purlJam

# Crescent Halo Hobo Bag
### A soft, fuzzy, seamless shoulder bag with an integrated strap

A minimalist crescent-shaped hobo bag worked in one continuous piece from the bottom up. The wide, gently curved base flows into a deep rounded pouch, then tapers symmetrically to form a deep V-opening that merges seamlessly into a single shoulder strap. Worked in stockinette with brushed alpaca and mohair held together for a beautiful fuzzy halo, it drapes softly while holding its crescent shape. Horizontal brown-and-grey stripes run through the entire piece, including the strap.

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## Skill Level
**Beginner** — only knit, purl, k2tog, ssk, and a simple cast-on/cast-off are used.

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## Finished Measurements
- **Base width:** approx. 30 cm (12 in)
- **Base depth/height of pouch:** approx. 20 cm (8 in)
- **Total height (base to top of strap, laid flat):** approx. 40 cm (16 in)
- **V-opening depth:** approx. 20 cm (8 in) — half the total height
- **Strap width:** approx. 6 cm (2½ in)

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## Materials
- **Yarn A (Dark Brown):** Sport-weight brushed alpaca — approx. 120 m (130 yd)
- **Yarn B (Light Grey):** Sport-weight brushed alpaca — approx. 120 m (130 yd)
- **Companion strand (held throughout with A and B):** Lace-weight mohair/silk — approx. 250 m total in coordinating shades (one strand brown to hold with A, one strand grey to hold with B), OR a single neutral grey mohair held throughout.
- **Needles:** 4.5 mm (UK 7 / US 7) straight or circular needles (circular recommended to hold the wide base comfortably; worked flat).
- **Notions:** stitch markers, tapestry needle, scissors.

> **Note on held yarn:** Each colour is worked with its sport-weight strand **plus** one strand of mohair held together throughout. This creates the fuzzy halo and the slightly firmer fabric that helps the empty bag keep its shape.

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## Tension (Gauge)
**22 sts and 30 rows = 10 cm (4 in)** over stockinette stitch, with sport-weight + mohair held together on 4.5 mm needles, lightly blocked.

*Take time to check your tension — the bag's proportions depend on it.*

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## Abbreviations (UK)
- **k** – knit
- **p** – purl
- **st(s)** – stitch(es)
- **RS** – right side
- **WS** – wrong side
- **k2tog** – knit two together (right-leaning decrease, –1 st)
- **ssk** – slip, slip, knit (left-leaning decrease, –1 st)
- **st st** – stockinette stitch (k on RS, p on WS)
- **rep** – repeat

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## Stripe Pattern
Work in **6-row stripes** (approx. 2 cm tall) throughout the entire piece, including the strap:
- **Rows 1–6:** Yarn A (dark brown) + mohair
- **Rows 7–12:** Yarn B (light grey) + mohair
- Repeat these 12 rows for the full piece.

> **Tip:** Carry the unused colour loosely up the side edge to avoid cutting yarn each stripe. The fuzzy halo hides any carried strands.

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## Pattern Notes
- The bag is worked **flat in one piece**, from the base up.
- Total construction order: **(1) curved base → (2) deep pouch → (3) symmetrical V-taper → (4) single strap → (5) join at top.**
- Because the piece is worked flat and folded, there are **no side seams**: the cast-on edge forms the bottom curve and the two side edges meet only at the strap join.
- Maintain stripe sequence continuously; do not reset the stripe count at section changes.
- A "curved base" is created with short shaping at the cast-on; for beginners this is achieved simply with a long cast-on plus edge decreases that round the lower corners (below).

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## INSTRUCTIONS

### Section 1 — Curved Base & Lower Corners
With Yarn A + mohair held together, **cast on 66 sts.**

*(66 sts = 30 cm at 22 sts/10 cm ✓)*

Begin stripe pattern and st st (Row 1 RS = knit, Row 2 WS = purl).

Work **6 rows** straight in st st (1 full brown stripe), ending after a WS row.

**Round the lower corners** over the next 8 rows (begin grey stripe here, continuing stripe sequence):
- **Row 7 (RS):** k1, ssk, knit to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1. *(64 sts)*
- **Row 8 (WS):** purl.
- **Row 9 (RS):** k1, ssk, knit to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1. *(62 sts)*
- **Row 10 (WS):** purl.

Now **increase back** to widen into the pouch belly and create the rounded crescent:
- **Row 11 (RS):** k1, M1, knit to last st, M1, k1. *(64 sts)* — *(M1 = make one: lift the bar between stitches and knit through the back loop, +1 st)*
- **Row 12 (WS):** purl.
- **Row 13 (RS):** k1, M1, knit to last st, M1, k1. *(66 sts)*
- **Row 14 (WS):** purl.

*Stitch count confirmed: 66 sts.*

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### Section 2 — Deep Pouch Body
Continue in st st and stripe pattern, working straight on **66 sts** with no shaping until the piece measures **20 cm (8 in)** from the cast-on edge, ending after a WS row.

*(20 cm at 30 rows/10 cm = 60 rows from cast-on. You have worked 14 rows in Sections 1; work approx. 46 more straight rows to reach 60 rows total. Adjust to end on a WS row and complete a full stripe where possible.)*

The pouch is now complete. The remaining sections form the V-opening and strap.

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### Section 3 — Symmetrical V-Taper (the deep V-opening)
The two upper sides now taper inward symmetrically. You will decrease **1 st at each edge every RS row** until the work narrows to strap width.

We must go from **66 sts → 14 sts** (strap), removing 52 sts. At 2 sts removed per RS decrease row, that is **26 decrease rows**, worked over **52 rows** (decrease on RS rows only, purl all WS rows).

*(52 rows at 30 rows/10 cm ≈ 17 cm of taper; combined with the upper curve this produces the deep V-opening that reaches roughly halfway down the total height ✓)*

**Decrease set-up** — continue stripe pattern throughout:
- **RS rows:** k1, ssk, knit to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1. *(–2 sts each RS row)*
- **WS rows:** purl.

Repeat these 2 rows **26 times total**, counting down:
66 → 64 → 62 → … → 16 → **14 sts.**

*Stitch-count checkpoint: 66 − (2 × 26) = 66 − 52 = 14 sts ✓.*

> **Tip:** The clean V edges formed by ssk (left) and k2tog (right) create the neat opening edges of the bag. Keep your edge stitches consistent for a tidy finish.

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### Section 4 — Shoulder Strap
With **14 sts** remaining, work the strap straight in st st and stripe pattern.

*(14 sts at 22 sts/10 cm ≈ 6.3 cm wide ✓ — within the 5–7 cm target.)*

Work straight until the strap measures **22 cm (8¾ in)** from the last decrease row, ending after a WS row.

This is **half** the strap. The piece will be folded and the strap joined to its mirror end at the top — but since this is a single continuous piece worked from one base edge, we instead complete the **full strap to the opposite V** as follows.

> **Construction clarification:** This bag is symmetrical top-to-bottom about the strap's centre. You have worked base → pouch → V-taper → half-strap. To complete the second half seamlessly, reverse the shaping:

**Mid-strap centre:** mark the current row as the strap centre.

Continue straight for a further **22 cm (8¾ in)** to form the second half of the strap, ending after a WS row. *(Total strap length ≈ 44 cm / 17¼ in — comfortable shoulder drop.)*

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### Section 5 — Second V-Taper, Pouch & Base (mirror)
Now **reverse all shaping** to build the second side of the bag, mirroring Sections 3, 2 and 1 in reverse order so the piece is fully symmetrical:

**Mirror the V-taper (increase back out):**
- **RS rows:** k1, M1, knit to last st, M1, k1. *(+2 sts each RS row)*
- **WS rows:** purl.

Repeat **26 times**: 14 → 16 → … → **66 sts.**

*Checkpoint: 14 + (2 × 26) = 66 sts ✓.*

**Mirror the pouch:** work straight on 66 sts for **20 cm (60 rows)**, ending after a WS row.

**Mirror the base corners** (reverse of Section 1):
- Decrease to round: two RS decrease rows (66 → 64 → 62).
- Then increase two RS rows back (62 → 64 → 66).
- Work 6 straight rows.

**Cast off** all 66 sts loosely in pattern.

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## Finishing

1. **Block** the piece gently to even out the stockinette and open up the fuzzy halo. Pin the two crescent bodies to matching shape and the strap straight. Allow to dry fully.

2. **Fold** the piece in half at the strap centre so the two pouch bodies align right sides together, with the two V-openings matching and the two cast-on/cast-off base edges meeting at the bottom.

3. **Seam the lower curve:** with Yarn A + mohair and a tapestry needle, mattress-stitch the two base/lower-body edges together from one upper V edge, down around the curved bottom, and up to the opposite V edge. Leave the V-opening edges **open** — this forms the bag mouth. The strap is already a single continuous piece, so **no strap seam is needed.**

   > **Note:** Because the strap is one unbroken length and the body is folded, the only join is the bottom curve. The halo of the mohair will hide the seam almost entirely for a seamless appearance.

4. **Weave in all ends** on the wrong side, working ends into matching colour stripes.

5. Turn right side out and gently shape the crescent. Steam lightly if needed.

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## Schematic (laid flat, before folding)

```
        (strap centre / fold)
        ┌────── 6 cm ──────┐
        │      STRAP        │   44 cm total strap
        └──┐            ┌──┘
           \  V-taper  /        deep V-opening
            \         /         (≈ 20 cm deep)
        ┌────┘        └────┐
        │                  │
        │   DEEP POUCH      │   20 cm
        │  (66 sts wide)    │
        └──╮            ╭──┘
           ╰── 30 cm ──╯        curved base
```

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## Quick Stitch-Count Reference
| Section | Start sts | End sts | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base corners | 66 | 66 | dec to 62, inc back to 66 |
| Pouch | 66 | 66 | straight, 60 rows |
| V-taper | 66 | 14 | –2 sts × 26 RS rows |
| Strap | 14 | 14 | straight, ≈44 cm |
| V-taper (mirror) | 14 | 66 | +2 sts × 26 RS rows |
| Pouch (mirror) | 66 | 66 | straight, 60 rows |
| Base corners (mirror) | 66 | 66 | cast off |

**All counts verified:** 66 − 52 = 14 ✓ and 14 + 52 = 66 ✓.

Enjoy your soft, fuzzy crescent hobo bag!