Christmas Rose Bag, The Home Stretch

Happy February*, everyone. I’m in the final stages of this bag, and I should be able to finish it this weekend (fingers crossed). There are a few rows of the pattern left plus the bottom, which is done with decreases. I’m interested to see how it turns out, specifically the shaping. I wonder if the bottom will hold its shape or will it droop? I’m also concerned about the length. I seem to find a lot of purses that are wide but not very deep. I hate that! I have a lot of stuff to tote around with me and I need a deep bag to stash it all.

 

 

My First Attempt at Fair Isle Knitting

I received a $25 gift card to Barnes and Noble a few weeks ago and promptly rushed to the craft section to scope out some new patterns.  About an hour and 4 shelves of books later I settled on Handknit Holidays.  I’m not crazy over the hat and gloves combo on the cover but it’s got some great patterns inside.  The first project I’m working on is a Christmas Rose gift bag.

This is my first try with fair isle knitting.  And let me tell you… NEVER AGAIN*.  It’s taken 3-4 hours just to do the knitting/purling band at the top of the bag, and I’m doing the smaller size.  The fact that I’ve never done continental knitting slowed me down in the beginning, because I had to teach myself how to work with 2 colors at once.  KnittingHelp.com has been a tremendous resource.  It’s always the first place I go when I need help with a technique.

*=May be an exaggeration.  I’ve gotten the hang of Fair Isle knitting now, but there was quite a learning curve.

Knit Christmas

Hope everyone had an enjoyable Christmas, and that Santa brought you everything you hoped for. As for myself, I got several great knitting related gifts. My sister Sarah gave me a Knitpickers tote and my mom got me the accompanying needle case. I also got the Knifty Knitter long loom set . I know, I know; the looms aren’t really knitting in the traditional sense. But they just work so great for simple scarves and hats. I’ve already started a scarf for myself.

Lastly, my husband got me the Weekend Knitting book. I’m pretty excited about trying the fingerless gloves on the cover. I have no idea when I’ll be able to actually start those, though. It could be awhile since I’m already working on a scarf, a jacket, and a bag.