First bag I decided to tackle was Road.
I used some Fibreworks 8 ply merino held double throughout. It is a very quick knit on large needles, knit all in the round.
Once knit and after attaching some D rings that I salvaged from a particularly ugly belt it was time to felt. It is better to felt your knitted items in an environment that you can control. A top loading washing machine is great as it is fast and you can easily check the progress and fish it out when ready. I however only have a front loader. Never one to let something like this stop me I just chucked it in and hoped for the best. I even let it go through the spin cycle at 1200rpm. And the results were perfect!
The original bag suggests using the inseam from an old pair of jeans as the strap. For once I wanted to keep fairly true to the original, so although I didn't have an old pair of jeans to hand I did have an old mini skirt. So what was a waistband is now a bag strap.
In true lazy fashion, I have used the existing button/buttonhole and added one of each extra at each end and then buttoned the strap onto the bag. This also means it is completely removable.
Although it is a little smaller than the version in the book (thanks to the front loader) it is one one of those bags that is a lot bigger than it looks. I can fit keys, wallet, sunnies, kid snacks and a knitting project with room to spare. THe only thing I would do if knitting it again is mark my pocket placement a little better. Taking the time to do this properly while knitting would have saved me a bit of grief later.
After finding some deep red mohair in the stash I think I'll tackle 'Heart' next
Bags than Rock can be purchased from the Mixtape Shop here.
Enjoy
Mary
ChickenFlowertots.
