Local designer creates knitting’s "it" bag

Performance gear has infiltrated some pretty diverse markets lately, from baby bibs to wine carriers. The latest entrant: knitting bags.

Tom Bihn, local maker of laptop and messenger bags, called on the readers and editors of Knitty magazine to help design the ultimate functional knitting bag. The result is the $70 "Swift," a sturdy, feature-filled ballistic nylon tote, a bag so popular that five of the seven available colors sold out within days of the bag's Oct. 12 debut.

It's made of the same material used in World War II flak jackets, which could come in handy when knitting in extreme conditions. The sturdy bag also houses a pair of clear zippered vinyl pockets for storing needles and other tools, backed by ripstop nylon and about four gallons of space.

The accompanying ripstop yarn stuff sack with a clear bottom and grommet for feeding yarn allows knitters to separate projects inside the bag. The Swift has multiple D-ring clips around its perimeter for attaching keys, scissors and the like. Even the button closure was designed to avoid catching yarn (in contrast with zippers).

Padded handles are just the right length for hand or shoulder carrying. The bag, which is sold at the Tom Bihn store and on the company's Web site, comes in two-tone color schemes, including kelly green and navy, plum and steel, and cocoa and olive. The company is at work restocking the sold-out bag and will have the next batch ready by Nov. 7.

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