Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Bag Fail

I got a new laptop for a late birthday present. Yay!! It’s just a simple Gateway with AMD processor, but it’s nice and it’s mine. I no longer have to share (fight) with the other 7 members of my household for computer time.

I decided I would make a laptop bag for my new laptop. I’m a knitter. Why not show it off in style? I went onto Ravelry and found the perfect pattern and then ordered some yarn from KnitPicks (along with some other goodies to get to the free shipping) and then promptly started my new bag.

Anyway before I even started I knew the dimensions were wrong. Not too bad off, but I could turn it sideways to fit it in, right? Not until I realized how floppy this bag was. And it wasn’t wide enough. But I wasn’t going to rip it out. I forged ahead. I added a new skein of yarn, then another.

Then I got some Addi Turbos and my knitting seemed to speed up and it actually went a lot faster. I am not a big fan of cables. I love how they look, but I don’t like doing them. Cables aren’t hard as much as they area PITA. You know?

So I finally decided I would just make it a sleeve which was another option. Until I realized that I would have to rip out about four rows to make it fit. Instead, I forged on, at this point realizing I had a new bag instead of one for my laptop.

030

This is the finished bag on top of my laptop. You can see how short it is. But I decided that maybe a knit bag wasn’t the best option. I don’t want to worry about my laptop falling out or anything. And this is floppy. Very floppy. So this is my new laptop bag:

028

It fits in there, it’s pink, and I like it. I may make a sleeve, still undecided. My left thumb is killing me today from all those darned cables…I may have given myself carpel tunnel, LOL.

Here are some more pics of the Sweater Bag (free pattern on Lion Brand)

008

007

So I used a size 8 needle and Wool of The Andes Bulky in Blackberry. The yarn bled all over my needles and my fingers. I now have dark purple lines in my creases of my hands. They just look dirty :) I really really like how it turned out. If I were to make this again for a laptop, I would add ten stitches and make side panels (more messenger bag-ish) and put plastic canvas inside for durability. I would also buy some sturdy handles. Maybe some kind of webbing or a leather belt. And I would construct a divider inside.

I got some new yarn too.

016

KP kettle dyed stroll in the Brodeaux colorway. It’s not so shiny and a tad darker.

017

KP hand painted stroll in the lullabye colorway. Looks more like the beach to me, though. Very pretty.

018

Baby Ull. These may become Endpaper Mitts.

019

Or maybe these will. I’m undecided. I like to have options.

I’m also working on a few things. This is the Rogue Scarf. It’s fast and easy and great for American Idol or knitting group! The yarn is Bernat Satin in Flamingo. I’m using size 13 needles.

020

013

And this is my Baktus. I’m using my own dyed sock yarn. I think it’s a mixture of cherry and black cherry. I might use two skeins to complete this for a nice big scarf. Then again, it might take a year to complete at this rate!

3 comments:

Evergreen said...

I've got some of that silky wool too. A yarn shop near by was closing out and I got it dirt cheap so I have a lot in several colors. Not sure what to make yet.

I like the bag though.

granolagina said...

Oh, can you share the pattern for the Rogue Scarf and the Baktus please??

Unknown said...

I posted the links up in the body of the post. They should be underlined, near the picture of the project. Thanks!