Ali Bag for my sister

My house has that lovely wet wool smell and that can only mean one thing - another She-Knits bag is finished! This is the Ali bag knitted from Sharon's original kit. I just loooove the jewel tone colours of this bag and the construction is simply ingenious. My sister had better be nice to me between now and Christmas otherwise I'm going to keep it for myself :)

Inspiration comes from everywhere

Sunday night, while planning my trip to a LYS that was having a sale, I was struck by instant inspiration. I needed a present for my mother in law's birthday (I still have a month but when inspiration strikes you don't ignore it), I decided to make a pipes and braids bag, but with some modifications. I took off the pipe around the bottom of the bag and one from the top of the bag, following the design change Stitchnscrap did (the belt instead of the braid) I had a flash of using a vine with flowers going around it based off of this scarf. I'm using lambs pride bulky in lotus pink and aran. The flowers are going to be done in lambs pride worsted in lotus pink and the vine in kiwi. Here's some pictures of my progress so far. I wrapped my vine around the bag in one picture to give a vague idea of what it will look like all put together. Oh and if you look closely, one of my little monsters is in one of the pictures.










Thanks to everyone for my inspiration :)

Finished Pipes and Braid in Grays ...some tips

Now that I have finished another pipes and Braids, here are a few thoughts and tips.
You can always make the bag longer by adding a few more rows to the main part of the bag or even adding more pipes...simple thought but you really ought to think of customizing size to suit your needs.

Make sure you sew on the X's and thread the braid through before you felt the bag. I had forgotten to do this and felted the bag, and then had to felt the additional pieces separately and sew it all into place afterwards which was a bit harder then sewing them in the pre-felted stage.

Make certain you like the way the braid fits around the bag. It should not be droopy or conversely too tight either. If it seems to long you can either unbraid however much you need to and re-tie the end or even cut it off and re-secure the ends.

Secure the part in which you have sewn the ends of the braid together, underneath one of the X's by tacking it down through the X so those pesky ends don't show.

Lastly if the braid ends up not being the way you want it to be after felting you can confidently cut it off and re-sew it so it is more to your liking




I have made some slight changes and a minor color correction on Cables and pockets (thank to Valerie) as follows

Page 4:
Bag strips are done in Oatmeal bulky wight which is listed as [D}. In the directions I also call it [C].

I like the look of the top strips to be 2 rows taller so I am amending that section on pg. 4 to read as this

Using #13 circular needle and [D] working back and forth in garter stitch, drop first stitch marker and k across 40 sts, drop next 2 stitch markers, turn work and knit back on the 40 sts. you just knit across. Continue with garter st. on those 40 sts for a total of 10 rows (5 ridges).

It used to read 8 rows.

The yarn choice for the Exterior Cabled Pocket is not listed, it should be listed as [B]

So interesting how they are the same but different.

Here is my version of the 5 Petal bag that Jo did in the post below.




To me they look so different just because of the color differences. I like Jo's color choices as they are going to little girls. My color choices are more appropriate choices for grown-up "girls". So my question to all of you is does color choice make an enormous difference or as long as they are ok colors it really doesn't make that much of a difference? Could a little girl also where mine and a big girl wear Jo's?

Here is my second Pipes and braids in grays and black unfelted. I forgot to add the X's and braids and just now have a felted it. So now I am going to felt those additional pieces separately and sew them on hoping for the best. I may have to give it all one more short cycle of washing to fuse it together however I am a little leery of doing that as I don't want to make the bag any smaller. For whatever reason the gray bag shrunk more the the red Pipes and Braid bag even though I washed them both the same length of time and at the same temperature.

Info. about Pipes and Braid Pattern

Thanks to my test knitters the knitting pattern for Pipes and Braids is officially done an up for sale as a pattern as well as a kit. I have started another Pipes and Braid in grays and black



I am still working on writing the pattern for the Floral Bag as well as working on two new bags, one with loads of cables, and one with loads of color.

The weather here which was up in the 80's until t-storms yesterday was a glorious 72 today. I really think it makes knitting with wool a more pleasant experience. I do it all summer anyway, but it is the best sitting outside and listening to my i-pod and knitting and NOT getting hot from the bag sitting on my lap.

Tips and tricks:
When you have knit enough of your large style bag for it to hold your yarn ball. pop it inside the bag and it won't be rolling all over the place.

So you don't constantly have to count where you are in a repeat pattern, use a hanging stitch marker to mark the beginning of the pattern repeat...even one of those little hard plastic closures that are on the bag that a loaf of bread are in works great----those plastic thingies are also great as mini bobbins for intarsia

Since I got the OK I here by present

Pipes and Braid :) Yes I am that scary scary secret testknitter of this bag!

Stats
yarn: Østlandsgarn from Gjestal
pattern: Pipes and braid from She-knits for knitters.
Needles: 7 mm.
Information: I used double østlandsgarn and 7 mm needles on everything.


*edited to add: When flat the bag measures 25 cm i height and 33 cm on the widest part of the body. Østlandsgarn equals sportweight yarn suitable for 3,5 - 4 mm needles according to the band around the ball and is 23 stithes pr 4 inch in gauge*

Silja @ http://www.silja-devine.com/

A new bag is done and the pattern is almost ready....Pipes and Briad

I am done writing the pattern for Pipes and Braids which will be for sale in the She Knits for Knitters Shop. This finished bag is going to a local boutique and going to be for sale in my Sheknits Shop. More often then not these pricier bags sell more quickly out of the boutique rather then off Etsy. I wish it weren't the case however I totally understand it. It takes a leap of faith to spend $195 on a artisan kind of thing when you are only seeing a picture. When you can actually pick it up and put it on, stroke it, feel its quality and strength etc. etc.....you get the picture... its just easier to fall in love enough to buy it in person, rather then on the computer! I'm hoping and thinking that this bag will have a new Mama pretty quickly. Whatdayathink? Anyone interested in the pattern? It is going to be tested soon and when it is up for sale I will let you all know.

How come all you lovely participants aren't introducing yourselves? Maybe I jumped the gun creating this KAL. I know we are all so busy with so much. Anyone out there starting their pattern? We would all love to hear about it!