Saturday, February 24, 2007



My Aunt Jane is a great lady. Even though we’ve always lived in different states, she’s always managed to make me feel very loved.

Lately, she’s been sending me clothes for my fast-growing little ones. That’s just one example of the many ways she takes care of the people God has put in her life.


I wanted to do something really nice for her since she’s always so busy caring for everyone else. I decided to do what I like to do best – knit.


Of course, I wanted everything to be just right: The perfect pattern, the perfect yarn, the perfect lining, the perfect size.


The yarn pretty much fit the bill It is a great shade of Araucania Nature. It has a tendency to felt together where it's now supposed to, but at least it felts quickly. And, it creates a nice texture. I held it double stranded, which made for a nice thickness.


The pattern was great - the Knot So Hobo Bag featured recently on the bag-a-holics site: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Bag-A-Holic/messages


The only real problem I encountered was me. I didn’t realize that I was twisting my stitches, which created a very bad bias. In fact, I didn’t figure that out until the next project, which I am still working on. As a result my “perfect” pattern didn’t turn out perfectly.


But mistakes can be opportunities.


I cut off the twisted top and opted for bamboo handles instead. The edge stretched after I trimmed the original handles off, but I like the fluted effect. It reminds me of a flower.


I added pockets with the lining. There is also a matching coin purse made from my swatch. (Yes, I was a good doobe and tested the yarn before launching on the big project)


The purse is a tad smaller than I envisioned, but still I think it is a good size. I’m not sure if my aunt is a little bag or a kitchen-sink tote type, but I hope this is just right for her.

4 comments:

Lori said...

I love it! The handles are a perfect touch, and the coin purse from the swatch was very clever.

Allison said...

It turned out great! I love it and the color is so pretty.

Janice said...

I love the bag! What a perfect gift! The coin purse is a great way to use the swatch! Let us know what she thinks!! You are blessed to have such a wonderful Aunt!

Melissa Perreault said...

That is lovely!! Anyone would be so happy to recieve such a beautiful bag. The handles really are a nice touch, takes it into spring wonderfully.

Great idea for using your swatch. Makes swatching seem not such a pain.