Market bags

It seems that if I get on here once a week I'm doing well. I'm not sure where my evenings go- certainly not in a flurry of productivity-but the week has zipped on by once again

This week I finished 2 knitted bags- I downloaded the pattern through Ravelry & knitted the first bag as per pattern.

It was way too small for what I had in mind- perfect if you don't want to use plastic bags & you want to take 6 of these bags grocery shopping with you to put the carrots in one, the potatoes in another & so on-but this is not what I had in mind. I found the handles too short & the opening too restrictive....but with all things- you live & learn. So, here is the first attempt- one thing- I loved this easy pattern, but hated the fiddling of starting off- I'm really very lazy & always want the easy option when it comes to doing things like this.

So, not to be beaten & wanting to produce the produce bag into something more usable- I went & purchased 2 balls of 8ply cotton (also 4 metres of polar fleece & 3 lots of 2 metres of cotton waffle weave in the most gorgeous pastel shades- why is it that I can't just buy what I go in for?LOL)

So back to the drawing board- I started off with a crochet hook & double crochets- did rounds until I had about 120 stitches, then picked them up with a circular knitting needle-I also used 15 mm needles this time-knitted the pattern until I judged I had enough yarn to knit the top & when I got to making the handles I crocheted chains about 35 stitches long, then picked up the loops on the next row while knitting.

This worked out a hell of a lot easier for me,but then I can knit & crochet & I realize there are many that only do one or the other.So here is the second attempt-this will hold my shopping & then some- has decent handles & a decent opening that's not restrictive either. And I just love this cotton yarn- it's so colourful. I have put it into my handbag ready to go to work with me to put my purchases in.

When I dropped into Spotlight the other day to grab this yarn I had a look through all the fabrics- lots on sale-I want to know why is it that I can't seem to get out of any fabric shop without buying more fabric- is this some compulsion that I should see a psychiatrist for? ( a million other women would join me!)

I mean, I have about 700 metres of fabric stashed- it's not like I needed more,but I did buy more! Just add it to the piles....then when I go to make something I don't use what I have in stash as I feel I might want it for something better, so I buy more- go figure!

The waffle weave I bought I was going to make some pretty embroidered tea towels from but I feel the fabric, now it's washed, is a little flimsy....so now that's 6 more metres to add to the stash-if I knew someone having a baby it would probably make pretty baby wraps for the summer.

Have now finished all the cotton I had in stash- made them into dishcloths mostly- the kids felted clog pattern arrived through the week, so will start on those as well- my GS will love them. Also have a scarf in mind- saw a picture on Ravelry but the pattern was only available in a book but I didn't want to buy another book (that's a whole 'nother stash!) but have nutted it out from the picture, in my head, so will start that this week as well.

Seems I do most of my knitting sitting up in bed these days watching TV- while DH snores, not so softly, beside me! What an exciting life we live!!!