String Theory Market Bag

Abbreviations

Finishing

Weave in all ends on the base and bind-off edge. Block the bag by soaking in cool water, gently squeezing out excess water, and laying flat or stuffing with a plastic bag to open the mesh; allow to dry fully. To attach handles: fold the bag so the two short sides (12-stitch picked-up edges) are at the front and back center. On the front, position one handle with each end approximately 3 in from center, and sew both ends securely to the inside of the top garter band using the long tail and a tapestry needle, stitching through several sts of the garter band and looping back at least 3 times for strength. Repeat for the second handle on the back of the bag.

Notes

Cotton and cotton-blend yarns stretch significantly under load — the bag will roughly double in size when filled with groceries, which is intentional. Knit the i-cord handles longer than feels necessary (18 in each is the recommended minimum); shorter handles are uncomfortable to carry over the shoulder. The mesh pattern is a strict 3-stitch repeat, so a stitch count of 120 is required — do not adjust the cast-on without recalculating to a multiple of 3. The top garter band is worked in the round; alternating knit and purl rounds creates garter texture when worked circularly. The bind-off should be very loose to maintain stretch at the bag opening — try going up one needle size for the bind-off if needed. Four stitch markers are placed at the four corners of the picked-up joining round to help keep the base square; remove them after the first few body rounds once the shape is established.