The Hollow Knit Stitch

This is a very simple version of knitting in the round. I also like to call this the No-Sew Knitted Bag pattern. What makes this stitch so simple is that it only requires knowledge of two stitches, and you use two normal needles instead of the typical 3 double pointed or circular needles. (Warning: This is not exactly the same as knitting in the round. You will have a rib of knitting on either side of your bag from your side stitches.)

What you need to knit this stitch:

- 3 knitting needles: a normal pair and one for temporarily holding stitches at the end.
- Yarn

What you need to know how to do:

- Cast on
- Knit stitch (abbreviated K)
- Slip stitch (abbreviated Sl)
- Casting off

Alright, here we go! Start by casting on twice the number of stitches you "need". In other words, if you intended your pattern to be 20 stitches wide, you will need to cast on 40 stitches. 

Now that we have our stitches, let's start knitting! Each row is knitted the exact same way:

Row 1: K2, *Sl1, K1, continue from here * to end.

Repeat Row 1 over and over and over and over.... for the pattern. :-)

A note on this pattern: The rows should be counted in 2s. If I have knitted 20 rows, it will only show as 10 with my knitting. This is because you knit first one side of the piece, then the other. Whenever you have your needle facing toward your cast on thread, you should know that you've knitted an even amount of rows and thus both sides of your knitting have the same amount of rows.

Once your piece has reached the desired length, you need to cast off. First, though, we need to move the stitches around some.

Take your normal needle (purple) and slip the first two stitches on the first needle onto it. (A) Now take your extra needle (yellow) and slip the third stitch onto it. (B) Slip the fourth stitch onto purple, fifth to yellow, sixth to purple, etc, you get the point. Continue slipping every other stitch until you reach the last three stitches. Slip the first stitch onto purple (C), and then the last two stitches to yellow (D).

This process separated the two sides, and now you can see between the needles the hollow you've created. :-0

Now, cast off! I typically move the stitches onto three needles now so that the piece isn't stretched while I cast off.

After casting off, sew in your loose ends. You're done! 

This pattern is useful for making small bags, sachets. I used it to make an iPod case to replace the old, falling apart one Apple gave me. (Apple makes amazing electronics. Bags? Not so much.) ;-) Anyway, enjoy!