Notes on the Bucket Bag

    After publishing the pattern, I realized you should know about the mistakes too. The pattern is fine, it's all about yarn choice. I found some pretty variegated wool in my stash, and wanted to make a bucket bag with it. I had a lot, so I doubled it up and used 2 strands at once. It makes for a thicker, more heavy duty bag.



    I crocheted the bottom, and made it bigger than the one in the pattern photo. That one turned out kind of small. Here's what the bottom looks like on the finished bag:

    After picking up the stitches around the circle, I quickly realized why a variegated yarn isn't good for the bottom of the bag..... Here's what the rest of the bag looks like:

    The colors on the crocheted bottom are in blocks, due to the way double crochet works. Then the stripes on the body of the bag are from knitting in the round. I was dismayed, but I still love this bag! As you can see, I ran out of the variegated wool before the bag was tall enough, so I finished it with a denim wool, from the same company. I believe it was Patons Classic. This bag remains one of my favorite project bags, even with the weird color splotched bottom.


    So, dear readers, my advice to you is if you choose to make this bag, save your variegated wool yarn for the body, and use a solid color for the bottom!  And remember, you can make the base as big as you want, and the body as long as you want!


    In all actuality, the bag in the pattern photo is kind of small for my taste. I've made all the other ones bigger. And this bag would make a cool purse, just get a magnet or some other kind of clasp and use it to connect the long sides together.

 

Giant Purple Bag Progress!

   It has been interesting, but significant progress has been made on the huge purple bag. It is one of the Adventure Bags from Noni, designed by Nora J. Bellows. The sizes amused me; they are listed as small, medium and huge.


   If you remember, I was only able to purchase five skeins of Patons Classic Wool in purple. Since then my good knitting friend Kim discovered one skein in her stash, and gave it to me. She's very generous that way, and a very good friend.


   The first two skeins got me as far as the entire bottom of the bag, picking up all the stitches around the other three sides, and six rounds up the body of the bag. I am seriously going to have to try and find a 60 inch size 13 circular. If anyone in my immediate geographical area has one I can borrow, give me a shout out! Crowding 208 stitches of two strands of yarn onto one 36 inch circular is a bit cumbersome. It's
 do-able, just awkward. Especially when you're trying to knit loosely.


    When I got the skein of yarn from Kim the other day, I got out the ones I was using and compared the color. You really want it to be close. In the dim light of her living room, it did not look even remotely close in color to the ones I'm using. However, once we got outside, Cherub and I both agreed that it was indeed a close match, and would not present a problem. Huzzah!

  
    I took a couple of photos, but it may not look like much yet. Once the body of the bag gets longer, it's shape should show up better. It's got stitch markers at each corner, so you can make out the long sides and the short ones.

    Someone at Noni translated the pattern into crochet, which I purchased as well. There is a big difference between the patterns, however, and it's one I am having a problem with. The knitted version of the bags has a rectangular base. The crocheted bags have a square base. I know you can make it any way you choose, but it strikes me odd that someone translating the pattern would change such an important detail. I checked, and on the pattern pamphlet, it states that the translation was done by Stacey Trock.

Post Felting Photos

    Who knew? When I threw the bucket bag in the washer then in the dryer last night, I never expected it to dry quickly. Based on past experience, it usually takes two, if not three, dryer cycles to dry my felted things. And even then they are still damp and must hang over the baseboard heat overnight.


    But yesterday, there was a change in my usual felting routine. I needed to wash my jeans for work today, so I threw them in with the bucket bag and the tennis balls. When I went down to get the jeans out of the dryer, the bucket bag was also dry! Completely! I was shocked to say the least. But at least I can now post the after felting photo! I also measured it, and it's now about 7 inches tall.

    I really like the way the denim blue came out, I may do another one, just in that color. If anyone were to make this bag, my advice would be to use a solid color for the bottom, if you are going to use a variegated wool for the body. The crochet stitches show the colors differently, and it may not be pleasing to some people. Personally, it makes no difference to me, I like things that are different.

Bucket Bag Progress Report

    I have officially finished the third bucket bag. It's bigger than the last two. I made the bottom 15 inches across, and the sides 15 inches tall. Here's a photo of the finished bag, pre felting. If I can, I'll take another, post felting.

    For reference, I present the photo of the first bag, with same remote used for scale:

    I have to admit, I'm aquiver with anticipation, to see what it looks like after being felted! I can't wait to see what happens to the stripes. I should mention also, that I made the handle on this one 16 stitches across, instead of 12, like the first two.


    I went with Hubs to the Fishkill house today, he wanted the company. So I sat and knitted while he worked outside on the house. I was able to finish the handle, but since I didn't think to bring another needle, I had to wait until we got home to join them together. 


    When he was done, we went to Dickie's BBQ, which is excellent and I recommend it highly, then we came home. We brought the BBQ home, and ate it once we got here. Now I will go and put the bag in the washing machine. Hopefully I will be bale to report tomorrow!

A Day in the Life

    What a good day it's been. I got up at 8:00, made myself a half pot of coffee, and sat down in my chair. A few days ago, I made a trip out to Adams Fairacre Farms to get more chocolate truffle decaf coffee. We were almost out. While I was there, I decided to try a new flavor I had seen on my last visit. It's called Maple Bacon. Now, I figure that anything that has bacon flavor can't be bad.


    That's the coffee I got to try for the first time this morning. With great anticipation, I sipped my first cup. It's pretty sweet, and not terribly mapley or bacony. But it's not the worst coffee I've ever had either. Tomorrow I'll go back to my regular chocolate truffle, thank you. I'll save the maple bacon for another occasion.


    I watched my favorite morning shows, then got dressed and went to the supermarket. That went well, also. Even though the parking lot was pretty full, there weren't that many people in the store. I even found a handicap spot near the door.


    While I was out, I also went to the Post Office and got the mail. When I returned home, there were two large, rather flat, boxes waiting on the stoop. My favorite UPS man, Dave, had been there in my absence. I brought the groceries in, then tried to figure out how to get the boxes inside. They were a bit on the heavy side, as well.


    I finally managed to get them inside. After I caught my breath, and put the groceries away, I finally got to sit and knit, while waiting for the laundry. The rest of the day passed peacefully; I was knitting while watching Cadfael episodes on Netflix. I got quite a bit done, knitting wise. I started the third skein of wool, this one a denim heather, and quickly found a problem with it.


    I usually manage to find the inside end of the yarn, in the middle of the skein, and this time I was successful as well. However, as I knit, I pulled out a rather large tangle, in which I could see at least two more ends. It turns out that there were two separate pieces of yarn, not attached to the skein, that somehow got put inside the skein. This is supremely annoying to most knitters. Fortunately, it seems to only be the two pieces, so far. I have knit over an inch on the bucket bag with the new yarn, and haven't come across any more of them.


    Now I am just sitting here, watching evening TV, waiting for Hubs to come home from work. I did the laundry, and also the dishes. I also cleaned out the cat box. It was a busy day, after all... All that's left is to cook dinner when he gets home.


    After proof reading this, I thought I should clarify something. A half pot yields two cups of coffee in my house. We have BIG cups. I believe they are 18 -20 ounces. So a full pot gives us two cups each, which works out perfectly.
   

Sore Muscles and KnittingProgress!

    My arm and back muscles are a bit sore today, due to the archery class last night. I had the foresight, however, to know when to call it quits. My arm was getting wobbly, and it was getting hard to breathe. I totally spaced, I should have taken my inhalers before I went to the class. The others in the class carried on, and I bet at least one of the ladies is very sore today!!


    Maybe tomorrow I can get a photo of my target, so you can see how I did! It really was a great class. I had a ball, and will sign up for another when they offer it! As far as my knitting goes, I made great strides yesterday at Stitch n Bitch! I only had coffee, so I was knitting while the other ladies were eating their breakfasts. Knitting in the round, around and around, gets a little old, but in the long run it'll be worth it.


     Later in the afternoon, I went out with good friend Kim and her Cherub, and while they were poking around in Marshalls, I walked up to Joann Fabrics, and picked up another skein of wool for my bag. I bought a denim one, I thought it would look cool to do the top of the bag and the handle in denim. When I get that far, I will get some photos for you to see!


  

Final Bucket Bag Report

    Today, I have the photos of the finished bucket bag, as well as the measurements. In my opinion, it shrunk too much. It went from 14 inches tall, or more, down to only 6 inches after felting! The bottom crocheted circle was 14 inches across, and is now 9 inches.

  
   For comparison, the black bucket bag started out about the same size as the purple one, before felting. Yet, after felting, look at the difference:

    I would say that it's because of the brands of wool I used: for the black I'd used Patons, and the purple, Malabrigo. My advice would be to use Patons or Lion Brand wool, simply because of the expense of Malabrigo. However, if you have lots of Malabrigo that you're not emotionally attached to, in your stash, you can use it, just make it even bigger to get a good size finished bag. Make the crocheted circle bottom up to six rounds bigger, and then add six or more inches of knitting in the round to the body of the bag.


    One of these days I will make this bag again, probably using Patons, and make it even bigger so you can compare them.

The Bucket Bag is Done!

    Hooray! As I type, the bucket bag is hanging off my spinning wheel, over the baseboard heating unit, to finish drying! I finished it this morning, felted it, then put it in the dryer, for two dry cycles. It's still pretty damp, hence the hanging over the heat. I'm hoping it will be dry by morning.


    I measured it this time, before felting. I will post measure it tomorrow and let you know how much it shrunk. Believe it or not, I think it was bigger, pre-felting, than the black one, and it's smaller, post felting! The black one was done with Paton's wool, and this one with Malabrigo. Quite a difference!


    I will also take photos tomorrow, so you can all see how it came out. I have no project for Stitch n Bitch tomorrow morning, so I will take the new bag, and shave it with a lint shaver, while the others knit and crochet. I like the finish it gives to my felting.


    I am finished with the pattern, too. I sent it to my friend to critique, and she says it's fine. Now I just have to decide what to do with it. For some reason I can't make it as a document on my laptop, so it's currently a draft for this blog. Fortunately, I am friends with a certain college professor who is head of her department in computer stuff. I will ask her advice in the morning. It may be for sale on etsy or Ravelry soon...