Knit a handy pencil case with our free pattern!

Always losing your favourite pens? Keep your stationery under control with this eyelet cable pencil case, which is easy to make and will be fun to knit.

It’s not just for pencils, though – Kirstie McLeod’s zipped design can be used to hold your DPNs, crochet hooks, tape measure, stitch markers and all those other essentials which we knitters need! What’s more, the pattern uses just one ball of yarn, so it’s a great stashbuster project.

Keep scrolling to find our free pencil case pattern.

What you will need to make your pencil case

Yarn

Paintbox Yarns 100% Wool Worsted Superwash
(Worsted weight; 100% superwash wool; 200m/219yds per 100g ball)
1 x 100g ball of Dusty Lilac (shade 1246)

Needles and accessories

1 pair 4mm (UK 8/US 6) knitting needles
Zip fastener, 20cm (7.75in) length
Sewing thread
Dressmaking pins

Tension

22 sts and 37 rows to measure 10x10cm (4x4in) over the pattern using 4mm (UK 8/US 6) needles

Size

10cm x 20cm (4in x 8in)

Abbreviations

Head over to our knitting abbreviations page to find our standard abbreviations.

Your free pencil case pattern

Instructions

Using 4mm needles, cast on 50 sts.

Row 1 (RS): P1, *Sl1, K2, psso 2 sts, K3, P1; repeat from * to end of row.
Row 2: K1, *P4, yo, P1, K1; repeat from * to end of row.
Row 3: P1, *K3, Sl1, K2, psso 2 sts, P1; repeat from * to end of row.
Row 4: K1, *P1, yo, P4, K1; repeat from * to end of row.

Rep these 4 rows until knitting measures 20cm.

Cast off.

Making up your pencil case

Weave in all loose ends.
With right sides facing, fold the knitting in half and sew up the side.
Turn the right way out and pin the zip in place. Sew the zip using a matching sewing thread.

Create a handy zip-up case with our free pattern

This little case is a handy way to keep your pencils, notions and other bits and bobs safe, and it uses just one ball of yarn too. It features a fun knitting stitch that looks a bit like knitted cables, but is actually a simple eyelet pattern formed from slipped stitches and yarnovers. You’ll find the four-row repeat easy to remember!