Thursday, May 21, 2009

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.

4 comments:

Little C and Little J said...

What an elegant bag. Can't wait to see it with flowers.

Alexis said...

That is one beautiful bag! Wow!

ten finger workshop said...

Love the purple color you chose, you almost have me believing in felting.

Rebekah said...

what a fun bag! I really like the look of it after felting. Looks like a great catch all bag for storage