to begin with

Last year I phoned my mother´s sister and asked her, if she had any of my grandmothers´ old knitting patterns among her things. Well, she had not. Understandably, my grandmother died over 30 years ago. But my aunt suddenly remembered, that she a small knitted bag. And that bag was knit by my mother when she was seven years old, in 1938. She had kept her marbles in it. My aunt emptied the bag and entrusted  it to me.
I think my mum cast on a few stitches and knit back and forth increasing until she had 32 stitches. She made two pieces like that. Then she put 16 stitches on each of 4 needles and began knitting in the round.

After 6 cm she turned her knitting inside out and worked 4 rounds, turned back and continued for 6 cm. She now had purl ridges on the right side.

She continued with two rows of eyelets and ended with ten rows of ribbing, k2,p2 and bound off.
Finishing: the bottom of the bag was crocheted together. At the point is a lovely detail: 3 small loops.

My mother became a great knitter. This is a photo of my sisters and I in 1963. I was only curly-haired for a very short time.

Here is a teacher' manual from 1929. 

The bag was intended for preliminary practice of sock knitting. The book suggests that the children can work a coffee filter bag or a bag for their crochet work. It is not so long ago. Today the kids work socks for their ipod.
It was my aunt´s button bag, and there are still small pieces of sewing thread inside -  and I will keep it like that.