IT'S HERE!!!

The following are the free flowing instructions for the buttoned up bag. Insert your own measurements. The thing I love most about making bags is not being constrained to counting. Follow my numbers where I've given them, or make your own!!! This is my first pattern, so i'm sorry for any mistakes. I'm currently making one trying to use the instructions, if you find any mistakes please let me know!

Have fun, and send me pictures of your finished project on ravelry (my username is daisiechain)

DaisieChain’s Messenger Bag

The great thing about this bag is it can be made using any worsted weight, feltable wool. Sizes are for small (medium). To make a larger size, upgrade to chunky and bigger needles. Half the fun of felting is you don’t have to have perfect sizing because it’s all going to change, anyway!

Before starting, take a measuring tape and loop it over one shoulder like you would hang the handle of the bag- figure out approx. where you would like the top of the bag to be, add an inch or two to account for felting (remembering that the strap will probably stretch as well as felt), and that is your “desired length” for the strap.

Strap/Sides/Bottom:
CO 40(50) sts and work in garter st until piece measures desired length. Continuing in garter st, work as follows:
Rows 1-K 5, bind off 4, k to last 9, bind off 4, k 5
Row 2- P5, co 4, P to last 9, co 4, P 5 (button holes made)
Rows 3-14- work even in garter st
Continue these rows until 6 rows of button holes have been made. Length can be adjusted as desired.

Front:
CO 40(45) sts. Working in st st and begin with a WS row as follows:
*Row 1: P
Row 2: K1, inc in next st by knitting into front and back of st, k to last 2, inc in next st, K1.*
Repeat from * 4 times, 48(53) sts.
Continue in st st until piece measures approx. 12(15) inches. Bind off on next RS row.

Back:
Work as for front, except do not bind off. Flap:
On next WS row, work 1 row as a RS row.
Work 10 rows even in st st. (If you want a longer flap, add more rows here and after row 23)
Row 11: K1, K2tog tbl, k to last 2, k2tog, k1
Work in st st, repeat dec row on rows 23, 31, 33.
Next RS row, k2tog 20 times.
BO loosely.

Sew bag together:
Sew in loose ends. Starting with the front of the bag and the end of the strap without button holes, attach strap to the entire edge of the front. Attach the back in the same way, making sure you end up at the same point on the strap so the bag stays even. Create a loop in the middle of the edge of the flap. Place the bag in a pillow case to felt so the strap doesn't get stretched out too badly. Felt. Block. Dry. Attach buttons to correspond to the button holes on the right side of the bag, and on the front for the loop.


if this works out, I'm making the pattern for "vaslyn's bag" next!

Planting trees, let's see if this works!

Love the show Lost, even though I don't have a TV I like to watch it online while I knit. ABC's new thing is they'll plant a tree when we watch videos through this widget. hope it works!

Weekends

It was a really fun weekend off from work, I felted one bag I'd made and knit most of another one I had started. It is always interesting to knit something up and then throw it in the washing machine- you never know exactly how it's going to felt so it's an adventure every time!

This bag was made with a nice wool, Nobu's Kureyon in color D. I made the four sides separate, which is odd for me (I usually knt my bags in the round) but I had an idea to make it look like the sides were attached with buttons. Of course, it would be sewn closed so the buttons would be for decoration only. I liked the way it the flaps came out ruffly so I'm not sure I'm gong to add buttons. I have to do something to the strap, it's too skinny and weak for the bag. I think I'm going to add a belt from Target as the strap. I also have to decide on the button issue. I'll keep working on it and see what I come up with.

I even got Daniel in on the felting- let him do the heavy lifting out of the hot water! I knew I kept him around for a reason!

We threw a fun party at his house Saturday night, played Taboo and fun logic games until way too late and ate yummy chicken cooked Greek style with a fabulous fruit salad on the side. We also went and saw Horton Hears a Who yesterday. Cute!

I have to eat lunch and get ready for work, so more later!

Janelle

Getting the hang of things

So work tonight was a total fly by the seat of your pants experience- we're talking bleeders and 4 new admissions in 3 hours! I have to say, my fellow nurses (there are 3 of us on my shift) really pulled together and we made it happen. It makes you appreciate the value of team and people helping other people.

My knitting is going well, I am almost done with my baby bunting and have started yet another bag (I can't help myself!) I'm toying with the idea of making a stethoscope cozy, but need a stethoscope first! (I lost mine in the move in October) I have lots of odds and ends that I need to use up. I am going to send some of them to my sister so she can crochet me rosettes, which I'll use to adorn the bags I'm crazy about knitting.

I hope to knit lots more this weekend, and look forward to a dinner party tomorrow night!

Keep stitching,

Janelle

Casting on isn't so hard to do!

It's often the getting started that causes the most problems in life and knitting- I have finally after much putting it off, started a blog. Yes, me! I am excited to begin this adventure and share my thoughts, projects, and group progress with you.

I have two project underway right now, a baby bunting shaped like a star and a bag with only a few rows knit on it. I like having the bag to distract me from the absoluteness of the star pattern, since my bags usually take on a shape of their own and change as they go along (writing a pattern to most of them would be impossible!).

I've started using Ravelry.com and began a group there, The Patient Knitters. Check it out! Share your ideas with me!

I'll keep posting (who knows when?) so keep checking back!

Janelle