Diverse Diversions

None of my most recent projects have been planned in any way, they have just morphed out of the yarn basket in the shadow of not being capable of making a sweater that I really want to make for myself. They have all been very pleasant diversions while the sweater is not working out.

This project is just something I have fancied for ages, not a priority and I could live my life without it but I really love it. It is a knitted bag from Interweave Favorites Accessories with a touch of embroidery.

The pattern is for 4ply but I had some Drops Nepal and Drops Karisma left over from two of my own lovely sweaters and you may already know that I like to use up yarn I already own. With this alteration, I have made myself more of a carpet bag than a cutesie handbag! Full length knitting needles fit easily along the bottom length.

Doing colour work stops me becoming too much of a knitting bodger which I can sometimes get lured into, hence the problems with the sweater I think. The colour of the stitches immediately tells me to stop and go back to sort out the problem if it turns out to be the wrong colour stitch or of course the revealing pattern shows that something has gone wrong too. I like this.

The bag is worked in the round. Because it is lined, I just knotted off the colour ends and left them well alone. 

The bag is washed on a hot machine cycle to gain a light felted texture before it is lined. However, I have learnt something useful here. I washed this bag on 40 degrees with a 1200 spin and it didn't felt at all. This means I can now wash both of my jumpers in the machine which I have not been brave enough to do. 

I didn't bother with the gazillion french knots - I didn't think two nights of sewing french knots would enhance my life or my knitting bag experience. I am happy with it as it is.

I wonder how many more crafting diversions I can make. A colorful scarf, two bras, and a carpet bag are all very diverse diversions.

Thanks for dropping by. Jo xxx