Bag for Puppy

Bring your pooch on a sleepover or carry her around town-this bag works as a doggie bed or carrier.
 
Size
8" x 12" x 8" (20 x 30.5 x 20 cm)

Materials
Lion Brand Lion Wool
100% Wool 3 oz (85g) 158 yd (144m)
 
4 balls #113 Scarlet (MC)
1 ball #099 Winter White (CC) or colors of your choice

•Size 9 (5.5 mm) knitting needles or size to obtain gauge
•Contrasting-colored, smooth yarn to be used as waste yarn
•Stitch holders
1 ¼ yd (1.25m) ¼” (19mm) cotton twill tape

Two 8" x 12" (20x30.5 cm) sheets plastic canvas mesh (gauge 10)
#16 blunt yarn needle
 
2 ½ yd (2.5 m) 1" (2.5 cm) nylon webbing in navy
•Sewing thread in navy
•Perle cotton in cream

Gauge
16 stitches + 22 rows = 4" (10 cm) in stockinette stitch (knit on right side, purl on wrong side) before felting. Be sure to check your gauge.

Note
Two bag pieces are knit in stockinette stitch. Both side panel and front panel overlap at the bottom (2 layers) and plastic canvas in inserted in between the bottom layers. Side searns are sewn with an invisible stitch. Top edge has a double hem. Webbing is machine or hand sewn to make handles.
 
Side Panel
With waste yarn, cast on 75 stitches and knit 4 rows. Join MC.
Rows 1-69 Work in stockinette stitch.

Row 70 Bind off 1 stitch, work to end of row—74 stitches. Cut MC and join CC.
Row 71 Bind off 1 stitch, work to end of row—73 stitches. Cut CC and join MC.
Rows 72-151 Work in stockinette stitch. After Row 1 51, cut MC and join CC.

Row 152 Work in stockinette stitch.
Cut CC and join MC.
Rows 153-154 Cast on 1 stitch, work to end of row—75 stitches after
Row 154.
Rows 155-222 Work in stockinette stitch. After Row 222, cut MC and join CC.
Rows 223-224 Work in stockinette stitch. After Row 224, cut CC and join MC.
Rows 225-245 Work in stockinette stitch.

Place stitches on holder. Carefully remove waste yarn and place 75 stitches on needle. Join CC and work 2 rows in stockinette stitch. Cut CC and join MC. Work 20 rows in stockinette stitch. Place stitches on holder.

Front/Back Panel
With waste yarn, cast on 50 stitches. Knit 4 rows. Join MC.
Rows 1-69 Work in stockinette stitch.

Row 70 Bind off 1 stitch, work to end of row—49 stitches. Cut MC and join CC.
Row 71 Bind off 1 stitch, work to end of row—-48 stitches. Cut CC and join MC.
Rows 72-192 Work in stockinette stitch. After Row 1 92, cut MC and join CC.

Row 193 Work in stockinette stitch.
Cut CC and join MC.
Rows 194-195 Cast on 1 stitch, work to end of row—50 stitches after

Row 195
Rows 196-220 Work in stockinette stitch.
Row 221 Knit 12 with MC; join CC and knit 26, weaving MC across WS; knit 12 with MC.

Row 222 Purl 12 with MC; p 26 with CC, weaving MC across WS; purl 12 with MC.
Cut CC.
Rows 223-232 Work in stockinette stitch.

Doggie Opening
Right Side
Row 233 Knit 12; place remaining stitches on holder.

Rows 234-263 Work in stockinette stitch. After Row 263, cut MC and join CC.
Rows 264-265 Work in stockinette stitch. After Row 265, cut CC and join MC.
Rows 266-286 Work in stockinette stitch. Place stitches on holder.

Left Side
Place last 12 stitches from holder onto needle, ready to work a RS row; join MC.
Repeat Rows 233-286 of right side. Place stitches on holder.

Center
Place center 26 stitches on needle, join MC and work 10 rows in stockinette stitch. Bind off.
Carefully remove waste yarn and place 50 stitches on needle. Join CC and work 2 rows stockinette stitch. Cut CC and join MC. Work 20 rows in stockinette stitch. Place stitches on holder.

Finishing
Place wrong side of Front/Back Panel over right side of Side Panel crosswise—centers of pieces overlap to form base. Sew 4 side seams from base to top.
Note The overlapping bases will not match up until they are felted.

Hem
Beginning at left of Center opening, work Hem across all 224 stitches as follows:
Fold the last 20 rows to the inside so that the stitches line up with the top of the CC row. Knit 1, with left needle, pick up first stitch in CC row and knit, knit 1 on needle, pass first 2 stitches over 3rd stitch (1 stitch on right needle).

Repeat from  until all stitches have been worked. Fasten off last stitch. Cut a 37" {94 cm) length of twill tape and insert through Hem with a large safety pin. Tack to ends of opening. The twill will gather the Ham but will help it felt to correct dimensions.
 
Felting
Put the finished Bag through the hottest wash cycle twice. After the second wash, felt should be pliable enough to manipulate the two bottom panels to measure 8" x 12" {20 x 30.5 cm). Steam if necessary. Readjust the twill between washes so that sides measure 8" x 12" (20 x 30.5 cm).

Base
Place one plastic canvas piece on top of the other and secure with a few stitches. Insert between the 2 bottom layers of the Bag. Whipstitch all 4 sides of base to plastic canvas, using the CC rows as guides. Pinch each corner of the top edge of Bag and whipstitch a few times. Put the Bag through the wash cycle one or two more times. Remove twill tape.

Webbing Straps
Join the 2 1/2 yard (2.5 m) of webbing by overlapping and securing with a few rows of stitches to form a closed ring. Fold flat at seam and use seam as a mark, then place the second (halfway) mark at opposite fold.

You now have a 90" (228.5 cm) ring divided in half with the seam and halfway mark. Place webbing across base, parallel to and 2" (5 cm) from the front edge. Center the webbing seam (4" [10 cm] from each side) and pin in place at center and sides.

Repeat for the other end, centering the halfway mark 2" (5 cm) from the back edge. Continue to pin webbing up the sides of the bag, 2" (5 cm) from the front and back edges. Tack webbing in place using sewing thread. Topstitch webbing edges with cream perle cotton.