French Market Bag Redux

I finished knitting these two French Market bags more than a month ago, but since I don't have a washing machine at home, it took a while before they could be felted.

Last week-end, I had a chance to use my sister's washing machine so the two bags were finally felted. In the end, I realized that I used a gray non-felting wool yarn for the bottom of the red-and-blue bag that no matter how long I felted it, the holes on the bottom of the bag would not disappear. I have not figured yet how to remedy the obvious error.

Vietnam Bag

This is one of my favorite bags. My sister bought it when we went to Vietnam a few years ago. The bag's a bit worn out but I like the shape so much that I thought about knitting a similar-shaped bag for quite some time now.

The other week, I set out to make a bag based on a pattern I found on the web, but somewhere along the way, I decided to make my own pattern based on the Vietnam bag. When I finished the bag, the strap was curving inward and was thinking about how to fix it when I remembered the worn-out bag. I decided to take the bag apart and use the materials for the knitted version of it.

This is how the bag looked after I sewed the handle in. The original handle was longer than the knitted version. I think things worked out perfectly - at least when it came to the handles. I still have to figure out how to sew the lining since I haven't done anything like it before. I also have to decide if I should put a zipper or just add a flap or button. The zipper might be too much for me to handle.

Crafts Day

Yesterday was craft's day at home. I just finished - okay, half-finished, knitting another bag the other day. It's half-finished because I plan to put a lining and maybe a zipper to it. It's my first time to do this so I don't know how long it will take.

While waiting at a doctor's office yesterday, I started crocheting a multi-purpose bowl. I could have finished it in one day, but I wanted to work on it while I'm outside the house - in the car while caught in traffic perhaps, or spending my lunch break in the office. This yarn and crochet hook is what I used in learning how to crochet in the round from my son's Handwork teacher and classmate.

I remembered my unfinished Waldorf doll, which I had to stop working on when we moved. I was able to start sewing the arms to the back of its neck while there was natural light. This is how it looked when I did the head, which I found out is too big for its body. Note to self: Next time, work on the body first before the head.

After dinner, while I was waiting for the brownies to bake, my son, his nanny and I started making needle-felted dolls. We first did a couple of these dolls in Chicago which we gave to my nephew and niece. The doll on the left was made my son (a baby with a messenger bag), while the one on the right was made by his nanny.

Another French Market Bag

This is one of my favorite patterns. There are thousands of felted bag patterns online, but I find myself doing the simple, basic designs. I don't really go for complicated felted bags. I like clean lines, whether they be bags, shoes or clothes.

I had a hard time starting this pattern because I had to use 4 needles with only 2 stitches in each needle and I kept getting an unsightly and unneeded hole in the middle.

It took me several tries before I could get it right. Next time, I will use a technique I learned recently which will allow me to use a circular needle instead of double-pointed needles in knitting small round items. I also used kitchener stitch or grafting in joining the handles. The first French Market Bag I made had ugly handles because I used a simple stitch which turned out too bulky.

I don't have a washing machine yet, so felting this bag will have to wait.

From Cloche to Bowl

What was originally a cloche pattern ended up as bowl after I felted it too long and became too small for my head!

One-Skein Bag

This is my latest project. It's a small bag, obviously. I felted it for a short time because I didn't want it to be smaller than it already was.

Fake-a-Gamo bag

I made another version of the Fake-a-Gamo bag. This time I knitted it in the round so I don't have to sew the bag panels, something I prefer not doing. The bag is a request from my mother-in-law. She wanted it in black and gray. I'll probably do one again using the same method, but using a brighter color. It will have to be on my to-do list as I'd like to work on another felted bag. I made a cloche hat a few weeks ago and that's waiting to be felted.