New bag... she is done...

The square bottom worked out well. I love the colors. Love love love love love love....

Check out the previous post for pre-washed size.

Mistakes, Design Elements, and Opportunities for Growth

Remember this bag? It looks cool, but actually I made a major mistake early on... so it became a "design element". That's what knitters call mistakes that will still work out. (Also, you can count on felting to cover a multitude of sins... just like in Euchre - you can count on your partner for one trick.)

Here's what happened. I didn't understand a direction, so my stitch count was off. Then I made an assumption. I assumed that the base of the bag was round. I didn't bother to read the directions anymore. I was half way up the sides when I realized my "design element". It didn't adversely affect the outcome of the bag... except I saw how it'd be a bit cooler with the square bottom.

On to the 2nd bag... I figured out what I did wrong, and was able to make the bottom square. Nice. Got up the sides, no problem. Got to the point where you BO a bunch, then knit a bunch (for the handles - keeping the stitches live). Here's where things started to go wonky.

I did the BOs and the knitting, sewed in all my ends and kitchenered the 1st handle together. I held it up to admire my handiwork and realized my mistake. I had BO'd when I should have knit and vise versa. Now, this would not have mattered had the base been ROUND, but now since it was SQUARE, my knitting was 45 deg. off kilter. YAAAAAH. Only myself to blame... I ASSUMED that I knew what to do, and didn't refer to the directions. (Do you see a theme?)

I should have photographed it as I fixed it, but I was so mad...

I was unwilling to reknit the handle, so I used dpns to pick up the handle row that meets the bag. I picked up, with circs, all 200 stitches around the body of the bag a couple of rows down. I cut the stitches just below the handle, and detached it. I then ripped back to the circulars. I then (AHA) kitchenered the handle in the right place... live stitches to live stitches. I'm a GENIUS. OK, maybe not... but I have now MASTERED THE KITCHENER STITCH. Lee was pretty surprised at how good it looked and how you couldn't even tell. I was too.

Here is the bag pre-washing, with DVD for scale.

I think it looks like a tank top. An itchy, hot tank top.

She's done and I Love Her

Here's my French Market Bag. Woot!





















I decided to go to my LYS and buy some yarn in shades of blue for another bag. Check out what I got. Blue? Um, yeah. I saw the green and fell in love. I'm so fickle. I guess Yarn Love is like that. Lee thinks it's Christmasy, but I'm thinking Springy... Mmmmmm... new yarn...














I spent a couple of hours knitting with the LYS ladies. I plan on going on Fridays, since I'm off in July. (Yes, it pretty much rocks. I told Lee I wished I could feel so good all the time... no "have to's", just "want to's".)

Love the one you're with...

I have found new love with this project. The colors are not as hideous as they appear in this picture. I love my camera, but it doesn't do so well at night, indoors.


It is a French Market Bag from Knitty.com. I saw it on this website, which you should really check out. Lene's is so very classy, mine is using up my stash. I, of course, mis-read the instructions, so let's just say, I'm making a design change... whoopsie.

I told you about how Murray personally inspects each piece of knitting. I turned my back for a second and look what I found. He managed to sit on the WHOLE thing, AND was still able to take a nibble at my needles. Ha ha, Murray, they're metal, not bamboo.

I made this bag the other night, with the idea that I would give it to my cousin for her wedding. Um, sorry, Katie, you're getting dishcloths and a check. I can't part with this bag.

Unclear on the Concept

Kitty Pi is done. It took 4 (!) skeins of Lamb's Pride worsted. I did it with 2 strands, #10.5 needles. Here is a pre-felted look at it... I set Sibbie in it and she settled right in.

A word about felting in a front load washer. (Remind me to get a top load washer next time, although I didn't choose this washer... it came with the house.) Anyway, there is no way to check the progress of the felting, and there just is not as much agitation. That's great for clothes, but not so much for felting. Sooo... Kitty Pi got 2 washes, then the sides stood by themselves. I did the i-cord bindoff rather tight so that the sides would bulge a bit, and they do. Love it when a plan works the way I pictured, rather than the opposite of what I pictured, which has happened.

Here's the felted version which Sibbie would not step in. Ok, granted, it was wet at this point, but there had better be some major kittie useage once it's dry. I'm not above sprinkling catnip on it. I know they will love it if they would use it. Also here's a pic sans cat.

Lee and I TRIED to watch Black Dahlia... booooooooring. Maybe the book was better. We turned it off after 20 minutes, which felt like and hour and a half. So, we popped in Buffy, the Vampire Slayer, season 2, and I worked on these:

Yes, I'm still in love with dishcloths. I hope I can part with them when the time comes, cuz I'm pretty much in love with them and their cheerful colors.

I am SO in love with this basket...

...that I might have to marry it!!

The body is the Nantasket Basket (see previous post). I made the little handles with a 3 st I-cord. This yarn was larger than bulky, and slightly more yarny than roving. I don't know what it is called. It was not spun tightly. It did not felt as much as I wanted, but still, I love it. This yarn has been in my stash for a loooooong time. I used up ALL the gray. Note the 4 rows of gray in the handles... every last bit of it, I say. Dishcloths were very soothing to knit after this big needle/big yarn project... ow! my fingers. :)

I blame Mason Dixon Knitting for my dirty house.

I received the MD knitting book on December 24. By December 27, this was done. My stash of leftover Lamb's Pride Bulky is used up. It's not very big, and it was telling me to felt it, so now it's even smaller. Not sure what it is yet, but it's on my dinner table.

Basket A Go-Go

Spent several hours Tuesday night knitting this up. It's shape is rather wonky, but hey, 1st one!

The original pattern looks much better.

BUT, I learned 3 new stitches. Finally got my mind wrapped around i-cords.

Got the pattern from http://ma2ut.blogspot.com/2006/06/nantasket-basket.html. Well worth the $5.50 to buy the pattern.

AND, I was able to use up a bunch of little balls of leftover yarn from other projects. So glad I saved that teeny tiny piece of lime green so it could go once around the basket.