Well, okay :) The sun’s out and there seem to be no lingering effects to yesterday’s unwelcome weather. I’d love to believe that this was the “last hurrah”.
I spent most of yesterday working on the bag, starting and ripping and starting again. I finally abandoned all pretense of working on the Buttonhole as it’s presented and just went with my own inclinations. I like the tapered ends that the pattern uses for the base but no matter what I did, I couldn’t get it to look even. So I wound up casting on 9 sts and just working straight garter stitch for about 6 inches. Then I picked up the edges and began working up from there.
Little bag
I think I’m going to incorporate some ribbing on the sides - a patch of about 9 or 10 rows - halfway up, just for a bit of shaping. I’m also thinking I’ll taper the sides from there to the top and then knit back and forth for a hang-over flap. I’m not yet sure how I’ll handle the strap except that the buttonhole convention, cute as it is, isn’t going to work for me. I’d have known this earlier if I’d stopped to think about it because I hate having a hand tied up with having to carry something. So I’ll likely knit or crochet a long strap so that the bag can be carried on the shoulder. I need to think about some kind of design for the flap too - just something to spruce the thing up a bit :) It’s not going to be very big though that shouldn’t be a problem. There isn’t a great deal you need to carry around with you onboard a ship except your room key and that just doesn’t take up a lot of room :)
The stole also got a bit of attention yesterday. This is a great TV-watching project as once you get your tiers established, it’s very nearly mindless knitting - just plain old stockinette.
Entrelac stole
Entrelac needn’t just be stockinette though, it can’t be done in garter stitch, or with a cable or a bobble or even a wee intarsia motif. I’m going to try several of those variations at some point just because I think they’re so cool!
Finally, this arrived yesterday afternoon:
Socka sock yarn
This is from Lisa at blogdogblog who had asked for captions for the photo in the above picture, winner to be awarded something from her stash. No, I’m not that clever :) Lisa, kind and generous person that she is, decided that all of us who submitted entries were winners and sent everyone sock yarn. This is Socka in a lovely, muted colorway. I’m excited to be able to try this yarn and I know it will make something very special indeed. Thank you so much, Lisa!
I wish you all wonderful and relaxing weekends. See you Monday :)
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Hi Robbyn! Turns out the problem with reading your site is coming from IE rather than AOL. I’m able to read and comment (I think!) but I have a nasty error message in the middle of my screen. Well - I guess the glass is half full, right? hehehe
Guess I need to look into getting another type of browser…hmmmm…
Have a great weekend!
Bron - I’ve been using the Mozilla Firefox browser for a while now and find that I have a lot fewer problems with it than I did with IE. You might want to check it out :)
http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/
Wow, you’re making really fast progress with the entrelac - and all while casting on for your little bag too. You are one speedy knitter :)
‘a wee intarsia motif’ in the entrelac- oh geez, hand me a cold washcloth and let me lie down and rest from just thinking about that!!
the stole is just wonderful- adding the white has really made the colors work together, hasn’t it?
absolutely cool sock yarn- i like socka yarn and i think you’ll enjoy working with it- umm, robbyn colors too! *plus* a pic of one of those darling dogs-
stay happy-
Several ladies in my knitting group have used a double icord handle on bags they’ve done recently. You start with an odd number of stitches, knit across one more than half of them and turn it and repeat, knitting from the other end. Makes two side-by-side icords and a good firm handle. They have gone on to felt their bags but it would probably work without the felting.
Pam - Thanks awfully :) But I’m not a fast knitter at all - just an average plugger. I will admit to paying more attention to projects I’m actually having fun with and the stole and the bag both fall into that category.
Barb - LOL! If you have to have a little lie down at the thought of the wee intarsia, you can imagine how that notion hit me!
Except that it was a tiny sailing ship and it was awfully cute….
Charlotte - That’s a very nifty suggestion and something I’d never even heard of before. That will be a great idea to try!
I agree with Barb. Intarsia in entrelac makes you a “Knitting Commando” in my book.
How about a little tuck-in flap, such as the ends of the bow-knot scarf, http://people.delphiforums.com/knit_chat/knitchat/patterns/bowscarf.htm . Is that too much work for a bag? I mean, when you’re actually using it?
Laura - Heheh…I am not a knitting “commando”. I have never done intarsia and run shuddering and whimpering from the very thought :)
But that scarf closure could work very well, I think, and would look extrememly cool!
Way to think outside the box girl!
I really like this flap:
http://www.straw.com/cpy/patterns/deco_crochet_bag.htm
it is simple, but works.
Pam - That’s a cute idea too and would be easily adapted for a knitted bag. Thanks for the tip!
Hey Robbyn - Thanks, I was thinking Mozilla (Modzilla?) so I’ll check it out. For some reason, IE is letting me view your site & pics this morning- go figure. Anyway - gorgeous stole!!! I love, love it. You’re making me itch to do one of my own but I don’t have any yarn that will do.
That’s it - I’ll tell Doug that *you* forced me to buy more yarn. Yeah…that’ll work….hehehehe 
Bron - I want to do one (well, another one) in something like your Guinevere. I think that would be absolutely sensational!
The stole yarn is Caron Simply Soft stranded with white Red Heart Soft Baby - inexpensive but nice so don’t be gettin’ me into trouble with your hubby! LOL!
Let me know if you have problems with Firefox - Myria and I have spent lots of “tweak” time with it.
Socka is my favourite sock yarn to use - have fun!
Nat - Oh cool! Thanks for the “good” vote. I’m looking forward to using this :)
