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This bag uses a chart from a most excellent book called Here Be Wyverns, by Nancy Spies. http://www.weavershand.com/ArelateStudio.html

This particular chart is from a 14th century Byzantine piece in etched silver.

Materials: 1 skein each: (MC) Cascade 220 Grape Jelly, (CC1) Cascade 220 Heathers Galaxy

(CC2) Cascade 220 Heathers Baby Rose Heather

24" Size 10 circular needles

Body

Cast on 140 stitches in MC. Place marker and join, being careful not to twist stitches. Knit two rounds, then begin working chart in MC and CC1. (White = MC, Purple = CC).

Work to red line, then switch to MC and CC2. Finish working through chart, then repeat whole chart in MC and CC2.

Switch back to MC and CC1, working to red line.

(The middle section of the bag is worked in the pattern of the chart, so that you have a more subtle version of the pattern there.)

Handle

Knit 2 rounds in MC.

Round 3: Knit 25 stitches, bind off 20 stitches, knit 50 stitches, bind off 20 stitches, knit 25 stitches.

Round 4: Knit 25 stitches, cast on 20 stitches, knit 50 stitches, cast on 20 stitches, knit 25 stitches.

Rounds 5-9: Knit

Round 10: Purl

Rounds 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.

This bag needed to be run through the felting process twice. (Throw it in the washer with towels or jeans, wash on warm or hot/rinse on cold.) Stuff it with plastic bags or find something else to use as a "mold".

Week 1/08 on my needles

I finished the bag below (pattern will be coming soonish). I need to take a photo in better lighting, and with a better "pose". These shots against the floor of the family room are ever so boring. Plus, you can't see how the pattern continues through the middle part of the bag.
I also finished a pair of longies and am most of the way through a pair of soakers. They're a kind of fun way to work through some of my stash of worsted weight yarns. And won't babies look cute in a mish mash of color and yarn?

I just joined the Stash Knit Down group in Ravelry. The January (1/5-2/19) goal is to knit a mile of yarn. I think I can do that. I've finished about a skein today. Whee.

My year in knitting

What a year it was. I can't believe how much I got done this year.

This is the first sweater I made for Ms. M. She got another little cardigan as well. I finished a pullover for myself, as well as a little shrug, too.

I started the year with a huge sock fest. I think I finished at least 10 pairs of socks through out the year. The pair pictured is one of my favorites, even if I didn't work it out so that the stripes would line up.

I dyed a whole lot of yarn this year. I'm guessing that I did at least 50 skeins, but it might be a significantly higher number. I sold a lot, but kept a bunch of the yarn for myself, because it's so fun to play with.

This fall I was on a definite hat kick. Looking over my photos, I can find pictures of at least 30 different hats. EEEEE. At some point I'll get the pictures all loaded up onto my flickr account. For that matter, I'll get my flickr account reasonably organized, too.

The latest kick has been stranded color work, especially in bags. I'm really happy with how my first bag pattern (Celtic wanna be) has been received. Heck, I'm REALLY happy with how the bag turned out.

I also rather like this little ipod/cell phone cozy. It started out as a wrist warmer (Yeah, I made a ton of those, too), but ended up as a little cozy.

And, last, but not least, a peak at where knitting is taking me in the new year. The beginnings of a few projects that are on the needles now. I hope that this coming year will be as productive and creative as last year was!