By Becky Sher
McClatchy-Tribune

Handout/MCT If you're looking for a forgiving pattern to knit, check out "Bag Style," by Pam Allen and Ann Budd (Interweave Press, $21.95). It includes 20 patterns, from a petite clutch to a giant carpet bag (very Mary Poppins).

Here's the great thing about knitting a bag: It doesn't have to fit. If it comes out small, call it a handbag instead of a tote. If it comes out huge, throw in some produce and call it a grocery sack. A sweater or a hat or a pair of socks requires a certain amount of precision, it either fits, or it doesn't. But a bag is always useful, no matter what the size.

So if you're looking for a forgiving pattern to knit, check out "Bag Style," by Pam Allen and Ann Budd (Interweave Press, $21.95). It includes 20 patterns, from a petite clutch to a giant carpet bag (very Mary Poppins). Jump on board the eco-bandwagon with the Hemp Market Bag, for toting carrots from the farmer's market, or make a felted messenger bag for the man in your life. As in most knitting books, a few patterns are a little wacky, like the Lace Doily Purse, which is pretty, but just ... strange. Still, there are plenty of patterns here to satisfy a knitter looking for a break from the "will it fit?" grind.