Lucy bag all finished!

Today, we have another finished project, my stripey lucy bag:-) Goodness, my WIP's are coming down a little - still not quite to manageable proportions but very nearly. So another one disappeared from the side menu - yay!

All I had to do for this was to sew on the handles and make the flower decorations but it seemed to take a while as I had to play with colour combinations for a while to get the four best flowers for each handle join. I think I may have enough extras to decorate a few more bags though:-) but they were fun to do and rather addictive!

I followed Lucy's tutorial for the double flower although after the first few, I realised I wasn't following the american terminology and I had a slightly different shape emerging, but hey, they look good too. I didn't bother with leaves as I liked the flowers on their own but I was also a bit impatient to get it finished so I could use it! A lovely bright cheery bag, especially on a dull winters day. Very Lucy but also very me;-))

There is a little knitting going on but mostly I'm still sorting furniture out after having to clear two rooms to lay some laminate. How come it all fitted in before but now it doesn't? That's what happens when you decide to improvise and move things in limited space - you end up with a pile of furniture in the middle of the room! You wouldn't think I'd drawn plans to scale and everything:-)) I know a bit OCD of me! Never mind:-) It'll all go somewhere.....

As long as I still have some knitting to hand to keep my sanity!

Albem is finished!

As you can see I had a busy night last night:-) Yes, the Albem cabled bag is now officially finished. It was really easy to finish off too. I thought I would use blanket stitch or similar to wrap over the edges but if I had read the pattern that far, I would have seen they suggested crocheting an edge all around. Duh! In fact, it said, stitch all the pieces together and then crochet the edge. So I didn't:-) I just joined them with the crochet chain. Half as much work! The crochet works well to strengthen the edges too. I may have done mine a wee bit too close together as the fabric is rippling slightly - but in my haste to finish, I didn't block the pieces:-0 So it's more like a combination of the two. But once you have something in the bag it's fine!

Took this to show you the final length of the strap. One big loop attached on all three sides with plenty of shoulder strap left. This sits very comfotably just above the hip so once something is in the bag it will be lowered slightly to hip length. The strap isn't giving too much I'm pleased to say. Good thing too! So changing the pattern to cable is a success.

The only thing I should have done differently - and it may bug me enough to go back and change it - is the loop for the toggle. As you follow the crocheted edge around the flap at the front, there is a little gap in the middle where the stitches are pulled apart by the loop widening. Is that all, you ask? Well, no. You see, you aren't meant to make the loop then - of course I did 'cause I thought I would be clever. Adding it after the whole thing is finished would be the smart move. Because, I managed to forget to measure the loop for the button I was going to use. So now the loop is too small and only comes undone if you kind of stretch it and the bag - it's a definite knack you'd have to learn! - and this is meant to be a present:( Not good.

The bummer is now, me being clever an' all, I'll have to undo the crocheted edge back to the centre just to add a couple more chains - if I can find the end as I darned it in very well - as you can't have a chain stitch running:-)

Either that or I'm lazy and change the button to something smaller:-)))

Hand in glove

Back again! Didn't mean to be so long away - that's what happens when I start experimenting with constructing patterns! I have a desk full of started projects, all with potential that I haven't got round to finishing. So yesterday and today, I have tried to get some of these UFO's finished and online for you to see.

I started working on bag shapes in crochet, playing with shaping, borders and handles - I think this looks too much like a flowerpot, personally, so losing the fur would be a good start and possibly introduce a fastening. A nice funky or chunky button would be nice, I think! It's crocheted on size 4mm and seems a little flimsy to me.

Some close-up details...

I also started on some knitting! Yes, the crochet has been eclipsed - only for the moment - by the five pointy needles of the fingerless glove! When my partner started suffering from the dreaded computer 'cold-hand-on the-mouse-for-hours' syndrome, I decided some manly fingerless gloves were needed! It's a long time since I knitted some of these and it reminded me just how much I prefer circular needles!! I have knitted one so far on the double ended needles but I think I will try two circulars instead for the second one.

Pics so far...

Thank you John for modelling! I promise I'll get to the other one quickly..... Where are those circular needles?!

Blowing away the cobwebs and dust.....