Anyone wanna join me? Doing a Well-Traveled Bag (m)

[amalapert]

I wanted to do a Booga Bag but alas, it's that other K needlecraft. LOL (I did put the link here because I've seen a lot of people ask what a Booga Bag is.)

 

Soooo, I'm doing this crochet pattern, Well-Traveled Bag, that looks eerily similar. I want to make it diaper-bag sized so I'll be making mine bigger than the pattern.

 

I'm trying to mimic my friend's knitted bag that looks like this - she used wool and elf eyelash held together (except in the obvious striping area, where she used just wool) and felted it. It's so much more gorgeous than the picture. I just got the materials today. Anyone wanna join me?

 

[smyz64]

That is gorgeous!

[JoBug]

Oh my goodness!! You must be reading my mind!! I just printed that pattern this morning, and I get paid tommorow and planned on getting the yarn!! So I am IN, I have wanted to try my hand at felting for a long time, then I was raok'd A WONDERFUL felted little bag to carry my crochet thread progects with me to work, and now I HAVE to make me a purse felted, so I am IN...I will keep an eye out here.

I will have to felt mine at work, because hubby wont let me have hot water hooked up to the washer, yes, he is CHEEP, but I don't have a problem with that really, it would be easy enough for me to felt it at work, as I do laundry anyways for the residents..okay I am getting wordy..I am IN!!

[dsabol]

Oh my fiance is going to kill me. He thinks I crochet too much (but then he's always very complimentary about the stuff I make).

 

That bag is exactly like another bag I've had bookmarked to work on. I've been so close to starting this bag for almost a year, I think.

 

Here's a link to the pattern.

http://fuzzygalore.biz/patterns/fuzzybag.shtml

 

I guess I have to get in on this one...it's a sign.

[purlycues]

I would love to join in been wanting to do this for a long time now so a cal should be fun

[JoBug]

I am leaving EARLY for work to get the yarn , I will PROBOLY make mine in one color though, not sure, I best leave 2 hours early to have plenty of time to decide, so as soon as my laundry is done, I am outta here , I believe I can finish my pineaple shawl at work tonight, I only have 8 rows to go, then I will have that out of the way, and still working on my Garden Trellis Shawl, but I can do the bag at work, the shawl at home, see I have a plan...heheheh, I work all weekend, and they are slow in the Alzheimers unit. Okay I am babbling again...

[SDmom]

Laurie, what measurements are you using to make your bag larger? i would love to try this one!

[amalapert]

Wow, I'm glad to have all the company!! And Da Fuzzy bag might have to go on my list of things to do too. LOL

 

Janelle - I'm using a K needle (but doing it very loose). I actually ended up (by accident) doing the flat bottom in a weird st. I'm sure there's a name for it but it wasn't intentional - lol - it ended up being bigger than a sc and smaller than a hdc. And I can't even tell you what I did now that I've moved on to HDC. LOL Anyway, it helped because it's bigger than the sc called for. And I ended up doing 30 rows instead of 20. I've started my rounds now (and that's when I started with the eyelash yarn too) but it might still be too small. I wish I'd done a bigger beginning chain. I might do some major increasing and see how weird it looks or I might frog it and start it right this time. LOL My problem is it looks right for finished size. I've only ever done one felted item and I didn't use the same type of wool so I'm not sure how much shrinkage to account for. I might end up with a hugely oversized bag. What I think I'll probably try is frogging the rounds (I think I only have two so far) and upping my needle size instead maybe. So the flat bottom is ok but the sides have more give to stuff extra diapers into.

 

Anyway, if I start over - I'll probably double the beginning measurements - as the bag doesn't ever increase. But it's easier to crochet that eyelash than I expected! I've tried fun fur before and it drove me nuts (course it was by itself, not with another yarn) but this is easy peasy to do.

 

OK, now *I'm* the one blathering on and on and ....

[StitchLuva]

i have been wanting to make this bag forever! i even bought the yarn. i just need to finish some of my wips and i am in!

[amalapert]

My bag so far (upside down, of course. lol)

 

 

Janelle - I have to revise my prior entry. I hadn't looked at my beginning bag since very late last night...well, maybe verrrrry early this morning in fact lol. But when I pulled it out today, it looks like a good size. I'm going with it - keeping the size K hook and just doing a loose crochet (which is a little hard for me because I'm a tight crocheter - I never have the scale as big as the instructions call for).

 

So, I did beginning chain same as instructions then just did 30 rows instead of 20 - everything else is the same. I did the bottom in only wool and started adding the elf eyelash when I started the round sides. HTH!

[losingmymind2]

I think I'm going to have enough of the Cascade 220 I picked up today to make this. Have to check my pattern, and if I do, I'm in! If not, I'll have to see what yarns I do have enough of.

 

added: I have three times the yarn called for in the pattern, so I should be able to enlarge it no problem! Just have to wind the skeins into balls first. IF my cortisone shots have 'sunk in' by tomorrow, I should be able to wind it up and get going.

[JoBug]

Oh Laurie, your bag is marvelous! I love it, your going along great!!

Okay, I went to Hobby Lobby before work, and I was so dissapointed, they didn't have a very good selection of wool at ALL, they only had 3 colors of LionBrand Wool, and NO other brands....did you all go and hog it all ?

Soooooooo I ended up there for 1 1/2 hours, and got NO yarn..BUT the upside is I got some home decorating stuff, redid the kitchen in roosters, and they had a BIG CLEARANCE isle, soooooooooo I work tommorow, BUT I am going to head to Micheals then before work, and as picky as I am, I best leave 4 hours early..lol.. I just couldnt see spending $6 a skien , needing 6 skiens and not LOVING the color....so there I am...babbling again of course..

off to bed.

[purlycues]

I still havn't started ,will start this Monday I guess.I have knit picks yarn with me.

Laurie ,your bag looks like its off to a great start..... very nice!!!

[amalapert]

I have the same problem here Joanne - where do you all get your wool? We just had a bigger Michaels open near here and they have a bigger selection so I am able to "make do" but do you all shop online for wool?

 

I've tried HL (they only have Lion and Patons here), the fabric stores like JoAnn's and Hancock - they have a measly little stash that's very expensive - and Michaels. Walmart doesn't carry wool at all. Do you all have yarn shops you visit for the good stuff? I don't think I've ever had Cascade 220 in my hot little hands. lol

 

Though I *did* find my elf eyelash at Michael's in the clearance bin for $2/skein!!! Major score! LOL

 

Well, we're getting pounded with ice this weekend so I'll be busy on my bag. Did you guys hear about the two AMBER alert boys returned to us in STL?? I'm doing the Snoopy happy dance!! I've thought about Shawn so many times over the last 4+ years...and am so grateful he's back home.

[losingmymind2]

I get the Cascade 220 at local yarn stores. Most don't have a very good selection of all the colors however, so you may have to go online. I'm not sure who carries it.

 

I also get a lot of my wool from Knit Picks. I often dye their undyed Wool of the Andes. For things like bags, I love Wool of the Andes, and I have also fallen in love with Sierra. Their prices are reasonable, and even if you don't buy $45 and get free shipping, their shipping prices are the best I've ever seen.

 

My balls are wound, I just have to figure out the stitch count (I'm making a double size bag) and color placement.

[dsabol]

I still have to go get my yarn. The only yarn store is WAAAAY on the other side of town (it's 15 minutes, but I'm feeling lazy).

 

 

By the way, I heard about the boys and I was thrilled. I've been following the story of Ben, I guess because I have a son. I knew of Shawn too and I'm so happy for both of them and praying for them to be well.

 

(I SWEAR I'll make it to the store for my yarn this week. I swear!!)

[losingmymind2]

I've started the bag! Decided to make it 2 1/2 times the pattern (width) and then decide if I want it deeper or not as I go along. Probably not, but you never know. I have about 1/4 of the bottom done and will work on it more today!

[amalapert]

Dsabol - I understand!! Especially if you have three carseats to deal with like I do! LOLOL Have fun picking colors!

 

LosingMyMind2 - I guess your cortisone shot kicked in, eh? Do you have CTS?

 

I've got about 1/3 of the bag sides completed...I think. I'm still having a hard time deciding how tall to make it. With each baby, I pack less and less in the diaper bag (and leave just-in-case supplies in another bag in the van like extra clothes, extra food, etc.). Soooo....still trying to decide.

 

The thing I'm having trouble with is that I've only ever felted one other thing and it was a cat bed and didn't have specific "sides". So this one seems so flopsy that it's hard to tell if I've got a good shape, I guess. I think I've been accidentally increasing sts and now I wish I'd done the elf eyelash on the bottom of the bag too. But I'm not frogging now! LOL I'm hoping that when I drop the eyelash and do that swath of just wool that it will give it a much nicer shape.

 

OK, enough babble. And in the weather, it rained all night and the ice is GONE! YAY! So those heavy winds shouldn't be a problem with our power lines today. And our trees made it through, which I can't say for many of the other townspeople.

[Needle Arts]

Off to buy yarn this morning! I love this with the fuzzy touch. I want to make one in purples for DIL birthday.

[JoBug]

Okay, at work last night I managed to scrounge up 9, yes 9, Micheals coupons....lol..so off I went with hubby and son tonight to use 3, you know one skien each..and I found a WOOL I fell in love with, but wooooooo horsie, not cheep, thank goodness for the coupons... here is what I got

3 skeins of Patons SWS in a varigated color of "Natural Blue" but it is more like a light tan, to medium tan to light bluse to medium blue, I LOVE it!! Can't wait to start my BAG!! BUT, I have to wait till tommorow, why you may ask, because I am tired I went to bed WAY to late last night , had the day off, cleaned up my patterns, as my new years resolution, got all my printed out patterns in sleeves in binders, yes it took 2 whole binders. And when I tried to take a LITTLE nap, the phone wouldn't stop ringing. Then went grocery shopping, and ate, and I am all done in, and I want to start this bag with a FRESH brain, God knows I will need it, I went and looked at a different bag on line, because I am going to put pockets on the outside of mine you know for the cell phone and my keys...so as progess goes, tommorow I hope to have SOME of it done, and when hubby gets off work, back to Micheals to use 3 more coupons for my yarn

[amalapert]

Joann - I simply ADORE that color - my eyes are attracted to it every time I'm at Michael's - even tonight too. LOL HOW did you get 9 coupons? Do you work part time as a copy editor?? LOL

 

BTW, if anyone is adding the elf eyelash to their bag, Michael's has the Patons on sale this week from $5.99 down to $2!! So go stock up. And quite a bit of fun fur is on sale too.

[JoBug]

Joann - I simply ADORE that color - my eyes are attracted to it every time I'm at Michael's - even tonight too. LOL HOW did you get 9 coupons? Do you work part time as a copy editor?? LOL

 

 

He he he Laurie, nope I work in an assisted living home, and second shift, so when the shift is ALMOST over on Sundays, I head to each floor looking in the recycling bins for the Micheals ads ..lo and behold, a little searching goes a LONG ways to saving money...

AND of course I didn't go to bed yet. .I STARTED the bag!! AND LOVE the yarn and COLOR!! but, going to bed now, hubby just came out and gave me one of them looks...

[Shawnee/OR]

:wavingHey Joann,

 

Be sure to felt a large swatch of your SWS yarn so you know how much it will shrink. I don't have the exact measurements anymore, but a bag I designed with this yarn shrunk a lot more and a lot quicker than normal wool. That said, it is LOVELY yarn and I think you will be pleased.

 

Shawnee

[JoBug]

Hummmm Swawnee, I didn't even do a swatch...and I would have to felt even that at work, cause CHEEP hubby wont turn the hot water to the washer on, well, even if it shrinks alot, I will love it, and use it for a tiny traveled bag...lol...

and then get to work on making a bigger one...I LIKE the Pikes Market bag..so that may be my next quest, providing this turns out....hehehehe

[amalapert]

He he he Laurie, nope I work in an assisted living home, and second shift

 

ROFLROFL...well what a GREAT deal you got there!! Talk about benefits! LOL I'm lucky if my hubby actually SEES the Michael's coupon before he throws it out, much less gives it to me. I swear the man couldn't find a blue box in the middle of an all white shelf if his life depended on it. But he's a hunter (and can spot animals yarrrrrrrds away) and has never gotten lost. Maybe it's more of an act than I think it is. lol