Slim cabled pencil case

On my seemingly never-ending quest to use up the partial skeins of yarn I have acquired over the years, I made this slimline cabled pencil case. I wanted to choose a stitch pattern that would mean it wasn't necessary to line the case with fabric. The same three stitch cable pattern is used front and back, with slipped stitches helping to make a more stable fabric. The flap at the top was worked in garter stitch to help the case close securely and support the large button hole needed to accommodate this wooden button.

Yarn: Patons Wool Blend DK
Needle size: 3.25mm
Gauge: 24 stitches and 30 rows to 10cm in cable pattern stitch (after blocking)

Cast on 6
Row 1: Knit to end
Row 2-6: Kfb, knit to end
Row 7: Kfb, K2, cast off 4, knit to end (you now have two lots of four stitches on the needle, with a gap of 4 stitches - this makes the buttonhole)
Row 8:K4, cast on 4 using reverse loop method, K4
Row 9-16: Knit to end

This completes the flap. To make the body of the case, you will move to working in the round. Magic loop works particularly well for this pattern.

Row 17: Cast on 12 stitches, (K1, P1, K3, P2, K3, P1, K1) twice. Join to work in the round.
Row 18: (K1, P1, K2, slip1, P2, slip1, K2, P1, K1) twice.
Row 19: Repeat row 18.
Row 20: (K1, P1, slip next two stitches to cable needle and hold to the back. Knit next stitch from left needle, before knitting those from the cable needle. P2, slip next stitch onto cable needle and hold to front. Knit next two stitches from left needle before working stitch from cable needle. P1, K1) twice.
Row 21: (K1, P1, K3, P2, K3, P1, K1) twice.

Rows 18-21 form the cable pattern for the body of the pencil case and should be repeated until the case reaches the required length, ending with a repeat of row 20. For me, this meant working 16 pattern repeats for a standard sized pencil case.

Final row: (Sk1, K1, PSSO, K2, Sk1, K1, PSSO, K2tog, K2, K2tog). This results in 16 knit stitches.

Fasten using Kitchener stitch.

My pencil case required quite hard blocking. To do this, I soaked it in water and stretched it over a small bottle. After a couple of hours, while the wool was still wet, I took it off and left it flat to dry above a radiator.