Bella Drawstring Backpack

This is the project we are going to make in the beginning knitting class I’m going to teach at Samantha’s school (with our school librarian!) later this month. I really didn’t want to have the kids knit a scarf, so I came up with this. You could certainly make it a little larger for an adult. Here it is shown on an eight-year-old, along with the T-shirt that inspired the stripe pattern and colors.

I’m hoping the kids find it attractive, useful, and relatively easy and fun to knit. We shall see. I took a stab at writing a pattern for you.

Bella Drawstring Backpack

Materials:

2 balls Lily Sugar ‘n Cream in Hot Green (A)
Scrap worsted weight cotton yarn in 3 different colors (B,C,D)
Pair of US 7 knitting needles
2 small binder rings
Pair of 44″ lengths of cord for drawstrings (I made two-stitch I-cord using color A and US 8 circular needles.)

Gauge:

4 sts = 1″ using US 7 needles

Finished Measurements:

9-1/2″ x 7-1/2″

Backpack:

Cast on 32 stitches with A.
Beginning with a knit row, knit in st st for four rows, ending with a p row.
Next row, begin working garter stitch for 6-1/2″.
Begin stripe pattern on right side by joining in new color B. Knit two rows.
Join in new color C. Knit two rows.
Join in new color D. Knit two rows.
Join in color C. Knit two rows
Join in color B. Knit two rows.
Join in color A. Work in garter stitch for 1-1/2″.
On wrong side, purl one row. Knit next row. Work in garter stitch for 1-1/2″.
Begin stripe pattern on right side by joining in color B. Knit two rows.
Join in color C. Knit two rows.
Join in color D. Knit two rows.
Join in color C. Knit two rows
Join in color B. Knit two rows.
Join in color A. Work in garter stitch for 6-1/2″.
Begin casing edge on wrong side with a knit row. Purl next row. Continue in st st for next three rows, ending with a knit row.
Bind off knit-wise.

Finishing:

Weave in ends. Fold casing edges (so st st is exposed) to right side on either short edge of backpack. Stitch edges to backpack on lower edges (opposite side of fold) to form casing. Stitch two side seams of backpack beneath casing. Thread one length of cord around entire casing at each side opening. Tie each side’s cord ends together in a knot (you can adjust shoulder strap size with your knot location, i.e. move it higher on the ends if you need the straps to be a little shorter). Use binder rings to attach your drawstring straps to the lower outer edges of the back-facing side of your backpack.