This Portable Hole isn’t exactly big enough to swallow you up when you’re embarrassed, allow you to escape when you’re on the lam, or grant you access to another dimension, but it’s a pretty handy place to stash your passport, your keys, or a few dog treats while you’re out in the world.

And it feels marvellous.

This lightweight cowl features a nearly invisible pocket - a place to tuck your valuables that securely buttons closed - while decoy pockets provide decoration and distraction.

Worked mainly in the round, with short sections worked flat to leave openings that are later finished into pockets, Portable Hole requires you to have the following skills:
-crochet provisional cast-on
-knitting in the round
-knitting flat
-picking up stitches
-kitchener stitch/grafting.

3.25 mm/US 3 circular needle 40 cm/16” long is used for the body of the cowl. A set of 3.0 mm/US 2.5 needles suitable for knitting a small diameter in the round are needed to work the pockets. You will also need a small amount of smooth, fingering weight yarn and a crochet hook size D, E or F to work the provisional cast-on. One button (1.5 cm/.5 inch) is used in the invisible pocket.

A note about yarn quantities: approximately 3.5 skeins of Pebble were used for the main colour, and only .25 skein of the Cima was needed to complete the decoy pockets. This is a great place to use up a small amount (approximately 69 m/75 y) of lace weight or light fingering weight yarn in a high contrast colour.

I recommend choosing a dark colour for the main body of the cowl so that your valuables have the best chance to stay invisible.

This pattern has been tech edited and professionally photographed. Yarn support was generously provided by Shall We Knit? in Waterloo, Ontario - they may have a supply of kits available to purchase.

With much gratitude and enduring affection for Professor Calvin Q. Calculus, his creator Robert McKimson, and the other geniuses Chuck Jones and Fritz Freeling whose Warner Brothers animations have filled my imagination for more than five decades. Stills taken from “The Hole Idea”, 1955.

Portable Hole was designed for Shall We Knit’s retreat held in January 2019, using the featured yarn that attendees received in their goodie bag. Janelle Martin and I were challenged to each design new patterns using Shibui Knits. Janelle created the soft and warm “Wriggle Mitts”.