In these days when many are trying to reduce their carbon footprints, driving hybrid cars, and taking shorter showers, it's nice to have a great-looking shopping bag for the market. I've designed three different sizes for those differently sized visits to the farmer's stand or grocery store. Small for those times when you only need butter, chocolate, and heavy cream for that delectable dessert; Medium when you need fruit, a few select cheeses, and a bottle of wine or sparkling water; and Really Big for those trips to the Farmer's market and all the tasty treats you find there: organic tomatoes, fresh goat cheese, scones made this morning, and other lovelies. Unlike its cousins, the really big bag has two handles that slant toward each other, so it can be carried easily in your hand or over your arm, and it won't tip all your cargo out onto the floor.
The cascading fuchsias turn these unstructured, easy-to-make bags into sculptural works of art. Let your creativity take the lead as you dream up wonderful combinations (all found in nature) for this botanically-correct version of the fuchsia. Then twist and twine long I-cord stems to make beautiful designs on your unique market bag.
Pattern Difficulty Level: The bags are great projects for beginners while the fuchsias are a bit more of a challenge. This pattern requires knowledge of knitting and purling, knitting in the round on circular and double-pointed needles, knitting short rows, and increasing and decreasing.