How to Make a Knitted Produce Bag

Make your own produce bags using cotton yarn.

When you buy produce from a grocery store or supermarket, you may think that you have to bag your produce in the provided plastic bags. However, plastic produce bags typically end up in landfills and are not environmentally-friendly. One solution is to use knitted produce bags that are reusable. Instead of buying premade knitted produce bags, make your own using a few basic materials that can be purchased inexpensively from an arts and crafts supply store.

Things You'll Need

• DK weight cotton yarn
• Size 12 circular knitting needles
• Scissors
• Yarn needle
• Woven ribbon, 1-inch wide
• Thread
• Needle

Instructions

1. Hold the end of a ball of DK weight cotton yarn in your hand, placing your palm face down and allowing the ball of yarn to fall over the top of your hand. Grasp the end of the yarn in between your thumb and index finger. Flip your hand over while holding onto the yarn, which will create a loop. Insert one of the knitting needle ends on a pair of size 12 circular knitting needles into the loop, and let go of the loop. The yarn will cinch around the needle as one cast on stitch. Repeat to cast on 60 stitches.

2. Hold the circular knitting needle horizontally in front of you, and adjust the stitches so that they are all facing the same direction. The DK weight yarn on size 12 knitting needles will create knitting that looks like netting.

3. Insert the right knitting needle into the first stitch on the left knitting needle. Wrap the loose yarn from the yarn ball over the right needle, then lower the right needle underneath the stitch on the left needle. Slide the right needle off of the left needle, which will lift the first stitch off of the left needle. This completes the first knitted stitch. Repeat to knit around the circular knitting needles until the knitting is 18 inches long.

4. Cut off the end of the yarn ball, leaving a yarn tail that is 12-inches long. Thread the end of the yarn tail onto a yarn needle. Insert the yarn needle into the stitches, then pull tight to cinch the stitches together. Knot the yarn tightly onto one of the stitches, then cut off the remaining yarn.

5. Cut two pieces of woven ribbon using scissors to measure 18-inches long each. Sew the ends of each ribbon onto the sides of the knitted produce bag, one ribbon per side. Space the ends 12-inches apart.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep sharp scissors, yarn needles and sewing needles out of the reach of children.

References

• Stitch Diva: Knitting in the Round on Circular Needles
• Knitting Help: The Knit Stitch