I Felt Like Knitting a Bag

Zig Zag Bag

A friend gave me a box of 100% wool of questionable origin.    I think it was from a kit, but no patterns or pictures were with it.  Not good enough for an article of clothing but perfect for felting!  I wanted to make a bag using as many colors as I could. I decided on the chevron stitch knit in the round. This is my pithy pattern (subject to editing at a later date).

Starting with the base, cast on 48 stitches with  10.5 (6.5mm) circular needles 29" long.  Knit every row for until there are 24 ridges. Place a marker and pick up 24 stitches along one side, 48 stitches along cast on edge, and 24 stitches on remaining side. Join to knit in the round. There should be 144 stitches.  Knit every round  for 2 inches. Start the Chevron pattern. Put a marker every 12 stitches, if you like.

Chevron Pattern
Round 1: Knit 1, M1, Knit 4, S2KP, Knit 4, M1
Round 2: Knit

Knit 8 rounds of each color.  I used 9 different colors, but I think 8 would have been better.  At the top of the bag, knit 1 round decreasing, but not increasing. Finish with several rounds in garter stitch. Handle is 5 stitch i-cord 18" long.
Felt in washing machine.

M1 = pick up a loop in the strand between last stitch and next stitch and knit through the back (increase)
S2KP = Slip 2 stitches together as if to knit, knit the next stitch, pass the slipped stitches over the knit stitch
         (centered double decrease)

I have no idea how much yarn was used, but each round took about 5 yards.  The pattern is a multiple of 12, so you could make a different size bag.  And you don't have to make a base, you could just seam the bottom.  In fact, that's exactly what I am going to do, because I have yarn left over!