YAY!! It's finished

Oh, thank goodness I'm finally finished with the bag. YAY. I'm not sure how I feel about the finished product. The felting didn't work like I thought it would. I also forgot to take measurements of the pre and post felting, but the finished bag is still pretty damned big.

Pattern: #32 "knitting bag" from Family Circle Easy Knitting, Holiday 2005
Yarn: Bernat Lana 100% wool in Denim and Chocolate
Needles: US 9 Straights and DPNs (for the handles)

I am not very impressed with magazine patterns so far. This particular issue of Family Circle Easy Knitting has a lot of things that I'd like to make, but I've tried two of them so far--some anklet socks and this felted tote, and neither of them seemed to have the best instructions, and the finished products didn't turn out like I expected. The anklets were the second pair of socks I'd made, and for some reason, the toes on these came out all wonky and the first pair I did came out much better. I guess a lot of knitting is trial and error, but I feel like if I am following a pattern, I should get a result that is similar to the one in the magazine. The things I've made from patterns on the internet seem to work out much better, but it all may be just chance, or my own stupidity in this case. In general, I think FCEN or Knit Simple, as it's become, has pretty decent patterns. They're plainer than Vogue Knitting/Interweave Knits, and easier to do, I guess. The problem is when they a) use inferior methods because they're easier to do, or b) include harder things without explaining them completely.

I do realize that you can't expect too much detail from a magazine, so I really should just chalk this all up to my own inexperience, and keep a reference book handy.

Anyway, on to the goods! Here it is pre-felting:


The handles aren't actually attached here. In retrospect, I should have just sewed them on before I felted, but the instructions said that you should sew them on after felting. The handles didn't felt that well, and I wish that I had given them a chance to felt on during the wash.

Here it is post-felting:


It is stuffed with plastic bags, and is still drying. The button is a vintage one from my grandma's button tin. I like the way the colors look, and the felt is pretty strong, but the bag is HUGE. I mean, I could use it as an overnight bag, if the handles were stronger. I just wanted something to be able to take my knitting to my S&B in, and sheesh, I could use the bag to hold all the yarn and notions I would need for a sweater it's so big!

The felting process: I put the bag into a zippered pillow case, and threw in two pairs of jeans for agitation. I used the lowest water level, hot water, with a dollop of my regular laundry detergent, and checked it after five minutes. It was pretty much felted after about 5 min, but I left it in for the whole wash and rinse. It didn't seem to hurt the bag at all.

Then I sewed on the handles and the button, and voila!

I think I am still going to use it for my hauling my knitting projects around. I don't know what I could have done differently except perhaps used bigger needles, but the 9's gave me the gauge that the pattern called for. Eh.

Next up: finishing my partner's Regia socks, and this sushi wallet for my friend Salwa.