Lavender Bags

Lavender Bags by Sian Brown

Project Overview

These knitted lavender bags are small decorative pouches designed to hold dried lavender flowers. Created by independent designer Sian Brown, the project combines functional craft with delicate aesthetic appeal. Each finished bag measures 11 x 11 cm, making them ideal for sachets, drawer fresheners, or gift items. The bags feature an intermediate-level knitting pattern that incorporates decorative stitch techniques alongside practical construction methods.

What Is Being Made

The lavender bags consist of knitted fabric pieces that form a small pouch. The design includes a front panel featuring the Catherine Wheel motif—an ornamental stitch pattern that creates visual interest on the finished piece. The bags are constructed to be filled with dried lavender flowers and finished with ribbon and fabric components to create a complete, functional item.

Techniques Used

• Stocking Stitch: The foundational fabric technique used for the main body of the bag, creating a smooth, classic knit surface
• Catherine Wheel Motif: An advanced decorative stitch pattern that involves slipping stitches, yarn forwards, yarn backs, and decreases to create an ornamental wheel-like design
• Increases and Decreases: Strategic stitch manipulation including knit three together (k3tog), knit three together through back loop (k3tog tbl), and slip-stitch decreases to shape the motif
• Yarn Forward Techniques: Multiple yarn forward (yf) stitches used to create eyelet holes and lacy elements within the Catherine Wheel pattern
• Assembly: Finishing with thin ribbon and thin fabric components to complete the functional pouch

Stitches Used

• Knit (k): Basic knit stitch forming the foundation of the fabric
• Purl (p): Used in alternating rows to create stocking stitch and in the Catherine Wheel motif rows
• Yarn Forward (yf): Creates decorative holes and increases within the motif pattern
• Yarn Back (yb): Positioning technique used during the Catherine Wheel stitch sequence
• Slip Stitch (sl): Stitches slipped from needle to needle without working, essential to the Catherine Wheel construction
• Pass Slipped Stitch Over (psso): A decrease method where a slipped stitch passes over worked stitches
• Knit Three Together (k3tog): A three-stitch decrease creating the wheel pattern's sculptural elements
• Knit Three Together Through Back Loop (k3tog tbl): A twisted decrease variation used in the motif
• Knit in Back of Next Stitch (kb1): A twisted stitch creating texture variation
• Slip One, Knit One, Pass Slipped Stitch Over (sl1, k1, psso): A classic left-leaning decrease used throughout the Catherine Wheel pattern
• Knit Two Together (k2tog): A basic two-stitch right-leaning decrease

Materials

The lavender bags are knitted using Sublime Bamboo and Pearls DK yarn in the Oyster colorway. One 50 gram ball provides sufficient yardage for the project. The pattern requires a pair of 4mm needles for working with this DK weight yarn. Additional materials include thin ribbon for finishing, thin fabric for the pouch construction, and dried lavender flowers for filling.

Yarn and Gauge

The project uses DK (double knitting) weight yarn, a versatile medium weight suitable for creating defined stitch detail. The specified tension is 22 stitches and 28 rows over a 10 x 10 centimeter square in stocking stitch. Achieving correct tension is essential for the finished bag to measure the intended 11 x 11 centimeters and for the Catherine Wheel motif to display properly.

Difficulty Level

This project is rated as intermediate difficulty. While the foundational stocking stitch is accessible to knitters of various levels, the Catherine Wheel motif requires familiarity with advanced techniques including multiple decreases, yarn forwards, slip stitches, and the ability to follow a complex stitch pattern. Knitters should be comfortable reading