Horrific

Horrific - that's a good word for it, I had a horrific knitting weekend.

Practice #4
I got lots of practice casting on using the invisible/provisional cast on. Luckily I had viewed Lucy Neatby's DVD and used her crochet onto the knitting needle provisional cast on. It is much better than the first method I tried. I had to rip out a whole portion of the bag so I got to cast on 80 stitches with this new method TWICE.

Pitfall #5
My join got twisted not once but TWICE. The 80 stitches which are cast on to make the fourth side of the bag are very flimsy and twisted around the needle. Instead of watching Deadwood I should have been watching my knitting. I had to rip out 10 rows (x 320 stitches per row - you do the math) and do that dang provisional cast on again.

Pitfall #6
I bought a new circular needle with a longer cable and it was broken. I will have to return it to Knit Picks. That turned out not to be a problem because each row of the front panel decreases by 8 stitches each round and I actually needed a SHORTER cable not a longer cable. I could not visualize how the stitches were decreasing until I got past the 10 rows - AGAIN. With no twist in the round the bag panel lays flat and it is easy to see how the sides will meet.

The bag is smaller than I expected. I may try to recreate this pattern with a worsted weight yarn and larger needles so I have a larger bag. I hope the laptop bag is bigger. Even with all of the pitfalls this is a very easy fast pattern to knit. I look forward to making the other three bags, they will make perfect gifts.

I know I finished the hat in my WIPs list more than a week ago, but I like the little red hat icon so I am going to leave it on the sidebar for awhile.

My Sister offered to transport me to Stitches West. Isn't that sweet? She does no crafting whatsoever but when she read there was going to be more needles and yarn in one place than there has ever been before she thought I might want to be there. I don't think she was thinking about more socks, hats or scarves - no of course not. But I don't want to go. I have a cruise and family reunion coming up back-to-back and I just bought a car. SO, I will knit from stash. Besides I happen to think I already have more needles and yarn than has ever been seen in one place ;-D