Picking up where I left off

Introducing the French Market Bag by Polly Outhwaite. It's been a long time in the making. I think that I started this project 3 or 4 years ago, but I can't be sure. I found the half-knitted project shoved carelessly in the bottom of a storage bin late last week as I was searching around for something else. It was the intense purple color that caught my eye.

I remembered the project and mumbled something along the lines of, "oh, that bag again," but then I stopped myself. Why did I have such negative feelings about this project? I couldn't remember why. I've done some pretty intense knitting lately, surely I could handle a bag now, right? So up from the depths it came, and downstairs to the couch for a good once over. Everything seemed to be in order - the needles, the yarn, the right number of stitches. So I started knitting away.

You might be able to see in the photo below that I must have changed something about my knitting over the intervening years - the stitches are twisted. Not sure exactly what changed, but boy am I glad that it is a project to be felted. No worries about actually being able to see the twisted stitches in the end!

I can't remember why I let this project drop. I can only imagine it had something to do with not knowing how to do a kitchner stitch and my general fear of felting. Sorry to report that despite my growing sock habit I don't really understand the stitch any better; and since we have a front loading machine I don't really have any control over the rapid felting. Luckily for me, it turned out this time. Even though the bottom looks a little pointed it is knit so that it has a square base. It sits lovely when full of yarn.

I think the basket is looking beautiful, and it's begging for some fresh cut flowers. I will have to indulge at the market next week.