Knitted Pencil Case

This is a little project I have been working on for my daughter, who has been asking me for a nice pencil case to take to school. I found the pattern in the book "Essential Knits for Kids" by Debbie Bliss.


Knitted in garter stitch, the pencil case is quick and easy to knit (no increasing or decreasing required). The pattern calls for five colours to be knitted in randomly alternating stripes, but you could really use any colour combination you like (I used six colours). Inserting the zip and lining is a little on the fiddly side, though. I handstitched the lining using a small blanket stitch (just because I like blanket stitch), but I'm sure a simple slip stitch would be just as good.

For an added decorative touch, I decided to try my hand at crocheting a flower. I have never learned to crochet, so I was being quite ambitious, really. However, thanks to modern technology, I managed to whip one up fairly easily that I think looks pretty good!


My inspiration for the flower came from here. I found some videos on YouTube to help me figure out how to 'sc', 'dc', etc. I only went as far as two colours for my flower, as I thought the three-coloured version would be too big for the pencil case. I'm pretty sure I made some mistakes, but overall I'm happy with the way it turned out and I am now keen to try my hand at more crocheting!