I finished the Ilene bag (see previous post for pattern links) and am very happy with it. The size is perfect I think - big enough for larger items but not so big that it’s immovable when full. I knit the handle to about 14” which works well for either hand or over-the-shoulder carrying and the whole feels sturdy and solid.
The author warns that the stitch pattern for the bag’s body biases and offers a means to counter that tendency. I didn’t bother with it because I don’t really care. So long as that bias doesn’t affect the bag’s ability to carry things I can’t see why that would matter. Besides - it kinda looks cool. The stitch pattern is very simple:
Round 1: *YO, K2tog*
Round 2: Knit
For the next bag, I might try this instead - just to see what happens…
Round 1 *YO, K2tog*
Round 2: Knit
Round 3: *YO, SSK*
Round 4: Knit
...or on Round 3, I might try doing *SSK, YO* to see how that works. Actually, I confess that I’ll probably try out the options before I ever start the next bag because I’m terminally curious :)
I also got a start on the third panel for the blanket.
My mindless, TV knitting :) The yarn, as previously, is Classic Elite La Gran mohair but the solid is one I dyed some time ago. Originally it was a pinkish color that looked dirty to me (it wasn’t, it just struck my eye that way) so I decided it was a good candidate for the dye pot. This color, Indicolite, was the result of a great deal too much liquid, blue food coloring. Given the gorgeous shade though, I’m not sure it really was too much after all. As Myria is fond of saying, “Anything worth doing is worth overdoing!”
We have babies again. We had been sure that the degus were both female but they presented us with another litter in February so that’s clearly not the case :) There were 10 pups this time. Honest to god, I have no idea where she was hiding them all before they were born. She did appear to get somewhat more zaftig, but we never suspected the horde (For the Horde!) she was actually carrying!
They’re about three weeks old now and will be going to the pet store in another 5 or six weeks. Cute little fellas… As strongly as I feel about not breeding animals (this is an apartment for heaven’s sake - not a farm!), even I have to admit that babies - any kind of babies - have a unique charm and are lots of fun to watch.
Jade is in the coveted sunspot in the living room. The sun shines in that window all day long and both cats like it for their afternoon naps. Unfortunately, she vacated it shortly after this picture was taken and Goldie promptly took advantage of the vacancy. She won’t get it back now as it would take a bulldozer and an act of God to get him out of there.
Maybe my lap will do for a while :)
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Oh, the little babies are so cute! I had guinea pigs, mice and two unfriendly hamsters growing up, but now I have a dog that views cute little rodent-type creatures as snacks, and the new kitty shows hostile intentions toward the birds and chipmunks. So I’ve resigned myself to not putting temptation in their way - no cute bundles of fluff for me…
Thanks for the info on the bag. I really like it. I have some yarn that would look good in this pattern.
Snow!!! Ick, I’m ready for spring.
Keep warm!!
Vicki 
that bag is gorgeous! and so useful. :)
Annabel - Degus are native to Chile where they fill a niche similar to the one squirrels fill here. In the states, they’re most typically used in the lab for diabetes research because their systems are totally incapable of handling sugar. They are just recently becoming a “pet” interest but there still aren’t many of them around.
The babies are hilarious and just cuter than cute. But then all babies are :)
Vicki - Usually I vastly prefer cold weqather to hot but this year I’m just so fed up with the snow that I can’t wait for it to be over. One more snowstorm and I swear I’m going to pack up and move to Florida - and I hate Florida!
Opal - thanks :) I hope it will be useful but if I’m going to use this as a shopping bag, I’m going to need a bunch more of them. Well, the second is under way.
I keep having this weird thought about putting little pairs of safety eyes on the strap (down near the bag) to make them, I dunno, kind of distictive? Is that too messed up for words? LOL!
Very nice bag!
Cute animals!
Lynne - Yep and yep on both counts :) The bag is not only a useful item, but an enjoyable project. And the critters? It wouldn’t be home without critters!
The bag is absolutely lovely! I’m happy to see it made in acrylic. I have so much of it in stash from the 80’s and this is one project on the list to use some of that stuff up. :)
I just love those little babes - wish you could sent a couple my way!!
Tweezle :)
I love the bag and am gradually churning out a second one. I’m really impressed with the design and am also glad the acrylic worked out well because, like you, I have a bunch of it that I’d like to use up.
I’d love for you to have a couple of little degus, but I couldn’t dream of putting them in the mail LOL! Hopefully they will go to good homes - they are entertaining little creatures!
