Cozy Cable-Knit Cashmere Purse — Free Handmade Pattern & Assembly Guide

Knitted handmade purses are more than accessories — they're small, wearable works of art crafted stitch by stitch. This pattern creates a compact cable-knit purse in Joseph Galler Pashmina (blush) with a metal frame and optional bead embellishment. Below you'll find materials, gauge, the cable chart instructions, and complete finishing and assembly steps to make a finished purse approximately 5 x 6.5 inches.

Blush cashmere cable-knit purse with silver metal frame — finished size approx. 5 x 6.5 in.

SIZE
One

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS

• Width: 5 inches
• Height: 6.5 inches

MATERIALS

• Joseph Galler Pashmina [100% superfine cashmere; 170 yds/155m per 50g skein]; color: Blush; 1 skein [Note: Makes 2 purses.]
• 1 set US #3/3 mm straight needles
• Cable needle
• Small yarn needle
• Two 2" x 5" metal handbag frames in silver 
• 0.25 yds fabric for lining
• 1 tube size 8 beads
• 1.25 yds coordinating trim (optional)
• Sewing needle
• Thread to match yarn and lining

GAUGE

32 sts/38 rows = 4 inches in stockinette stitch unblocked.

You will need to unravel your gauge swatch once you have gotten gauge and use that yarn to knit with, so do NOT block your swatch.

PATTERN NOTES

C4F: Slip next 2 sts to cable needle and hold to back of work, k next 2 sts, k 2 sts from cable needle.

Cable Pattern (Worked over 44 sts):

[Note: These instructions contain the same infomation as is found in the Chart below.]

Set-up Rows:

Row 1 [RS]: K4, [p3, k4, p3, k3] to last st, k1.

Row 2 [WS]: P4, [k3, p4, k3, p3] to last st, p1.

Row 3 [RS]: K4, [p3, C4F, p3, k3] to last st, k1.

Pattern Rows:

Even-numbered Rows 4-14 [WS]: P4, [k3, p4, k3, p3] to last st, p1.

Rows 5, 9, 11, 13 [RS]: K4, [p3, k4, p3, k3] to last st, k1.

Rows 7, 15 [RS]: K4, [p3, C4F, p3, k3] to last st, k1.

Repeat Rows 4-15 for Cable Pattern.

Detail view of the cable pattern used for the purse.

DIRECTIONS

Purse Body

CO 44 stitches.

Work Rows 1-3 of Cable Pattern.

Work Rows 4-15 of Cable Pattern 9 times.

Work Rows 4-5 of Cable Pattern once more. BO all sts in patt (WS row).

FINISHING

Block knitted piece to 5.5 inches x 12 inches.

Beading (Optional)

Run thread through back of knitted piece, down one side of each cable and up the other side, placing one bead on each side of each cable twist. Loop thread through each bead twice to secure in place.

Lining

Cut a rectangle from lining fabric, measuring 6 inches by 13 inches. (This allows for a 0.5 inch seam allowance on each edge.)

Fold fabric in half widthwise. Using sewing needle and thread, sew first 3.75 inches of each long edge of rectangle, beginning at fold, using 0.5 inch seam allowance.

Fold over 0.5 inch of remaining edges of lining and press.

Assembly

Fold knitted piece in half widthwise. Using yarn needle and yarn, sew first 4 inches of each long edge of purse body, beginning at fold. Cable pattern should line up around purse body.

Slip lining into purse. Using sewing needle and thread, slip stitch into place around top and open sides.

Fit body of purse into purse frame. Trying to keep stitches under frame edge so that they don’t show, stitch into place as follows:

Pass needle from back to front through lining and knitted piece, then through metal loop on frame edge.

Pick up bead, then pass needle back through loop on frame edge, and back through knitted piece and lining.

Repeat until each loop on frame edge has a bead, and knitted purse body is secure.

If you find that you have difficulty keeping stitches hidden, once you have sewn purse body to the frame, fit coordinating trim under frame edge and stitch into place, covering original stitches.

Once purse body is secured to frame, pass a single stitch through grommet on each side of purse frame and into side of knitted body, stitching body into place. Use same thread to sew shut any remaining open seam on each side, then tie off and slip knot and ends to inside of piece.