided for the 1000-members-celebration–knit-along of the Ravelry group

„Horst Schulz Fans“

This bag is worked in a modular knitting technique and felted in the washing machine after finishing.

You knit 18 shells and join them with slip stitch bands.

Materials:About 190 grams of Kauni Effektgarn 8/2 ( Fingering, 4ply, 14wpi, 438 yards/100 grams). It‘s a shetland-like yarn, feltable and available in many wonderful colours. 4.5 mm needles (a magnetic buttonfabric for lining)

Gauge:14 stitches X 32 rows = 4 inches in garter stitch, but gauge is not important for this project. Knit loosely to allow good felting afterwards!

Abbreviations:RS = Right side of your knittingWS = Wrong side of your knittingK = KnitP = purlm1 = make one (increase)kfb = knit in front and back loop (increase)k2tog = knit two stitches together (decrease)p2tog = purl two stitches together (decrease)st/sts = stitch/stitchestbl = through back loopsl = slip

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Instructions:

Basic shell :Row 1-6: In col 1 cast on 31 sts and knit 5 rows. Count this as 6 rows, as your cast on row counts as row 1.

Row 7: Using col 2, knit one row.

Row 8: K2tog tbl, (p2, p2tog) to last stitch, slip purlwise = 23 sts.

Row 9 – 12: Knit, using col 1.

Row 13: Using col 2, knit one row.

Row 14: K2tog tbl, (p2 tog, p1) to last stitch, slip purl wise = 15 sts

Row 15 – 18: As 9 – 12.

Row 19: Using col 2, knit one row.

Row 20: K2 tog tbl, (p2 tog) twice, p3 tog (p2tog) 3 times, = 7 sts.

Row 21 – 24: As 9 – 12.

Row 25: Knit, using col 2.

Row 26: Purl *******

Row 27: Using col 3, knit 1 row.

Knit 10 rows in moss stitch (*k1, p1*, next row *p1, k1*,...)

Leave work aside.

Now complete a matching half shell, but knit only to ****. Join onto first half shell, using 3 needle method – place shells together, right sides facing and first shell on top. Use the yarn from the top shell to cast off.

I decided to knit the shell in one piece. The two halves don‘t look absolutely identical but after felting they do. If you don‘t want to felt your bag knit as written above.Shell in one piece:Work to row 37 as written above. Row 38 (Right side) Using col 2 knit one row.Row 39 Purl one rowRow 40 – 43: Knit, using col 1Row 44: Using col 2 Kfb, kfb, kfb, knit, purl and knit into next st, kfb, kfb, kfb (= 15 sts)Row 45: Purl Row 46 – 49 Knit using col 1.Row 50: Using col 2 *kfb, k1* repeat from * to *, end with kfb (= 23 sts) Row 52: PurlRow 53 – 56: Knit using col 1.Row 57: Using col. 2 *kfb, k2* repeat from * to *, end with kfb, k1. (= 31 sts)Row 58: PurlRow 59-63: Knit using col 1.Row 64: Bind off loosely.

The shell may look very loosely. It will look great after felting.

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Knit 6 shells and join them with slip stitch sections as follows:With col 1 and using a circular needle, knit up 31 st on concave side (inward curve on side of shell) of shell 1.

Work 2 rows in garter st. (3 rows including knit up row)

With col 2, work the next 4 rows as follows:

Row 1 (wrong side) k 1 tbl, p1, sl2 purlwise (p2, sl2 purlwise) till 3 sts remain, p2, sl1 purlwise.

Row 2: k1 tbl, (p2, yrn back, sl 2 purlwise, yrn fwd) to last 2 sts, p1, sl 1 purlwise.

Row 3: k1 tbl, k1, (yrn fwd, sl 2 purlwise, yrn back, k2) to last 3 sts, k2, sl1 purlwise.

Row 4: as row 2.

Break off colour 2.

With colour 1, using same needle, knit up 31 sts on convex side (cast on edge) of unit 2.

Knit 1 more row.

Fold over the circular needle so that 2 units lie with right sides together, Using another needle, cast off both units together the same way you joined the 2 halves of each shell)

Join the 6 shells to a ring.

Work another 6 shells and join them to a ring as you did before.

Then you join the two rings with a slip stitch band:

Add yarn (col 1) and take up stitches along the border of the first ring: 31 sts for each shell and 4 sts for each slip stitch section (= 210 sts)Using col 1 Purl next round.Knit next round.Using col 2 *knit 2, slip 2 sts* repeat to the end of the round. (At the beginning/end of the round 4 knit sts will meet. If you want to avoid this you can knit together 2 sts twice along the round (= 208 sts) ).* p2, sl 2* repeat to the end of the round.* p2, sl 2* repeat to the end of the round.* p2, sl 2* repeat to the end of the round. Cut yarn col 2.

Take another circular needle.Using col 1 take up 210 sts on bottom of the second ring.Purl one round.Work a 3-needle bind off as you did before. Concave should meet convex and vice versa.

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Work another ring and add it the same way .

Add another slip stitch band on top of the third ring. After the slip stitch rounds knit one round and purl one round, (col 1, no 3-needle-bind-off), leave the sts on the needle.

If you want your bag ‚open‘ (no flap) continue at ***Flap:

Choose a convex shell (that‘s one where the slip stitch band was attached on the cast-on or bind-off side of the shell) and take up these 31 sts from the slip stitch band.

**

*Using colour 1 knit one row (RS)(WS) Knit the first two sts together, knit to the last two sts and knit them together.*Work from * to * 3 times altogether.Using colour 2 Knit 3 sts, m1, k 4, m1, k 4, m1, k 4, m1, k 4, m1, k 4, m1, k 2 .WS: Purl**

Work from ** to ** five times altogether.Bind off loosely.

*** Now you add another slip stitch band on top of the last one. If you added a flap, take up sts along the flap (one st for every two rows and for each bound off stitch. To form a nice round flap, add 4 extra stitches at each corner of the flap.)

Work the slip stitch band as you did before.

Finish with an applied I-cord:Using double-pointed needles, CO 4 sts. Work on WS of bag. - knit 3 sts- slip fourth stitch knitwise- pick up and knit one edge stitch of the bag- pass the slipped stitch over the picked up stitch

Don‘t turn work, but slide needle to the left so stitches are on the right end of the needle. Keep the working yarn behind your stitches to the right side of the needle. Repeat above 4 steps: Knit 3, slip one and knit through next bag stitch, pass the slipped stitch over.

When you have finished your I-cord join the beginning and the end in a kitchener-stitch-like way.

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Bottom of the bag.Beginn at the middle of one side slip stich section. Using colour 1 take up 2 sts from this slip stitch section, 31 sts for each shell and 4 sts for each other slip stitch section and end with taking up 2 sts from the slip stitch section you began (= 210 sts.)Purl one round.Next round: k4, k3tog, k 91, k3tog, k 8, k3tog, k 91, k3tog, k4, Using colour 2 *k2 , slip 2 sts (yarn back)* repeat to end of round.*purl 2, slip 2 sts (yarn back)* repeat to end of round.*purl 2, slip 2 sts (yarn back)* repeat to end of round.*purl 2, slip 2 sts (yarn back)* repeat to end of round.Cut col 2.Using col 1 Knit3, k3tog, k 89, k3tog, k 6, k3tog, k89, k3tog, k3.Purl one round, cut yarn.

Using col 3 Knit one roundPurl one round.Knit 2, k3tog, k87, k3tog, k4, k3tog, k87, k3tog, k 2.Using col 4 *k2 , slip 2 sts (yarn back)* repeat to end of round.*purl 2, slip 2 sts (yarn back)* repeat to end of round.*purl 2, slip 2 sts (yarn back)* repeat to end of round.*purl 2, slip 2 sts (yarn back)* repeat to end of round.Cut col 4.Using col 3 Knit 1, k3tog, k 85, k3tog, k2, k3tog, k85, k3tog, k1.Purl one round, cut yarn,

Using col 5 Knit one round.Purl one round.K3tog, k83, k3tog, k3tog, k83, k3tog.Using col 6 *k2 , slip 2 sts (yarn back)* repeat to end of round.*purl 2, slip 2 sts (yarn back)* repeat to end of round.Cut yarn (Leave a long tail for grafting).Put the first 85 sts on an extra needle.Graft the two halves together.Now you have to decide what handles you want to add.Here is my felted version:

I casted on 600 sts and worked slip stitch bands with decreases at the corners and with grafting in the middle as I did at the bottom. I felted the strap separately and lined it and added it to the bag.I felted my bag twice, first time at 40oC and second time at 60oC in the washing machine. I added a lining and a magnetic button.

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bottom flap

back front

Size of my finished (felted) bag: 17 X 14 inches; Shoulder strap 39 inches long.

African Adventure pattern by Horst SchulzBag Version 2009 by Phazelia (phazelia@yahoo.de)Many thanks to the Ravelry-group members, especially to RickeScott. I hope you enjoy this pattern as much as I did. Any feedback is highly appreciated.

Please: No commercial use of this pattern.

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