Celtic Wanna Be Tote

3/9/08 I have made a change to Chart B to accurately represent the pattern. I'm sorry for any inconveniences this may have caused!

Materials: Knitpicks Palette, 1 skein Bark, 2 skeins each Blue Note Heather, Pool, Blue, Sky

Size 7 circular needles

All stitches are knit double stranded, using two strands of the same color yarn.

Body

Cast on 175 stitches with Pool. Place marker, and join, being careful not to twist. Knit two rounds, then begin working Chart A in Pool and Blue Note Heather. Repeat the 6 pattern rounds 4 times, then work round 1 once more (so that you will end with the same round that you started on).

Change to Bark, and knit two rounds.

Change to Blue and Sky, setting the pattern for the middle panel. Work the pattern from Chart B over the first 19 stitches; Chart C for the next 8, Chart D for the next 33 stitches, Chart C for 8, then Chart B (starting where marked) for the rest of the stitches in the round. Place markers between charts if needed.

Change to Bark and knit two rounds.

Change to Pool and Blue Note Heather, working Chart A through once, repeating round 1.

Handle

Change to Bark.

Rounds 1 and 2: knit

Round 3: knit 33, bind off the next 20, knit 66, bind off 20, knit to end of round.

Round 4: knit 33, cast on 20 stitches, knit 66, cast on 20 stitches, knit to end of round.

Rounds 5-9: knit

Round 10: purl

Round 11-14: knit

Bind off all stitches.

Finishing

Fold handle fabric to the inside at the purl row, tacking it down with stitches.

Turn bag inside out, and seam the bottom with mattress stitch. Sew in all ends.

I felted the bag by throwing it into the washer with a few towels and running it on the "warm/cold" setting. I've got a front loading machine, and just let it go through the whole cycle. Once out of the wash, I stuffed it with a plastic case for a drill (hey, you use what works, right?), but plastic bags or other items could be used to help shape it.

Chart A

Chart B

Chart C

Chart D

New projects have begun

I've started two new bags this week, but am anticipating that I will have to start more projects as I wait for more yarn to arrive. Yarn that I haven't ordered yet. Yarn that will be ordered tomorrow.

I think I'll almost have enough of the two darker blues to finish the blue bag, but honestly, I think I'm going to end up a few rounds short. And if I order more, I'll have more choices for color of handle, though it will probably be brown.


I'm pleased with the variety of textures through pattern I have in the blue bag, and am looking forward to seeing the center motif surrounded by knitting.

The second bag, which I just started tonight, is going to run out of the medium green that makes up the bottom. That will probably happen within another repeat of the 20 row chart. (Why am I making excuses to buy more yarn? I should just write up the darned order now.) The chart is from Ann Feitelson's book, though I've changed the colors around, since I much prefer green and purple.

How bad is it

If you bug out of an enjoyable party halfway through because you're jonesing for some knitting? I know this "using knitting as a social defense" thing is getting bad when I can't go for more than a couple of hours in a crowded house without it.

But I got a lot finished today. Finished off the body of my second bagged (top right), and was so eager to start the next bag (bottom right), that I made the decision to do the i-cord handle on my commuting time. Yeah, I knit in the car. Only at stoplights or when traffic is backed up to a full stop. Heck, I got a few rows done on Friday when something was going on ahead of me, and traffic was fully stopped for a few minutes.

(The bag on the left is my first "bagged", using yarn that I dyed.)

I just realized why I've been so antsy today. Aside from getting a few rows done in stopped up traffic on Connecticut on the way home, I haven't done any knitting today. Tomorrow that will change. Laundry and knitting, and that's it. I dare my family to drag my ass off to anything else.

And I just sold my last few skeins of sock yarn. Obviously I need to make time to do some dyeing. Maybe next week?

Creativity or Laziness?

I love the way stranded knitting looks from the inside. And, wouldn't it be fun to wear it inside out without weaving in the ends? Ok, maybe that's just me being lazy. (But the insides do look cool.)

I finally finished up the hat and gloves set for Katie at the school's grandchildren. She seems very happy with them, and I'm rather pleased, too. Yeah, it's acrylic yarn and fun fur, but it should be washable and easy to wear for the girls.

Also finished up the hat and wrist warmers for my mom and got them shipped off today, and dropped off another pair of wrist warmers for Sally. Whew. I think I'm all done with my knitting for other people. Now I can focus on presents and the knitting I'm doing for patterns.

After my trunk show in November, I bought one skein of every color of knit picks palette and telemark yarns. My goal is to try to use at least a little of every skein within the next year. I foresee a LOT of stranded colorwork in front of me!

Now, it's time for knitting and watching survivor!

Norwegian Star Hat Pattern

Size: One

Materials: Knitpicks Palette, 1 skein each of Bark (MC), Brindle Heather, Nutmeg, Twig, Salsa Heather, Fawn, Golden Heather, Tan, and Ivy.

Needles: 16 or 24 inch circular needles, size US 6, double point needles, size 6.

Gauge: 20 st/12 rows=4 inches, knit double stranded on size 6 needles.

Pattern: The whole hat is knit double stranded using two strands of the same color of yarn. Using MC, cast on 102 stitches on circular needles. Join, being careful not to twist, and work in stockinette stitch for 2 inches.

Begin working Fair Isle chart. Chart is 35 stitches wide and will be repeated 3 times in each round.

Knit one round of MC.

Place marker, [K17, place marker] 5 times, k to end. 6 markers on needle.

Shape crown
Round 1: [k to 2 sts before next marker, k2tog] 6 times.
Round 2: Knit

Repeat rounds 1 and 2 9 times, until there are 54 stitches remaining. Repeat round 1, switching to double point needles when needed, until there are 6 stitches left. Break yarn, and thread yarn through remaining stitches and pull tight.