Designing the Mother of All Knitting Bags

[wootwoot]

I'm planning on sewing myself a bag to put all my knitting in, but I don't want just a regular tote.  So I was wondering, what would everyone want in a knitting bag?

I'm thinking lots of organizer pockets.  I don't want to finish it and think, "oh, I wish I had a pocket for that," or whatever. 

So I thought I'd just leave it open to you guys for ideas.  Anything I definitely can't leave out? 

[lutheranchick]

Handles that didn't hurt your hands. Some of the flat wooden ones eventually start cutting into your palms.

[gloriana]

when I made mine, I did custom pockets on the inside for my big needles (17s, 19s, 35s) - the ones that don't fit comfortably into the roll-up needle case that holds the rest of my needles.  just a thought.

[k8e592]

I'm making my own too!!! Tired of looking for one that wasn't REALLY overpriced...or something my Aunt Gertrude would carry...

I'm planning on an interior zippered pockets to hold the current project yarn...with a grommet on the side of the pocket to run the yarn through so my strands don't get tangled.....

Has anyone completed their own tote yet?...May we see them?/..Pretty please??

 

[elysium]

I saw another tote on crafster that someone made for their knitting, and they had this great idea. They put in little strips of fabric, about an inch wide. One side was sewn onto the bag and the other undid with a snap. The idea was to thread the yarn through there while knitting from out of the tote.

Did that make sense?

[melidomi]

That was mine!  Here's a link to it
The advantage of the snap open things over grommets is that you can open them up and detatch it (good if you want to carry around a different project for a little while). 
Features I think you should have:
1) a big flat pocket for your pattern
2) a small notions bag that attaches to the bigger knitting bag, but can be removed
3) little snap open deals for yarn guides
4) a slot or two for spare needles
5) a zippered pocket
6) another pocket for purse type stuff so that you can find your keys/wallet/whatever without rooting through your yarn
7) a large main compartment big enough for a sweater sized project. - it should have some kind of closure, even if it's just a snap.

[artistrachelmarie]

DOOD I would want extra padding at the bottom or like something durable that the needles cant poke through... i always end up getting stabbed!

[wootwoot]

I'm making my own too!!! Tired of looking for one that wasn't REALLY overpriced...or something my Aunt Gertrude would carry...

No kidding.  Flowery quilted bags...yuck. 

Melidomi, your bag is awesome and so are your ideas.  I'm still in the planning stages, so that helped me out a ton. 

DOOD I would want extra padding at the bottom or like something durable that the needles cant poke through... i always end up getting stabbed!

Ha ha, I wouldn't have even thought of that.  Mostly I just use circulars, but just in case...

[Conley]

Maybe have the interior made out of clear vinyl, with pockets also made out CV? That way you can see your yarns and projects and they stay dry and organized even if you should be caught in a rainstorm while awaiting public transportation.

I know that I too recently went on a search for a knitting bag. I ended up taking an old abused Janesport backpack and turned it into a totebag of sorts (which rocked because the leather bottom keeps the needles from poking out... I had that problem too artistrachelmarie ). Mine doesn't have any pockets (I was too impatient to try and sew any in, just wanting a place to secure my stuff away from the questing unraveling hands of my 2yo), so my next project is a needle keeper. To keep my yarns dry and safe they currently live in ziploc bags of multi sizes depending on the skein size.

But if I had a larger budget (like money to actually buy new materials to make stuff from) and madder skills than I currently posses, I'd make a CV hat box bag (that made no sense... a bag shaped like a hat box w/ a zipper made from Clear Vinyl) big enough to carry a single project, the needles for that project, the pattern for that project, and a pair of scissors in a case. I say clear vinyl because people and jobs are weird nowadays about being able to see inside your purse for weapons (I worked at a place where you had to have a clear purse so that they could see that you weren't stealing stuff). Though I have found when I have a clear bag of knitting on my lap, people around me become transfixed with watching me knit- like mass hypnosis... which is why I again vote for clear vinyl.

[Jera]

http://www.purloneknitone.com/
 I think their totes are ideal for me.