Goblin market

Goblin Market Knitted Reticule by Sally Pointer

Project Overview

Goblin Market is a knitted reticule bag with Victorian-inspired design elements. This intermediate-level knitting project creates a small decorative bag featuring richly textured stitch patterns and a distinctive silhouette. The design draws aesthetic inspiration from the poem "Goblin Market" by Christina Rossetti, translating literary themes of forbidden fruit into tactile textile form through carefully selected stitch techniques and shaping.

Design Features and Construction

The bag showcases multiple distinct pattern stitches working together to create visual and textural interest throughout the piece. The most prominent design element is a richly textured leaves and berries border that frames the bag's opening. The body of the bag features a shape loosely inspired by pomegranates and poppy capsules, creating an organic, sculptural form rather than a simple rectangular pouch. The construction begins as a strip of edging work, which forms the foundation for the subsequent bag body.

Knitting Techniques and Stitches

This project employs several distinct pattern stitches to achieve its textured appearance and maintain knitter engagement throughout construction. The leaves and berries border utilizes specialized stitch techniques to create botanical motifs, while the body incorporates multiple stitch patterns that work together to define the pomegranate and poppy capsule-inspired shaping. The use of varied stitches across different sections prevents monotony and allows the knitter to develop skills across multiple stitch categories while creating a cohesive finished garment.

Yarn and Materials

• Yarn Weight: Fingering weight, 4-ply, or sock yarn
• Yarn Used: Knitpicks Palette (approximately 100 meters from 20 grams)
• Needles: 2.5 mm needles, either double-pointed needles (dpns) or circular needles according to knitter preference
• Gauge: Approximately 9 stitches to the inch in stockinette stitch; the pattern allows for flexible gauge interpretation as long as the resulting fabric is moderately firm

Skill Level and Knitting Experience

Rated as an intermediate-level project, Goblin Market requires knitters to be comfortable with multiple stitch patterns, shaping techniques, and the ability to work from written pattern instructions. The varied stitch work throughout the bag provides good practice for intermediate knitters seeking to expand their technical repertoire. The flexible gauge requirement means knitters need not achieve exact gauge measurements, making the project more forgiving while still requiring attention to fabric density and firmness.

Finished Project Characteristics

The completed Goblin Market bag functions as a small reticule suitable for carrying personal items. Its Victorian aesthetic and literary inspiration make it a distinctive accessory piece. The combination of textured borders, patterned body sections, and organic shaping creates a bag that is as much a decorative art object as a functional accessory. The moderate firmness of the knitted fabric ensures the bag holds its sculptural form while remaining soft and wearable.