Easy Knit Purse Pattern – Date Night Clutch

It’s time to sparkle! Bring a dramatic flair to your next night out with the Date Night Clutch. This easy, knit purse pattern has a lovely seed stitch texture that lets the sparkly yarn shine. Try it with the optional felt lining!

Christmas in July Make Along

This pattern is my first contribution to this year’s Christmas in July Make Along, hosted by Underground Crafter. I’ll have another pattern in the event a bit later in the month. Be sure to check out all the great patterns, and enter to win the giveaway too!

Lion Brand Date Nights Yarn

Lion Brand sent me this stunning yarn earlier this year, as a free sample to play with. The chainette construction makes it feel soft and silky, with the perfect drape for all sorts of accessories. Theres just enough sparkle to make it stand out, without making the fabric itchy.

Alternating Cable Cast On

For this pattern, you will cast on twice. First, there’s the initial cast on to start the flap. After finishing the flap, you will cast on additional stitches and begin to work in the round for the bag section.

You can use your preferred cast on method for both of these cast ons, but I recommend using the Aternating Cable / Seed Stitch cast on method. This gives a really pretty, seamless look to seed stitch patterns. See my full Seed Stitch Cast On Tutorial here.

3 Needle Bind Off

The pattern starts at the flap, and ends at the bottom of the bag. We finish by closing the bag with a 3 needle bind off. This bind off works the front and back layers together, while binding off the stitches. Learn how in this 3-needle bind off tutorial.

If you prefer not to use this bind off, there are a couple of other options. One option is to graft the live stitches together with kitchener stitch. Another option is to bind off all the stitches with your choice of bind off, and then sew the bottom closed.

Date Night Clutch

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Materials

• Yarn: 175 yds Lion Brand Date Nights Yarn (Worsted weight, 82% acrylic / 18% polyester). Shown in color #311 Topaz.
• Needles:
  • Size 6 / 4 mm circular knitting needles or size needed to match gauge, with 16-18″ cord length.
  • 3rd needle for bind off – can be same size or one size larger. (see notes below)
• Notions:
  • Yarn Needle
  • Stitch marker
  • 1 inch button
• Optional Lining:
  • 9 x 12 sheet of felt
  • Sewing thread that matches the felt lining
  • Sewing thread that matches the yarn clutch
  • A pen or pencil that works on your felt
  • Sewing needle

The extra bind off needle just needs to hold 2 stitches at a time, so any type of needle will do. If you tend to bind off tightly, use one size larger than your main needles.

Project Level

Easy: Alternating cable cast on, seed stitch in rows and rounds, a few increases and decreases, buttonhole, 3 needle bind off.

Size

Approximately 4.5 x 8.5 inches.

Gauge

16 sts x 37 rows = 4 inches in seed stitch. Use pattern as gauge swatch – Flap should measure 2.5 x 8.5 inches.

Abbreviations used

k = knit
k2tog = knit 2 together
kfb = knit front and back
p = purl
RS = right side
st(s) = stitch(es)
WS = wrong side
yo = yarn over

Recommended Resources

• Alternating Cable / Seed Stitch Cast on
• How to Knit Front and Back (KFB) from Jessie at Home
• Knit 2 Together (k2tog)
• 3-Needle Bind Off Tutorial

Instructions

Chart shows flap and bag, up to the bind off. Scroll down for written instructions

Flap

Cast on 25 sts with the alternating cable / seed stitch cast on.

Row 1 (RS): Kfb twice, (k1, p1) across to last 3 sts, kfb twice, k1. (29 sts)

Row 2: (K1, p1) across to last st, k1.

Row 3: Repeat row 1 (33 sts)

Rows 4-6: Repeat row 2

Row 7: Kfb twice, (k1, p1) 6 times, k1, k2tog, yo, k1, (k1, p1) 6 times, kfb twice, k1. (37 sts)

Rows 8-24: Repeat row 2

Work should now measure about 2.5 inches tall. It’s ok to work a few more or fewer repeats of row 2 to achieve the correct height if needed, just be sure to end after a wrong side row.

Bag

Continuing from flap

Rnd 1 (RS): (K1, p1) across to last st, k1, cast on 36 sts using a cable cast on, join to work in the round. (73 sts)

Place a marker to mark the first stitch of the round. Slip the marker whenever you come to it.

Rnd 2: (K1, p1) around to last st, k1.

Rnd 3: (P1, k1) around to last st, p1.

Rnds 4-43: Repeat rnds 2-3 20 times.

Bag section should now measure about 4.5 inches tall. It’s ok to work a few more or fewer repeats of rnds 2-3 to achieve the correct height if needed, just be sure to end after a repeat of rnd 3.

Rnd 44: K2tog, (k1, p1) around to last st, k1. (72 sts)

Remove the marker.

Bind Off:

Arrange your stitches so that the first 36 stitches of the round are on one needle, and the last 36 stitches are on the 2nd needle. This should put all the stitches that originally came from the flap (the back of the bag) on one needle. The stitches on the other needle should be the ones that you cast on later for the front.

Bind off using a 3 needle bind off to join the front and back layers together.

Sew button in place so that it fits through the buttonhole in the flap.

Weave in all ends. Wash and block.

Lining (optional)

Make a pouch

Place the 9 x 12 felt sheet on a table with the right side up and the short edges at the top and bottom. Measure 4.5 inches from the bottom edge and fold the bottom up, creating a 4.5 inch overlap.

With the thread that matches the lining, sew the side edges together where they overlap, leaving about a 1/4 inch seam allowance on each side. This creates a pouch that should fit inside your clutch.

I used a backstitch, but any flat stitch will do, this seam will not be seen. My seam allowance in this picture could have been just slightly bigger.

Shape the Flap

Trim the seam allowance if desired, then insert the felt pouch into your clutch, pressing it into the corners and making sure it is centered inside of the clutch.

Turn the clutch over and trace the edge of the flap onto the felt with your pen or pencil.

Fold the flap out of the way, and cut just inside the edge you traced. Make sure that no pen marks show and the felt rests just inside the edge of the flap.

Attach Lining to Clutch

With a whipstitch, sew the felt to the clutch around the flap edge and around the front edge of the opening. The felt should rest just slightly below the knit edge, so that it doesn’t show when the flap is closed. On the flap, I added a backstitch underneath the whipstitch edge. It’s not necessary, I just liked how it looked.

Buttonhole

Place the flap knit side up, and sew a stitch into the lining to mark the center of the buttonhole.

Flip the flap over and very carefully make a small snip in the lining where this stitch is. You can put your finger or another object through the buttonhole to push the lining away from the knit fabric so that you don’t accidentally cut your knitting.

Whipstitch the clutch and lining together around the edge of the buttonhole.

Your clutch is finished and ready for a night out!

I hope you enjoyed this Date Night clutch pattern. A downloadable pdf of this pattern is available on Ravelry for a small fee. The fee for the pdf format is to offset the advertising revenue lost when you print or download the pattern rather than viewing it online.

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