# What is this hand knitted object? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 11, 2012, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-hand-knitted-object/637460 "2012-10-11T21:30:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiendish_astronaut/32/3295_2.png) [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiendish_Astronaut)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-hand-knitted-object/637460/1 "2012-10-11T21:30:02Z")
[http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/10/12/jume7ute.jpg](http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/10/12/jume7ute.jpg) [http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/10/12/usuru7ab.jpg](http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/10/12/usuru7ab.jpg) My Dad got this woollen piece with a parcel of oriental carpets from Afghanistan. There is a draw string across the middle and a hole only at one end. If you loosen the string you can put your hand right through to the blocked end on the other side. There is a flap on one side which you can see in the images. It’s about 40cm in length. The blocked end is probably 10cm wider than the open end (sorry, measurements are approx as I don’t have a ruler). Does anyone know what this object is? ---
**Author:** ![Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiendish_astronaut/32/3295_2.png) [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiendish_Astronaut)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-hand-knitted-object/637460/2 "2012-10-11T21:44:07Z")
Wild guesses also welcome… ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-hand-knitted-object/637460/3 "2012-10-11T21:50:19Z")
A mermaid suit for a cat? ---
**Author:** ![Saltire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saltire/32/553_2.png) [@Saltire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saltire)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-hand-knitted-object/637460/4 "2012-10-11T21:55:16Z")
Maybe an insulator thing to keep some sort of kitchenware warm so your lunch doesn’t get cold so fast? ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-hand-knitted-object/637460/5 "2012-10-11T22:30:25Z")
A bow tie for smuggling opium. ---
**Author:** ![applebetty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4af34b/32.png) [@applebetty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/applebetty)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2012, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-hand-knitted-object/637460/6 "2012-10-12T00:53:45Z")
A mitten? ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2012, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-hand-knitted-object/637460/7 "2012-10-12T01:26:36Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > A mermaid suit for a cat? That’d be a master project! (The second photo kinda scared me) ---
**Author:** ![Speak\_to\_me\_Maddie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/58956e/32.png) [@Speak\_to\_me\_Maddie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speak_to_me_Maddie)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2012, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-hand-knitted-object/637460/8 "2012-10-12T01:34:18Z")
Is there a hole in the end of the little flap? Does the flap open up into the main chamber of the “mitten”? I’m thinking maybe a it is a tea pot coozie/warmer. The spout comes out through the flap that way. Tea drinking is big in that region. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2012, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-hand-knitted-object/637460/9 "2012-10-12T05:30:07Z")
> [@applebetty](#): > > A mitten? . . . for people who’ve lost their thumbs from frostbite. ---
**Author:** ![ammyanne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/71e660/32.png) [@ammyanne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ammyanne)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2012, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-hand-knitted-object/637460/10 "2012-10-12T05:39:01Z")
A pilfered kidney cosy? ---
**Author:** ![Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiendish_astronaut/32/3295_2.png) [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiendish_Astronaut)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2012, 9:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-hand-knitted-object/637460/11 "2012-10-12T09:47:04Z")
> [@Speak\_to\_me\_Maddie](#): > > Is there a hole in the end of the little flap? Does the flap open up into the main chamber of the “mitten”? I’m thinking maybe a it is a tea pot coozie/warmer. The spout comes out through the flap that way. Tea drinking is big in that region. My first thought was a mitten or a hand warmer but it is not really the right shape for that and it would make more sense if both ends had a hole of course (plus the two ends aren’t the same size). It is definitely not a tea pot warmer. The flap is not connected with the main chamber and has no hole in it - it is simply a flap of fabric. Plus it would make the other half of the object a bit superfluous. It could however easily be used as a mermaid suit for a cat, although I doubt Afghanistan has much of a mermaid legend. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2012, 10:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-hand-knitted-object/637460/12 "2012-10-12T10:08:56Z")
A bong cozy? ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2012, 11:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-hand-knitted-object/637460/13 "2012-10-12T11:03:08Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > A mermaid suit for a cat? It would have to be blue Lycra. ---
**Author:** ![Kiyoshi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e19adc/32.png) [@Kiyoshi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kiyoshi)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2012, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-hand-knitted-object/637460/14 "2012-10-12T11:51:08Z")
Some sort of food storage bag? Fill it up with rice or beans or whatever (I have no idea what they eat in Afghanistan), tighten the drawstring, and then use the flap to dispense. ---
**Author:** ![Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiendish_astronaut/32/3295_2.png) [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiendish_Astronaut)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2012, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-hand-knitted-object/637460/15 "2012-10-12T19:05:29Z")
> [@Kiyoshi](#): > > Some sort of food storage bag? Fill it up with rice or beans or whatever (I have no idea what they eat in Afghanistan), tighten the drawstring, and then use the flap to dispense. Not definitive but I think that’s quite a reasonable guess. I think it might be a bit small for that purpose. I suppose if you really packed it with dried rice it might fit four or five portions in. This looks like it might be too difficult/obscure to answer. I had such high hopes after that album cover photograph that was pinpointed! ---
**Author:** ![Sigene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Sigene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigene)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2012, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-hand-knitted-object/637460/16 "2012-10-13T03:00:25Z")
Its clear from the design of the animals that the closed end is the ‘bottom’ suggesting it would be able to stand upright when filled with whatever. I googled various incarnations of ‘knitting bags’ and some of the images look fairly similar (though not perfect). I’m not a knitter, but if you know someone who is they might evaluate it as something that might hold their knitting or embroidery materials and tools. The fact that it is a handmade knitted item would suggest it may have been made by someone who understood the use of and needed such a bag. Also it might be useful for someone dealing in the manufacture or repair of the carpets it came with. ---
**Author:** ![Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiendish_astronaut/32/3295_2.png) [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiendish_Astronaut)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2012, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-hand-knitted-object/637460/17 "2012-10-13T11:13:40Z")
I think is a good call. ---
**Author:** ![j\_sum1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8baadc/32.png) [@j\_sum1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j_sum1)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2012, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-hand-knitted-object/637460/18 "2012-10-15T10:56:03Z")
I am going to go for thneed. _A thneed’s a fine something that all people need._ ---
**Author:** ![Kymmaree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bcef8e/32.png) [@Kymmaree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kymmaree)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2012, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-hand-knitted-object/637460/19 "2012-10-17T06:59:46Z")
I think it’s some sort of pot cosy. Maybe one of those that sits on a little candlelight burner or similar. Kym ---
**Author:** ![sidecar\_jon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@sidecar\_jon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sidecar_jon)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2012, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-hand-knitted-object/637460/20 "2012-10-17T14:19:23Z")
It looks rather like a medieval purse (used in the English sense) maybe for coins, one put the coins in, cinches up the string and then tucks the end up through your waist belt and it flaps over the top… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-hand-knitted-object/637460.md?page=2)