Sari Doesn’t Cut It: How To Make A
Woven Messenger Bag
Rebecca Marie Duran
www.peaknits.com
1
Materials and Tools Needed
• Three Foot Tri Loom
• Knitting Nancy (or Double Pointed
Needles)
• Crochet Hook
• Yarn Needle
• Safety Pins
• 8 skeins of Darn Good Yarn, Recycled
Resolution Yarn (three triangles,
minimum of 315 yards for outside of
bag, and a minimum of 120 yards for
handle)
• 2 skeins of Mountain Meadow Wool,
Pinecone on Sun (three triangles,
minimum 315 yards for inside of bag,
in addition to needing some to be used
for sewing and felting the bag)
Rebecca Marie Duran
www.peaknits.com
2
Where To Go
Don’t have what you need to
get started? Here is a list of
resources that may help you:
• Hints Tips, Tricks and Techniques
– Tri Loom Weaving Written by: Barbara Herdman
http://www.lulu.com/shop/barbara-herdman/tri-loomweaving/paperback/product-935395.html
– Roger’s Looms
http://www.offgridlife.com
• Trilooms
– Tri Looms By Jim http://stores.ebay.com/Tri-Loomsby-Jim?_rdc=1
– Roger’s Looms
http://www.etsy.com/shop/RogersLooms
• Yarn
– Darn Good Yarn
www.darngoodyarn.com
– Mountain Meadow Wool
www.mountainmeadowwool.com
Rebecca Marie Duran
www.peaknits.com
3
Using the
Continuous Weave
Method (CWM),
create 3 three-foot
triangles with
Darn Good Yarn
and 3 three-foot
triangles with
Mountain Meadow
Wool (6 total).
HINT: If you are
not familiar or
need a refresher on
how to weave, please
go to
http://weavingboar
d.com/uploads/tril
oom_new_basic_wea
ving__inst.pdf for
free basic weaving
instructions and
demonstration.
Picture of Darn Good Yarn’s
Recycled Resolution Sari Silk in
the Continuous Weave Method on the
three foot tri loom.
Rebecca Marie Duran
www.peaknits.com
4
Begin to make the
body of the bag.
This is your outside, Darn
Good Yarn Recycled
Resolutions. Join these two
together first.
Separate your
triangles according
to yarn, making
sure not to confuse
the m.
Take two of each
triangle and combine
so that you have an
inside and outside.
Join the two triangles
together by using
your yarn needle to
whip stitch, or use
your crochet hook.
This is your inside,
Mountain Meadow Wool. Join
these together next.
Overlap and join again.
Rebecca Marie Duran
www.peaknits.com
5
Now that you have the
front and back joined
together, you want to
fold over the right side
of the fabric so it meets
the left side.
Make sure you join the
bottom as well, so
nothing falls out!
The front of your bag should look like
this.
Front of Bag
Rebecca Marie Duran
www.peaknits.com
6
Next, is joining the top,
or flap of the messenger
bag.
This is your outside, Recycled Resolutions
triangle from Darn Good Yarn.
Take your last two
triangles and join them
together, once again
using your yarn needle
to whipstitch or your
crochet hook.
Once joined, you will
then attach it to the
back of the body of your
bag.
This is your inside, Mountain Meadow
Wool. Join these together all around.
Please note: Your
triangle for the top is
supposed to be too big.
This is because you are
sewing the overlaps to
the front of your
messenger bag.
Rebecca Marie Duran
www.peaknits.com
7
Front of bag, with flap down.
Please note:
I have found that the bag was heavy enough to fold
down on its own and stayed no problem. If you are
unhappy with it, I would suggest either inserting a
magnetic button to the inside, or a button on the
outside to secure it. The choice is yours!
Rebecca Marie Duran
www.peaknits.com
8
Back of bag, with flap down.
Please note:
Because the sari is handspun, it can be irregular and
inconsistent in some spots. If this s the case, and you
are unhappy with some spots, use a yarn needle some of
your extra sari to weave in extra and fill it in.
Rebecca Marie Duran
www.peaknits.com
9
A great 4 strand braid tutorial is:
http://www.thepurseworkshop.com/
basic-braids.html
Lastly, you are going to
want to create the cord used
to make the strap.
I made the strap where it
was comfortable for me (17
inch drop from shoulder to
bag). But feel free to
accommodate to what feels
best for you.
Even better! Here’s a 5 strand one,
complete with pictures and videos:
www.backstrapweaving.wordpress.c
om/tutorials/tutorial-4-strandbraid/
I made a total of 4 cords
from a knitting nancy.
DPNs will also create this.
I then created the 4
stranded braid and
attached it to each side of
the top of the messenger
bag.
Not comfortable? A simple
3 strand braid will work
too!
Rebecca Marie Duran
www.peaknits.com
10
Go through your project.
Tug on it. Pull on it.
Find and look for any
weak spots.
Does it look like it will
hold, but still looks
questionable? Reinforce
it with your leftover
Mountain Meadow
Wool. This is where
your yarn needle
becomes extra handy, as
it can force its way into
small spots, where your
crochet needle can’t.
Double and triple knot
your ends and weave
them in so that you
can’t see them. The
point is to have this as
perfected as possible, as
the next step seals the
deal.
Washer and Drier time! This is the
felting process, and is imperative.
I washed mine on warm/cold (to
avoid any potential bleeding with
the silk), with homemade
laundry detergent, but any will
do.
During this time the yarn will
stretch, and not only become
water laden, but heavy. It’s ok!
Just be prepared for a good lift
while taking it out of the
washing machine into the drier.
Once in the drier, the bag will shrink
and shape. Due to the multiple
layers, it may take a couple of
times for it to be completely dry.
Once satisfied, shape and let it
cool.
Double check for flaws. If you have to
re-sew, just repeat this step until
you are completely satisfied.
Rebecca Marie Duran
www.peaknits.com
11
Questions, Comments,
Feedback?
This purchase comes with unlimited
support – please feel free to ask any
and all questions.
Think the instructions could be a
little clearer? I love constructive
criticism. Let me know how I can
make it better for you.
Rebecca Marie Duran
www.peaknits.com
[email protected]
Rebecca Marie Duran
www.peaknits.com
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