Tag Archives: bag

ANOTHER RAINBOW GROCERY BAG

26 April 2013 by Julianne

I had a tiny bit of yarn left over from my first rainbow sack, so I decided it continue the momentum and use it as the base of another grocery bag.

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I followed the hex bag pattern pretty exactly, except at the handles. I decided to make two handles to more evenly distribute the stress, since the white yarn is a little thin. I think the mesh pattern for this bag (YO, k2tog for one row, k next row) creates a stronger netting that works well with this yarn.

The white yarn came from the Boys and Girls Club stash. I think it’s sport weight, and definitely acrylic.

Damn, I love the rainbow yarn in a garter stitch! I want wallpaper that looks like that. Can anyone recommend some great garter stitch patterns to take advantage of those gorgeous colors? If I make a garment, I will invest in a nicer fiber.

I’m half-heartedly working on my third bag right now. I’ve realized that knitting with larger needles bores me; but when I’ve got size 7 or smaller in my hands I get so jazzed as seeing the yarn slooooowly turn into fabric. It’s ironic that chunky knits are supposed to be quick projects, but since I’m not excited to work on them it takes me forever (I’m sure I will revisit this statement halfway through my first sweater).

Let me tell you, the cashiers and baggers in LA love my rainbow grocery bags. I’ve gotten most compliments from teenage boys. They just love the knitting, and the colors. LOVE IT.

In other knitting news, I’ve started my first pair of socks! It’s using a vintage wool/nylon blend and Liat Gatt’s charming instructions. This is one of the reasons I learned to knit, and I’m thrilled to be accomplishing this goal. However, my needle is too big (my yarn is sport and the pattern is written for worsted), and there are holes all over the sock. I know that in the end, I will be happier if I start over with smaller needles. It’s just a little sad to actually frog my precious sock, but that’s what must be done.

KNIT RAINBOW BAG

8 March 2013 by Julianne

I’ve always been enamored of net shopping bags, and now I finally have my own!

For demonstration purposes, it is filled with yarn. What else?

The bag is perfect over my shoulder, but if I hold it in my hand with my arm down the bag drags on the ground. I knew the bag would stretch, but I still wanted to be able to fit everything in it. Next time!

I call this jumbled area “the Mojito vortex” and it’s a fond memory of a new friend (who I met via the Internet, and she lives .6 mi from my house). By the way, that gorgeous yellow flower embroidery came out of the trash in New Orleans. It’s one of my favorite things ever.

This pattern was simple and easy to follow, but I was still able to pick up a couple new skills. This was my first time using m1 increases (for the base of the bag), which are easy but I’m not nuts about the holes they create. For future bags I guess I’ll use a different increase. I also got to bind off together when I joined the handle back onto the bag.

I love the idea of cutting plastic bags into yarn to make a craftier, stronger plastic bag, but I don’t have that much plastic on hand. Eventually I will go full monty with a big ball of plarn, but in the meantime I used Red Heart acrylic for $3, and I loved seeing the colors change.

Since this is a good project to use up not-so-fancy yarn, and makes a useful gift, I think I will be making many more of these. I’m so new to knitting, and I don’t want to repeat any patterns, so I might make this bag next, with a tape handle like here. Or maybe I will try i-cord for the first time! Does anyone have recommendations for other bag patterns?

RAINBOW WALLET

20 February 2011 by Julianne

Last week my wallet was stolen. I won’t go into it here, how a guy actually watched the store and planned, how he went straight to the workroom the one time I was busy with customers in the front, or how he grabbed my wallet and ran out the backdoor. Neither will I get into how much loosing a week’s pay has fucked me up, or how I couldn’t pay the mechanic because my credit cards have all been frozen (those sweet Swedes told me to come pay them next week). This is about my new wallet.

That’s right, I keep a picture of me and Rick Steves in my wallet.

In concept it’s actually quite similar to my old wallet, but now that’s a non sequitor. The seafoam green vinyl has been in my stash for a couple years; I got a big piece for $2 at a Joann’s in Ohio. I love the color but it’s tricky to work with! The sticky plastic doesn’t slide through my machine at all, so I wind up facing it with tissue paper and tearing that off. The extra step gets tedious, but it seems to work. Anyone else have any other methods for working with a non-slip material?

The rainbow is a variety of fold-over elastics from Fabric Planet that I stitched onto some white ripstop nylon. I really love the way it shimmers through the vinyl! The loop is an awesome metallic elastic we have at the store; I will be putting a chain through it to clip onto my bag (which wouldn’t have prevented the theft, but it helps me keep track of my wallet).