WiP Wednesday

Once again, the bulk of my knitting time has gone to the Swirl sweater. I’m on my last full welt, so I have just a few short rounds left before I start binding off and starting on the sleeves and bodice.


My streak of reading comprehension FAILs continued. I was excited and in a hurry to cast this on, so I just looked at the chart and didn’t READ the instructions. As a result, I’ve been knitting this thing “backwards” from the get-go. If I’d been thinking, I could easily have fixed the problem seven rows in when I did my first set of decreases, but the good news is that I’m pretty sure I know how I can rectify my mistake seamlessly. Hooray!

Moral of the story? Pay attention when you read directions.

In other news, I made a point of getting both of my smaller projects back on track. I ripped out about an inch of my socks-in-progress a week ago, put in my increases markers at the proper point and have been off to the races ever since.


So basically, the V between the markers is everything I’ve knit since last week. Yay, small project that can take a few stitches here and there!

And, last night, I got a few rounds in on my Bagstopper. Inching ever-closer to the top border. Hooray!


We start vacation on Saturday night, so it remains to be seen whether I’ll be doing more knitting or reading next week. For whatever reason, reading usually wins when I’m on vacation.

Everlasting Bagstopper

I was quite new to the online knitting scene in the summer of 2007 when the Everlasting Bagstopper was published at Knitty.com. Having never heard of Hemp for Knitting or AllHemp6, I still put the pattern on my mental “I wanna knit that” list.

Two years later, I did!

Stretched a bit so you can see it's plenty wide

Of course, I have two skeins of AllHemp6 wound and sitting somewhere in the stash, but when I saw the Sapphire colorway, I knew that’s what I really wanted to use.


I was a little worried the first time I scrunched it all up into a ball that I had put the drawstring in a little too low. It wouldn’t have been a bad thing if I put it a row or two higher up, but it really is fine where it is.

My very favorite sandals included for scale. US 9, Teva Mush sandals!

I found the drawstring at the “good” Joann’s, out by the airport. When I went to weave it in, I decided that if I had a bead that would work, that would make it a little easier to pull the drawstring closed.

I DID have an appropriate bead!

Earlier in the week, I had purchased some navy-with-white-polka-dot grosgrain ribbon for handles for this bag. But at Joann’s, I found what I felt was the PERFECT ribbon for this bag.


It is woven, however, and therefore has a ton of loose threads on the reverse side. So I sewed the 1-3/8” ribbon to a 1-1/2” black grosgrain for the handles. I could have done a better job (witness the slight ripple), but I still like it. All in all, I’m quite pleased with the final effort! In fact, I like it well enough that I’ve already cast on for a second one, which will be a gift.

Everlasting Bagstopper

Pattern: Everlasting Bagstopper from Knitty.com
Size: It’s a bag
Yarn: AllHemp6, 2 skeins
Color: Sapphire
Source: Bloomin Yarns, McMurray, Pa.
Needles: US 5 and US 10.5, both from my KA Switch set
Started: 28 June 2009
Finished: 18 July 2009
Mods: Knit it taller than the pattern called for, but not tall enough that I’d run out of yarn. I was afraid that if I knit all the yarn, it would be whacking my ankles when full. I also cast on using Judy’s Magic Cast On, and picked up the sides of the garter rectangle as I would for a sock toe. That meant that I had many more stitches than the 116 the pattern suggested, but as long as I had an even total number of stitches, it didn't matter.

WiP it Wednesday: WTF Edition!

You see this?


It’s the “Shop ‘till you Drop” bag in the new and improved 150-stitches cast on version.

There’s one problem with that.

Remember the pattern I was emailed on Sunday when I couldn’t find my pattern? It said that the larger bag in the 150-stitch size would require a third skein of yarn. I went to Bloomin’ Yarns today to pick up said skein. Unfortunately, they don’t carry the color of yarn I’m working with in allhemp6.

She did have another kit of the same bag. I got curious. I pulled the pattern out of the kit.

Larger size, cast on 125 stitches. Only needs two skeins of the yarn.

WTF!!!?!?!?!!!

This thing is going to spend some time at the bottom of my knitting bag. I can’t even look at it right now. Oh, and I have no idea how I’m going to proceed. Frog again and cast on the original 125 stitches? Somehow acquire another skein and proceed with the 150 I’m currently working with? Give the whole damn thing to the first person who asks for it? I don’t know.

Onward!


My Fleece Artist sock is almost ready for me to stockingette along to the toe. A few more decreases and I’m through the heel gusset. Whee!


The Steelers/Harry Potter scarf is cruising right along. It’s very fun and perfect on the mindless schedule. I’m a fan, and could probably be convinced to make another one without much effort.

So that’s about it from here. Today was errand-heavy. Maybe tomorrow I can start knocking stuff off of my “home” list and get some quilting or knitting done.