Changing Colours and Knitting Stripes: Striped Garter Pouch

Instructions

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1. 1Cast onWith A, cast on 40 stitches with the long-tail method (40 sts). Leave a 30 cm tail for the side seam. Row 1 is the right side; all colour changes are made at the beginning of right-side rows.
2. 2Rows 1-4 (A)Knit every stitch for 4 rows (40 sts). After row 4 the yarn sits at the edge where right-side rows begin.
3. 3First colour changeAt the start of row 5, drop A without cutting it. Hold the end of B over the right needle, leaving 15 cm, and knit the first stitch with B; after the second stitch, tug both ends gently to tighten the first. Knit rows 5-8 with B (40 sts). Changing colour on a right-side row in garter stitch gives a clean, straight line on the right side, while the wrong side shows two-coloured bumps. That is why choosing the right side from the start matters.
4. 4Carrying yarn up the sideOn row 9 return to A: bring the waiting A up from under B and start knitting, no need to cut. Because the stripes are 4 rows, the waiting colour is carried up the edge for 4 rows; every 2 rows, at the start of a right-side row, catch it by passing it under the working yarn. Don't leave the carried yarn loose, but don't let it pucker the edge either.
5. 5Stripe sequenceRows 9-12: knit with A. Continue alternating 4 rows B and 4 rows A. You will have worked the B-A pair that began on row 5 a total of 7 times; the last stripe ends in A on row 60 (40 sts). For wider stripes (8 rows or more), the carried strand gets long, so cutting the waiting colour and rejoining it gives a neater result.
6. 6Bind offOn row 61 (RS), bind off loosely knitwise with A. Pull the yarn through the last stitch, leaving 15 cm. Cut B after row 60, leaving 15 cm.
7. 7SeamingFold the piece in half with right sides together so the two short edges (row ends) meet; the fold becomes one side of the pouch. With the 30 cm tail, sew the bottom (cast-on) edges together, then turn the corner and whip stitch up the open side, matching each garter ridge with the one opposite. Leave the top open. Turn the pouch right side out.
8. 8FinishingWeave the colour ends into stripes of their own colour on the wrong side; the seam allowance is the easiest place. Dampen the pouch and let it dry with your phone or a piece of card of similar size inside. If you like, add a button at the top with a yarn loop instead of a buttonhole.