Cabled Hobo Bag Pattern

I promised to post this pattern so very long ago and have just gotten around to it. I apologize for the long wait. I always like reading stories of how the designer has come up with the pattern so here we go. My mother kept asking me for months to either knit or crochet a bag for her but every time I would start something we would get in some sort of an argument and I would stop. I started knitting this bag in October of 05 and was planning to give it to her for her November birthday but because of the many delay it was only about half way finished. So I just bought her a gift and kept on knitting. We had more fights as the weeks progressed and I continued to stop working on it each time but finally on Christmas eve I finished the entire thing! I was so tired that I didn't even wrap it up, I just hung it on the Christmas tree.


















Materials
Approximately 500 yards of any worsted weight yarn
Size 8 straight knitting needles
1 size 7 double pointed needle

Bag
Cast on 63 using long tail cast on
1&3. (Ws)-k6, p9, k3, p6, k3, p9, k3, p6, k3, p9, k6
2. p6, k9, p3, k6, p3, k9, p3, k6, p3, k9, p6
4. p6, (place 3 sts on dpn and hold at front of work, k3, k3 from dpn, k3,) p3, (put 3 sts on dpn and hold at front of work, k3, k3 from dpn) p3, (place 3 sts on dpn and hold at front of work, k3, k3 from dpn, k3,) p3, (place 3 sts on dpn and hold at back of work, k3, k3 from dpn) p3, (place 3 sts on dpn and hold at front of work, k3, k3 from dpn, k3), p6
5&7. same as 1 and 3
6. same as row 2
8. p6, (k3, place 3 st on dpn and hold at back of work, k3, k3 from dpn) p3, (put 3 sts on dpn and hold at front of work, k3, k3 from dpn) p3, (k3, place 3 st on dpn and hold at back of work, k3, k3 from dpn) p3, (place 3 sts on dpn and hold at back of work, k3, k3 from dpn) p3, (k3, place 3 st on dpn and hold at back of work, k3, k3 from dpn) p6
Repeat rows 1-8 until the bag is 18 inches long

Strap
Cast on 15 sts using long tail cast on
1. (Ws)-k3, p9, k3
2. p3, k9, p3
3. k3, p9, k3
4. p3, place 3 st on dpn and hold at front of work, k3, k3 from dpn, k3, p3
5-7. same as 1-3
8. p3, k3, place 3 stitches on dpn and hold at back of work, k3, k3 from dpn, p3
Repeat rows 1-8 until the strap is 30 inches long for a shoulder bag and 55 inches long for a purse that hits you at your hip.









Assembly
Fold the bag in half so that the inside of the bag is facing you
Take the end of the strap and pin it directly at the fold then pin the rest of the strap to the edge of the bag. Do the same to the other side of the bag.
Using a tapestry needle sew the straps to the bag, weave in any loose ends and your done.