Airplane knitting

I just realized that I have 72 hours to decide what knitting I will take on an airplane.  Socks seem like a small, unobtrusive choice however, I am not a fan of small diameter circular needles and dpns (double point needles) don’t seem to be very friendly seat mates.  Those might have to go in the checked baggage.

I could start on a second Garter Stitch bag for someone who’s been hinting for one.  The size 9 circular needle wouldn’t be as hard on my hands and it’s mindless garter stitch knitting that I can do without looking.

Cascade 220 Primavera and Jet

BTW I have the strap and most of the lining sewn in my Garter Stitch bag.  I just need to sew on the button loop and find or make a fabulous button to hold it closed.  Pictures soon.

Maybe I should check my Ravelry queue to see what other knitting projects I could take.

Any suggestions?

Post felting

I did it!  And I’m happy with the results.

The finished measurements are 10 1/2 inches tall and 13 1/4 inches wide.  It’s shown here stuffed with 2 bath towels and a hand towel.  The pile of fluff is what I had to shave off as it was a bit fuzzy.

I bought some leather straps but I don’t think they are quite right for this bag  so I’ve decided to knit some I-cord around a clothesline  as straps for strength and durability.  I’ll sew them on after they are felted.

The final decision I need to make is with the fabric for the lining.  Most of my bags have a dark interior and I feel like I’m looking into a black hole to find what I need.  I prefer a brighter lining.

I’d rather use a piece of fabric I already have rather than buy something new.

Option 1 is a scrap of cotton (less than 1/2 yard) from my mother-in-law’s stash.  There might be enough for pockets which I find are a necessity.  Of course the pocket could be made from another fabric or I could make a zippered pocket with a different lining as well.

Option 2 is a bright lime green silky-satiny fabric that matches the green squiggle on the front.  I have a yard which is more than enough for the lining and many pockets.

Do you have an opinion on the lining? 

I still have to knit the straps so I have at least a day to decide.

Pre-felting measurements

I measured my Garter Stitch bag before I put it in the washing machine.

The square measures a little bit less than 4 inches.   Sorry for the glare.

16 inches across.

And almost 13 inches from the top point to the bottom.

It’s in the washing machine right now in a mesh bag and two pairs of jeans.

Felting.

I will check it in 15 minutes.

I hope I’m happy with the results.

WIP with picture

I rushed home after the two-day conference we held in another city so I could get to my final knitting class for the Garter Stitch Bag.  I was only 15 minutes late.  Not bad for leaving at 1:25 and walking into the class at 2:15.  67 miles in 50 minutes including parallel parking right in front of the store.  You do the math.

One side of the bag was sewn together late Sunday evening.  I didn’t get home from work until after dark on Monday and I didn’t have time the past two days to get any pictures of the actual sewing.

So in class today I learned how to do an attached i-cord on the top edge and am half way around it.  My brain is a bit tired from all the running around the past few days and I just hope I remember how to do it tomorrow so I can finish and get this felted over the weekend.

You can see the i-cord on the top left side and my needle sticking out on the back.  The blue and orange stitch holders are holding the left side together until I can finish sewing it.  The yellow yarn is the provisional cast-on for the beginning of the i-cord.  Hmmm…that one section doesn’t look very even.  I might have to frog (rip it) that part and redo it.   

I want to take “before” and “after” photos with measurements so I can get an idea of how big/small this one will be when finished.  My sister (Hi Jude!) hinted that she might want one of these, too.