Friday, August 10, 2007

Meet My Newest Obsession

I know it is terribly trendy to be green nowadays, but this is one trend I can get behind.

Pattern: Elisa's Nest Tote
Yarn and Needles: Euroflax Linen in Ginger coloway, US 9 & US 3 needles

I've recently resolved to use re-usable grocery bags as much as possible (and religiously recycle all the plastic bags we do end up with), and always a sucker for a cute bag, when the Purl Bee posted this little number, I knew it was a great project for me.

Mesh market bags are wonderfully stretchy, with a seemingly infinite capacity, but it is possible to have a market baag that is just too freakin' stretchy. The last one I made (which I use as a beach bag) has a seemingly infinte capacity, but the handles stretch too much and the base of the bag (it's knit in the round) is too unstable. If I put my camera, sunscreen and a water bottle in it, it practically drags through the sand. This bag, knitted flat, has a much stabler bottom (you just fold over a big rectangle to make the bag), and the combination of crocheted seams and i-cord handles tempers the stretchability of the mesh fabric, making to comfortable to carry.

It could definitely use some tweaking, though. It could have been the linen, which I had never used before this project, but my seaming is a little ripply and the places where I picked up stitches for the applied i-cord looks sloppy. It is also a bit small. So I've already started another one (this time in allhemp 6), putting my ideas for small mods in action. I'll keep you posted.

9 comments:

Christie said...

I need to make one of those! Love it!

Madge said...

Classy totes. Oh la la...you're also being very cosmopolitan using mesh bags; when I lived in Paris, everyone carried their shopping in them. Handy, functional, smart looking - great design in action.

Hmm, now I want a croissant.

Happy weekend!

Sally said...

You're so fast! I saw this on your Ravelry site and I queued it too. I'm anxious to see how you like the second one.

And my word verification below is 'gorfa' which is the sound you hear when you drop a cake.

Ann said...

Great bag! I'm interested in making one of these for each of the girls for their extra clothes at school. I want to see how the All Hemp turns out, I think I'd want to use that ...

Anonymous said...

That is very cool! I have to look at that pattern now.

Octopus Knits said...

Very nice! and you can't have too many...

Bridget said...

The bag turned out great! I'll be curious to see how your modified one turns out.

HPNY KNITS said...

I am also into the "green" bag thing. I liked the linen and it gets softer and more even with washing and usage.

Dorothy said...

Looks great! I'm going to have to add a crocheted seam to my newest mesh bag.