The perfect knitting bag

You don't ask for much do you. :)

I've not come across a bag with everything you want. In particular every messenger bag style I've seen uses zips as closures somewhere in the bag (I completely hear what you're saying about zips and yarn, been there, done that).

Messenger bag, water-proof, zippers on outside pockets only, compartments:

VP

I don't have any suggestions but personally I find Velcro worse than zippers and my messenger bag relies heavily on Velcro.

Alison

How about using snaps?

I myself am having an extremely talented quilting friend create a custom needle holder for me. Perhaps you have a friend like that yourself. Or perhaps she would be willing to create one for you (but I have no idea how much it would cost). Wendy

I make my own knitting bags by knitting, then felting them. I can put in as many pockets, get it the size, and fasten it in the way I want. You should give it a try. ;>D It's fairly easy to do as long as you have a top loading washer.

Shelagh

Well, you don't want much, do you? How about a fishing bag? All I would add is a separate compartment for patterns, as they get wrinkled with I put them with the project-in-progress.

Higs, Katherine

You forgot two critical requirements--lightweight and very, very strong. Madelaine

Have you considered using a box? Something those fancy handbags you see selling for a fortune and made from old cigar boxes, but bigger.

As a quilt teacher I had some friends make quilted covers for the larger PO shipping boxes. They are cheap, light weight and strong! A single long piece of webbing will make a handle that allows it to be carried like a hand bag or even over the shoulder, and a fancy button secures it. It would stand up on its own of course, and stacks on a shelf. You can put anything in it or compartmentalise it with some dividers. And as for zips - soft dress makers zips with plastic teeth (think the ones they use in silk dresses) would not harm yarns. The teeth are tiny and soft. You could make zippered bags to hold needles, and use clear plastic sleeves to hold patterns (add a sheet of cardboard to help protect the pattern from too much wear). You could make it any colour you wanted.

Of course it would not be completely water proof, but if you had the fabric Scotch Guarded it would withstand a quick trip in the rain. And if you insist on dunking it in the bathtub the cover will pull off and wash and the box can be replaced for a couple of bucks. And you can use any size box you want.

------------ Fishing Bag, great idea and I am a fly fisherman and didn't think of it at all! Here is what I found and I think it may be perfect...Now all I need is a birthday soon, oh yeah, July for me, so I will drop the hints around the house.

LOL No problem. These bags usually have all kinds of compartments, and are handy for much more than fishing. When, in July, is your birthday?

Higs, Katherine

July 2nd, same as my brother...

And my best friend. Congrats in advance!

So when do you celebrate? With the rest of the country on the 1st?

Higs, Katherine

I posted on this before, but it didn't take. I would add the requirements of light weight and very strong.

That Ovis fly fishing bag looks pretty wonderful, though not exactly fashionalble! Madelaine

And now my previous message is here too. Madelaine

Thanks padishar for posting this question and for everyone's responses!

Regarding zippers... are there any equivalents to zip lock baggies? I use these to store my yarn in, with 3x5 inch brailled index cards so I know what's in them. I can open the zip lock slightly, pull the yarn out and crochet with it, I can put the baggie on the floor so the yarn doesn't get dirty, and the zip lock zippers have only interfered with very fine threads.

David

Yes, that would be the perfect closure!

Higs, Katherine

Look at diaper bags. I just bought a splashy orange one from Amazon that has every feature except the messenger bag style and rain resistance (open top). Its gadget bag isn't clear, but that's a minor deficiency and easily remedied. It even has a nice little waterproof pad you can sit on when your seating isn't as clean or dry as you'd like.

You can have a look here:

As you can see, the price is pretty good, too. Amazon carries a number of diaper bags in more manly (and less conspicuous) colors, too. They even have messenger bags.

I don't like bags with the handle on a cover flap, because you have to fasten the flap to carry the bag around. Actually, I don't even consider a cover flap necessary, but I live in two different deserts and water doesn't fall out of the sky or just sit around here, menacing my knitting. I don't like metal zippers, but plastic ones seem to be yarn safe, particularly the coil type.

I try hard to have only one project per bag. I don't always manage it, particularly with small projects like scarves, but I do try. As a result, I have several sizes of bags. The orange diaper bag is holding my Argosy baby blanket and two additional balls and four additional skeins of Shepherd Sport yarn in Rainbow. My fan and feather stole is in my Lantern Moon Origami bag. On the other hand, my Alien illusion scarf is tucked into a rather battered Glad heavyweight one-gallon zip lock bag.

I like a brief case to use as a knitting bag. Sounds like you want one of the old leather "solicitors" brief cases with the nice brass buckles to hold it closed.

You might try