Make a colorful string bag for your next eco-friendly shopping trip. The Crossed Loop Market Bag scrunches down to next to nothing until needed and then expands to accommodate more fiber stash purchases or whatever! It is a great bag to take to the beach or poolside too. The knitting goes quickly because the main pattern stitch is a nifty elongated twisted stitch that is at least double the height of a normal stitch. The pattern also includes step-by-step, skill-building instructions for making a self-joining tubular casing for the drawstring I-cord handles.

Knit a Little Shopper or a Big Shopper with 250 (375) yards of yarn for the body of the bag and 50 yards for the I-cord handles. Choose string or firm cotton yarn such as size 5 or 10 crochet thread, 5/2 pearl cotton, lightweight carpet warp, etc., or equivalent in a firmly twisted 2- or 3-ply handspun. Suggested needles are US 3 (3.25mm) or 4 (3.5mm) 16" Circular and Double Point Needles. An I-cord knitting machine is optional.