Knitted Smiley Tote Bag — Free Pattern & Step-by-Step Instructions
Brighten your day with this cheerful Knitted Smiley Tote Bag. This simple, textured tote features a bold smiley face panel framed by a seed-stitch border and finished with sturdy seed-stitch handles. It's worked flat, seamed, then optionally lined (the sample was lined in red to highlight the face). The pattern below includes materials, abbreviations and full row-by-row instructions—ideal for an intermediate beginner comfortable with increases and decreases.
Knitted Smiley Tote Bag shown with red lining to enhance the smiley face.
Materials:
2 skeins Cotton type yarn
6mm needles
1/2yd material for lining
Cotton thread and sewing needle
Abbreviations used
K = knit, p = purl,
k2tog = knit 2 together, yo = yarn over.
x means to repeat the stitches in parentheses as many times as the number before the x.
Stitches in [bsst ] are border seed stitches,
Instructions:
Cast on 48 sts
Row 1 *k1, p1, repeat from * to end
Row 2 *p1, k1 repeat from * to end
These two rows form seed stitch repeat until 68 rows have been completed then place marker.
Work a further 14 rows of seed stitch ending on a wrong side.
Smiley Face
The first 5 sts and last 5 sts of each row keep seed stitch border
Row 1) [5bsst], k37, [5bsst]
Row 2) and all wrong side rows [5bsst], p37, [5bsst]
Row 3) [5bsst], k12, (k2tog, yo), 6x k13, [bsst]
Row 5) [5bsst], k9, k2tog, yo, k15, yo, k2tog, k9, [5bsst]
Row 7) [5bsst], k6, k2tog, yo, k 21, yo, k2tog, k6, [5bsst]
Row 9) [5bsst], k4, k2tog, yo, k25, yo, k2tog, k4, [5bsst]
Row 11) [5bsst], k14, k2tog, yo, k1, k2tog, yo, k1, k2tog, yo, k15, [5bsst]
Row 13) [5bsst], k2, k2tog, yo, k8, k2tog, yo, k9, yo, k2tog, k8, yo, k2tog, k2, [5bsst]
Row 15) [5bsst], k10, k2tog, yo, k13, yo, k2tog, k10, [5bsst]
Row 17) [5bsst], k1, k2tog, yo, k6, k2tog, yo, k15, yo, k2tog, k6, yo, k2tog, k1, [5bsst]
Row 19) [5bsst], k1, k2tog, yo, k3, (k2tog, yo) 2x, k17, (yo, k2tog) 2x, k3, yo, k2tog,
k1, [5bsst]
Row 21) [5bsst], k1, k2tog, yo, k5, k2tog, yo, k17, yo, k2tog, k5, yo, k2tog, k1, [5bsst]
Row 23) [5bsst], k1, k2tog, yo, k9, k2tog, yo, k1, yo, k2tog, k3, k2tog, yo, k1, yo,
k2tog, k9, yo,k2tog, k1, [5bsst]
Row 25) [5bsst], k1, k2tog, yo, k8, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, k2tog, k1, k2tog, yo, k3, yo,
k2tog, k8, yo, k2tog, k1, [5bsst]
Row 27) [5bsst], k11, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, k2tog, k1, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, k2tog, k11, [5bsst]
Row 29) [5bsst], k2, k2tog, yo, k7, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, k2tog, k1, k2tog, yo, k3, yo,
k2tog, k7, yo, k2tog, k2, [5bsst]
Row 31) [5bsst], k12, k2tog, yo, k1, yo, k2tog, k3, k2tog, yo, k1, yo, k2tog, k12, [5bsst]
Row 33) [5bsst], k4, k2tog, yo, k25, yo, k2tog, k4, [5bsst]
Row 35) [5bsst], k6, k2tog, yo, k21, yo, k2tog, k6, [5bsst]
Row 37) [5bsst], k9, k2tog, yo, k15, yo, k2tog, k9, [5bsst]
Row 39) [5bsst], k12, (k2tog, yo) 6x, k13, [5bsst]
Row 41) [5bsst], k37, [5bsst]
Row 42) [5bsst], p37, [5bsst]
Work 12 rows seed stitch.
Cast off.
Handles Make 2
Cast on 6 sts
work in seed stitch until required length ( can be as long as you’d like)
Cast off.
Finishing
Fold bag in half (the markers are the middle) place cast on edge to cast off edge and sew side seams.
Pin handles in place then sew. Line if required. I lined with a red coloured material to show off smiley face.
Notes and tips:
- Use cotton or a sturdy plant-fiber yarn for durability and shape retention—this pattern was written for a cotton-type yarn.
- Adjust the number of cast-on stitches and number of rows to change finished width/height. Gauge will affect the final size.
- Seed stitch borders help the bag hold its shape; keep the 5-stitch border as written for the framed smiley effect.
- Lining stabilizes the bag and protects against stretching; choose a contrasting fabric to make the face pop, as shown.
- Finish seams neatly with mattress stitch for an invisible join, and reinforce handle attachments for carrying weight.