INTERCHANGEABLE DESIGN CITY BACKPACK « CARRY »

In the idea of working outside, being a lot outdoors, I needed a practical bag to carry my computer and cables around, my phone, earphone, an external battery, my note books and some pens.

I made this backpack because I live in Amsterdam, and it’s alway more handy than a regular purse when you bike all day. I used flashy colors with the orange straps to be more visible at night. I also chose a water resistant fabric for the lining so I could use it for the many rainy days that there are in Holland. The choice of color of course can be totally different depending on your needs and use.

I decided to make two bags together, one around and one inside. That way, if I feel like it I can change the colors! Interchangeable items: inside bag, outside bag and straps.

Perhaps this is more a remark for knitters… I don’t know about you, I always want a knitting project during the winter times, I always do different scarfs, sweaters ... but now I can do something else, I can make as many outside knits that I want to change easily the outside aspect of this backpack!

Dimensions BACKPACK: 7x28x34 cm

Step 1: WHAT YOU WILL NEED :

INGREDIENTS

- 360cm of orange strap (http://jandegrotekleinvakman.nl/index.php?item=&action=article&group_id=20000126&aid=10510&lang=nl)

- 2,5 wool balls, color military (https://www.phildar.fr/fil-phil-coton-3.r.html#skuId:117242)

- one circular knitting needle of 35mm diameter and 60cm long

- dark grey fabric for outside coaches 60cm x 130cm

- strong orange cotton thread

- thin foam, 8mm thick, 33x27cm

- 1 zipper of 30 cm

- thick needles for sewing

- two tri-glide of 40mm (https://www.plastic-buckle.com/p003-tri-glide.aspx)

- 1 plastic buckle of 2cm with 15cm of strap of 2cm

- sewing machine, or sewing by hand is also possible, just a little bit longer

- a ruler

Time of making : 15hours (the knitting part takes the longest : around 10 hours. / The sewing : 5h )

Price : Around 30€, maybe even less if you already have the material to knit and sew !

The links are mainly french or dutch, but I put them just so that you see exactly what i used, but you can buy everything you need to a sewing supplies store, it’s probably easier than the internet to really see what kind of fabric you buy.

If you are not confortable with the seed stitch you can type « seed stitch » in youtube and you will find a lot of informations to do it ! And the same, if you write down « one row buttonhole » you will have a lot to go on.

BACKPACK_TECHNICAL.pdf
Download

Step 2: KNIT THE « AROUND BAG » USING a SEED STITCH (alternation of Purl and Knit Stitches)

HOW TO KNIT :

Cast on 101 stitches on your circular needles of 60cm long and 3,5mm diameter (at first, it will be very tight, but the more you knit rows the more the wool will expend gently and you will feel more confortable.)

Knit in circle 7 rows.

Generally when you knit seed stitches you have to be careful about changing the first stitch in every row, but knitting in circle means that you just keep knitting alternating the purls and the knits. I left the thread of wool long enough when I start casting the stitches and put a small orange thread. That way, I know that’s where I started and I can count the rows that I am knitting very easily. (see first photo)

Row 8, knit 13 stitches and start with the one row buttonhole of 8 stitches, (still) Row 8, knit 17 stitches and redo the same one row buttonhole of 8 stitches and then knit 55 to finish the 8th row

Knit 19 rows

Row 28, knit 13 stitches and start with the one row buttonhole of 8 stitches, (still) Row 28, knit 17 stitches and redo the same one row buttonhole of 8 stitches and then knit 55 to finish the 28th row

Knit 19 rows

Row 48, knit 13 stitches and start with the one row buttonhole of 8 stitches, (still) Row 48, knit 17 stitches and redo the same one row buttonhole of 8 stitches and then knit 55 to finish the 48th row

Knit 19 rows

Row 68, knit 13 stitches and start with the one row buttonhole of 8 stitches, (still) Row 68, knit 17 stitches and redo the same one row buttonhole of 8 stitches and then knit 55 to finish the 68th row

Knit 19 rows

Row 88, knit 13 stitches and start with the one row buttonhole of 8 stitches, (still) Row 88, knit 17 stitches and redo the same one row buttonhole of 8 stitches and then knit 55 to finish the 88th row

Knit 19 rows

Row 108, knit 13 stitches and start with the one row buttonhole of 8 stitches, (still) Row 108, knit 17 stitches and redo the same one row buttonhole of 8 stitches and then knit 55 to finish the 108th row

Knit 19 rows

Row 128, knit 13 stitches and start with the one row buttonhole of 8 stitches, (still) Row 128, knit 17 stitches and redo the same one row buttonhole of 8 stitches and then knit 55 to finish the 128th row

Knit 5 rows

Row 133, knit 13 stitches and start with the one row buttonhole of 8 stitches, (still) Row 133, knit 17 stitches and redo the same one row buttonhole of 8 stitches and then knit 55 to finish the 133rd row

Knit 7 rows and close your work. The last rows that I knitted are going to be the down part of the "around bag".

I passed the orange straps inside to visualise better the ending and make sure that everything fits!

Enjoy you hard work !

Step 3: PATTERN

Once your knitting is done, I used a rectangular cardboard of 74cm long and 34cm large and folded it into the shape of the bag that i want. Then I started slowly to but the knit around it to be sure that it would fit. The knit is stretched around but not deform. I measured the sides, front and back of the cardboard and I found, that way, the sizes of my fabric’s pattern (in the illustrator drawings I added 1cm of seam everywhere).

Step 4: CUTTING THE FABRIC

You can see from the drawings on the PDF the exact measures of the fabric. Cut the fabric, leaving 1cm all around like in the file to sew it easily. Cut also the foam a little bit smaller to be sure that it fits inside the two parts for the back.

Don't forget to make the cuts on the rectangular bottom part and on the top front part of the fabric to be able to slide the straps into. I put 2 pictures using a template to mark where to do the cuts for the top front part.

BACKPACK_TECHNICAL.pdf
Download

Step 5: STARTING WITH THE BACK PART

Start with sewing together the 2 back parts with the foam inside.

Step 6: INSIDE POCKETS

Start the pockets inside the front part. You will need 80 cm of orange strap to lodge a phone, its charger, earphones, a computer charger, 4 pens, 1 notebook B6, one solar battery and its small cable. Arrange what you want inside. Put some needles to hold everything where you want. Then, take the items off and sew where the needles are.

Step 7: STRAPS

To hide the 4 straps in the front, fold the ends of the straps like in the picture and sew them before sewing the 2 side parts to the front part. Cut the straps short like in the picture. When you attache the sides in the next step, make sure that what is left of the strap is trapped inside the seam.

Step 8: SEW PART TOGETHER

Sew the back part to one side part, then to that same side part sew the front part and sew the other side part to the front. The bag is still flat, further you will attache the second side ti the back part to close the bag.

Step 9: BOTTOM PART

For the bottom, fold the fabric like in the illustrator, put needles on each side. Sew the edges and cut the fabric that overlaps. Cut the rectangular of 25cmx5cm and make 4 cuts to slide the strap inside later. (see illustrator file). Sew this rectangle with the bottom on the outside.

Step 10: ASSEMBLE BOTTOM TO THE OTHER PARTS

Sew the bottom to the upper part. And then sew the last side attaching the back part to one side.

Step 11: TOP PART, BUCKLE AND ZIPPER

Sew the top part, without forgetting the 2cm plastic buckle in the middle and then sew the zipper.

Step 12: INSIDE OUT !

Turn the bag inside out so that the outside part is outside

Step 13: FINAL TOUCHES ... !

Put on the knitting over the fabric bag and then slide the strap through the knit and the bottom rectangular cuts. Put the tri-glide buckle on each strap at the level of your elbows more or less. See what feels more comfortable for you !

Do not worry if at the end your knit is wider than you expected. You can always but an orange elastic all around to make it more tight and give it a nice look !