Happy Bag + Happiness Survival Kit

First of all I want to thank Janet Callaway - The Natural Networker who has been a great source of inspiration since I started this blog and who gave me the idea for this pattern after reading her blog at
http://www.janetcallaway.com/12-essentials-for-your-happiness-kit
I thought it would make a great gift idea and decided to make a bag to go with it, so of course what would be better than to have a bag with a smiley face!
So here is my Happy Bag + Happiness Survival Kit

Happy Bag

Materials:
2 skeins Cotton type yarn
6mm needles
1/2yd material for lining
Cotton thread and sewing needle
Abbreviations used
 K = knit, p = purl,
k2tog = knit 2 together, yo = yarn over.
 x means to repeat the stitches in parentheses as many times as the number before the x.
Stitches in [bsst ] are border seed stitches,


Instructions:
Cast on 48 sts
Row 1 *k1, p1, repeat from * to end
Row 2 *p1, k1 repeat from * to end
These two rows form seed stitch repeat until 68 rows have been completed then place marker.
Work a further 14 rows of seed stich ending on a wrong side.
Smiley Face
The first 5 sts and last 5 sts of each row keep seed stitch border
Row 1) [5bsst], k37, [5bsst]
Row 2) and all wrong side rows [5bsst], p37, [5bsst]
Row 3) [5bsst], k12, (k2tog, yo), 6x k13, [bsst]
Row 5) [5bsst], k9, k2tog, yo, k15, yo, k2tog, k9, [5bsst]
Row 7) [5bsst], k6, k2tog, yo, k 21, yo, k2tog, k6, [5bsst]
Row 9) [5bsst], k4, k2tog, yo, k25, yo, k2tog, k4, [5bsst]
Row 11) [5bsst], k14, k2tog, yo, k1, k2tog, yo, k1, k2tog, yo, k15, [5bsst]
Row 13) [5bsst], k2, k2tog, yo, k8, k2tog, yo, k9, yo, k2tog, k8, yo, k2tog, k2, [5bsst]
Row 15) [5bsst], k10, k2tog, yo, k13, yo, k2tog, k10, [5bsst]
Row 17) [5bsst], k1, k2tog, yo, k6, k2tog, yo, k15, yo, k2tog, k6, yo, k2tog, k1, [5bsst]
Row 19) [5bsst], k1, k2tog, yo, k3, (k2tog, yo) 2x, k17, (yo, k2tog) 2x, k3, yo, k2tog,
k1, [5bsst]
Row 21) [5bsst], k1, k2tog, yo, k5, k2tog, yo, k17, yo, k2tog, k5, yo, k2tog, k1, [5bsst]
Row 23) [5bsst], k1, k2tog, yo, k9, k2tog, yo, k1, yo, k2tog, k3, k2tog, yo, k1, yo,
k2tog, k9, yo,k2tog, k1, [5bsst]
Row 25) [5bsst], k1, k2tog, yo, k8, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, k2tog, k1, k2tog, yo, k3, yo,
k2tog, k8, yo, k2tog, k1, [5bsst]
Row 27) [5bsst], k11, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, k2tog, k1, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, k2tog, k11, [5bsst]
Row 29) [5bsst], k2, k2tog, yo, k7, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, k2tog, k1, k2tog, yo, k3, yo,
k2tog, k7, yo, k2tog, k2, [5bsst]
Row 31) [5bsst], k12, k2tog, yo, k1, yo, k2tog, k3, k2tog, yo, k1, yo, k2tog, k12, [5bsst]

Row 33) [5bsst], k4, k2tog, yo, k25, yo, k2tog, k4, [5bsst]
Row 35) [5bsst], k6, k2tog, yo, k21, yo, k2tog, k6, [5bsst]
Row 37) [5bsst], k9, k2tog, yo, k15, yo, k2tog, k9, [5bsst]
Row 39) [5bsst], k12, (k2tog, yo) 6x, k13, [5bsst]
Row 41) [5bsst], k37, [5bsst]
Row 42) [5bsst], p37, [5bsst]
Work 12 rows seed stitch.
Cast off.

Handles Make 2
Cast on 6 sts
work in seed stitch until required length ( can be as long as you'd like)
Cast off.

Finishing
Fold bag in half (the markers are the middle) place cast on edge to cast off edge and sew side seams.

Pin handles in place then sew. Line if rquired. I lined with a red coloured material to show off smiley face.





The happiness survival kit :

An eraser to make all your mistakes disappear.

A penny so you will never be broke.

A rubber band to remind you to be flexible.

A string to tie everything together when all falls apart.

A mint to remind you that you are worth a mint to family and friends.

A marble so no one can say that you’ve lost all your marbles.

A Band Aid to remind you to heal hurt feelings.

A pencil to list your blessings every day.

A piece of gum to remind you to stick to it and you can accomplish anything.

A teabag to remind you to relax daily.

A toothpick to remind you to pick out the good qualities in others.

A kiss to remind you that someone, somewhere cares about you.

I placed all these together in a box and put the box in the bag with the smiley face to remind you to smile and thought this would make a perfect christmas gift.

Wishing you all  happiness this Christmas and throughout the New Year!





smiley face designed by Susan Mrenna 2006 Knit A Little http://knitalittlestore.blogspot.com