One Purse Wrapped Up

I still do not have the yarn for my wrap, so it's safe to say that I won't have the wrap complete for my trip to Boston. We leave a week from Tuesday, so I doubt that the yarn will come in and I'll have the time to work on it prior to our departure. Much like you, I'd like to support my new LYS, but it is frustrating to know that I could have ordered the same yarn online and had it in just a few days. It's been two weeks. Oh, well. I'm going to take your suggestion and work on a swatch with some cotton yarn I have to prepare to work on the wrap. Maybe by September it will be ready!

My interim project was the SOHO Purse from one of my new books, Bags, A Knitter's Dozen. You can wear it in three different ways. I thought is was a fun casual purse for the summer. I'm always wanting something to just throw my keys and id in for a day out. I just bought some kitchen cotton, which worked pretty well. It may not have longevity, but I can say the same for 90% of the purses I own - no matter what they are made of.

Things I learned while completing this little bag: 1) how to complete a three-needle bind off; 2) how to sew in a zipper in a knitted piece; 3) why you should allow for major stretch of the i-cord strap when you have things in the bag - I over shot this by a lot. I'll probably redo the cord on this one.

Here's a look at the finished product.:









I'm not sure if I'll do another one of these bags. A couple of people I've shown it to have been less than thrilled with the look of the bag. I guess it's a little to hippy or crunchy for them. I still want to knit one with a flap that folds over like a messenger bag.

Pattern and Wrap

That's a great pattern and I think you can do it. If you are like me, I want to start knitting as soon as I can after deciding to knit the pattern. Why don't you get some yarn that you have left over from another project and appropriate sized needles, cast on about 3 multiples of the wrap's pattern stitches and practice the stitches. It will make the real project soar when your real yarn arrives, since you will already have worked out the stitches in the pattern. It will make the pattern flow much easier when you get the "good" yarn.

I finished the child's sweater and have already mailed it to Cast On. I will be writing the article to go with it, hopefully over the weekend. It's a great load off my mind to have it finished. I made a size 8 so hopefully when I get it back it will fit Heidi and she can have it for the winter.

I'm real excited to have started the ruana wrap that I designed. It is fun to knit it using all the colors that I selected. I am using intarsia since the color is in large blocks. It is not conducive to travel since I would have to carry too many balls of yarn. I'm hoping that I can enter it in a design contest later this year.
Did you get the brochure for Stitches East? I have it in my briefcase and will make my class choices soon. I hope you are still planning to go. It will be a fabulous experience for you. My first trip to a Stitches event was so great.

Step 1 - Buy Yarn

Ok - it's taken me all week to complete step one of the knitting process. I took my pattern over to my new knitting store to select just the right yarn. I'd looked at a lot of different types of cotton on-line, but when you're buying 1400 yards, you also have to consider price too! Even though her store is new, the owner helped me to select just the right yarn Plymouth Fantasy Naturale, which she thought would have the right gauge, would hold up over time and would wash best. I selected a raspberry color (8016) and I hope to have the yarn in hand by next weekend so I can make up for a lot of lost time. I guess I'll have to do my housework since I have nothing to procrastinate with this week!