pattern © 2009 by Jennifer L. Jones

With a little embellishment and imagination, this knit bag can be both a purse and a portable dollhouse. Made from super-bulky yarn, it's sturdy and knits up quickly. It's a fun and practical gift for the little girl in your life.

Finished Measurements

4 inches wide, 7.75 inches long, 8.25 inches tall.

Gauge

12 st per 4 inches in stockinette stitch

Yarn

super-bulky, sample knit with Lionbrand Thick & Quick, approximately 75 yds. of each color

Scraps of yarn and fabric can be used for embellishments

Needle Size

10 1/2 US / 6.5mm

Abbreviations

MC = main color

CC = contrast color (base and roof)

PM = place marker

st = stitch

K = knit

P = purl

k2tog = knit two stitches together (decrease)

K2tog tbl = knit two stitches together through the back loops (decrease)

psso = pass slipped stitch over

Base

With CC, cast on 20 st.

Knit all rows (garter stitch) for 23 rows. Bind off.

Sides

With MC, starting with a short edge of the base: pick up 13 st along the short edge, PM, pick up 19 st along the next long edge, PM, pick up 13 st along the second short edge, PM, pick up 19 st along the second long edge—64 st total.

Knit 20 rounds.

Gable Shaping

Round 1: P2, K9, P21, P2, K9, P21 (so you're purling each long edge, and the first and last 2 stitches on the short edges)

Round 2: Knit

Round 3: P2, K9, P21, P2, K9, P21

Round 4: Knit

Round 5: P2, K9, P2, bind off 19 st purlwise, P2, K9, P2, bind off 19 st purlwise

Now work each gable separately:

Row 1: K2, k2tog tbl, K5, t2tog, K2

Row 2: K2, P7, K2

Row 3: K2, k2tog tbl, K3, t2tog, K2

Row 4: K2, P5, K2

Row 5: K2, k2tog tbl, K1, t2tog, K2

Row 6: K2, P3, K2

Row 7: K2, slp 1, k2tog, psso, K2

Row 8: K2, P1, K2

Row 9: K1, slip 1, k2tog, psso, K1

Row 10: K3

Row 11: slip 1, k2tog, psso - bind off last st

Work the other gable to match.

Roof

Cast on 21 st.

Knit 42 rows (21 ridges). Bind off.

Strap

Cast on 4 st. Work garter stitch or i-cord for 25 inches. Bind off.

Finishing

Find the center garter ridge on the roof piece and pin each side of that ridge to the gable peaks—make sure the roof slightly overlaps the top edge of the house walls. Starting from one peak and working around to the other, sew the roof to the house, leaving one half of the roof free to create a flap opening.

Sew two buttons on the top of the front wall flap and button loops to the roof.

Sew strap to gables.

Embellishments

Dcorative elements give the house its character and can be as simple or elaborate as you like. The front door on the sample was knit with scrap worsted weight yarn (12 st in stockinette, knit for 3 inches, bind off). A button was used for the door knob. You can add windows and other elements. You can also add plastic canvas to reinforce the shape, and a lining. NOTE: the sample has plastic canvas on the two peaked sides, without plastic canvas it's going to be more like a soft bag.

For ideas, take a look at this incredible recreation a British village, entirely done in knitwork.