A new market bag

Summer is the time for farmer’s markets, fresh air, fresh vegetables, homemade jam, bread, mmm the list goes on!  This leads me to think I need more market bags for going to the Saturday market.  I’ve made some in the past, generally all different patterns and most of them, while easy to make, go from a normal size bag to one 4 feet deep when you put one thing in it.  It isn’t so functional, sadly.  So I tried one with gussets yesterday of my own design.  Basic, of course, but I had a plan. 

I made a rectangular base in single crochet worked in the round starting with a chain of 26.  Then I started the open work part by *chaining 2, skipping 1 stitch and then single crocheting into the next single crochet* and repeating across one long side of the rectangle.  On the short ends I wanted to continue the width of the base as a solid piece up through the strap so that part wouldn’t be as stretch. Roughly, the ends were 6 single crochet across and then I went back to the openwork pattern for the other long side.  And repeat.  There was some finagling on each end to keep from increasing and to keep the strap the same width, but those are minor details.  Near the top, I worked one round of *chain 1, skip 1 stitch, single crochet into the next single crochet* (smaller space) and then I worked 3 or so rounds of solid single crochet to make it sturdy.  Then I just worked a 6 stitch single crochet strap long enough when stretched to be a cross body strap and slip stitched it to the other side.  I only used 2 balls of peaches and cream cotton, not quite 200 yards so it isn’t huge, but I’m quite fond of it and I’ll be trying it out this Saturday!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Playing with the knitting machine

So I had the idea to whip up smaller size blankets on the (very basic) knitting machine I share with some friends and then add, not just a little crochet edge, but nice, decorative (maybe even fancy or lacy) crochet edging that could dress it up and make a neat baby or kids blanket.  I’m working on one for a friend who just had a baby Sunday (yay for Scarlett and her new baby girl Beatrice Kate) and I made the body pretty quick, about an hour, on the machine and then decided I’d better work on my sweater a little more before I started on the edging.  My idea is to complement the (rather boring) pink body of the blanket with red, orange and hot pink to give it a little more character.  Right now it’s just a curled up little ball of knitting, so no pictures until I work on the edge.