Here it is! I have a 9 inch by 12 inch portfolio inside it; this baby can stretch to hold LOTS of stuff. It’s a quick project, once you figure out the wacky stitches. And it looks good.
Monteagle Bag, from Mason-Dixon Knitting Outside the Lines by Kay Gardiner and Ann Shayne
Pattern by Ann Hahn Buechner
One skein 2nd Time Cotton by K1C2, knit on US size 10 needles. Not much yarn left over, but definitely enough.
Off to enjoy this gorgeous fall day!
I’m obsessed with the Monteagle bag. These are the wackiest stitches I’ve ever done, and I’m just following the directions because they’re not intuitive at all. Sometimes they make me a bit frustrated. But I can’t put it down. I just have to see what the next stitch is!
Here’s the bottom of the bag, started Kay’s way, as previously noted.
Next up: the left and right cross, complete with extra wraps and drops. Woe betide you if you get lost in the middle of these rows; they are a bear to tink! The right cross is easier than the left cross, but if you roll the stitches on the left needle towards you on the left crosses, it makes it easier to get the needle in where it belongs.
Just when you think you can’t stand it any more, the pattern changes to horizontal stitch. This is way cool to knit. You’re knitting sideways!
Then comes the veil stitch. Easy to do, but so, so strange. The balled up clumps of yarn remind me of spider egg sacs. Ewww.
Everything is pretty loose on the needles, so if you set it down to take pix, this is what can happen. Sorry about the focus, or lack thereof.
Luckily, this one is an easy stitch to tink. Almost done with this round, and then I wonder what comes next? Can’t. Put. It. Down.
You could be the next victim. Monteagle Bag. Mason-Dixon Knitting. You know what you must do.
Monteagle Bag, that is.
I’m not sure why I want to make this, but I do. Maybe just to do something different. I started it using the method Kay Gardiner suggested, to eliminate the seam at the bottom. Worked like a charm. It became clear that I’d need two circular needles for a while, since there was no way this was going to go around my 26 inch circular yet. But I’m living in the lap of luxury: Lantern Moon ebony and Lantern Moon rosewood. Rough life, eh? I think on the next round I can make it on just the ebony needles. They’re my favorite.
The new book is lots of fun, with great patterns and great patter. Not as many square or garter stitch objects, but definitely the same sense of fun and adventure! And if you’re not ready to commit, Ann & Kay have offered the bag pattern for free, too, to celebrate the publication of the book. I’ll bet you could even make the bag out of Peaches and Creme dishcloth cotton, if you’re feeling nostalgic for the first book.
The Central Park Hoodie is coming along nicely; back, fronts, and one sleeve are finished. I took a quick picture outside late this afternoon. The lighting isn’t great, but you get the idea. The first sleeve is just peeking into the far left of the picture. I love the double cable that runs up the sleeve, just like the one in the center of the back.
Knit on!
I know that I’ve said that I’m not a sock knitter. Tiny needles, skinny yarn, ugh. Especially bad because I tend to knit loosely, which means I have to use even tinier needles for sock yarn. I have been known to dabble in the land of sport, dk, worsted, and chunky weight socks, but for socks to really fit well in shoes, skinnier yarn is preferable.
The Yarn Harlot posted an interesting challenge yesterday for sock knitters. Apparently, Tracy at Stringativity managed to get a picture of Barack Obama with her knitting, and the Yarn Harlot would like to see more of this kind of activity. She is offering an incentive. This made me want to cast on a sock, just to be ready. I pulled out some gorgeous sock yarn that had been in the stash for an awfully long time, 10 years, I think. I cast on to size zero needles, knit ribbing and 12 rows of Spring Forward. The fabric was too tight. Woohoo, I could move up to size 1 needles! But as I began to rip out my knitting, I came to a part where the yarn was frayed. Hmmm, I must have split it while knitting. I started knitting on the size 1 needles, new yarn from the ball. Another frayed spot, 3 rounds into the ribbing. And then another. I rewound the entire ball, and there were several bad spots in the yarn. I’m not blaming the yarn; I didn’t take especially good care of it while it was in my stash (just hanging out in a dusty basket in the previously un-air conditioned upstairs). But I really don’t think it would be wise to knit a pair of socks with it and expect them to put up with hard wear. Too bad; the colors were glowingly gorgeous jewel tones. I now have several small balls of it, because I started winding a new ball each time I came to a break or frayed spot.
The only other fingering yarn in my stash (gave up on those socks, too) may end up being Endpaper Mitts because I only have one 50 gram ball of each color.
In the meantime, what’s this?
I believe it’s going to be a Monteagle String Bag from Mason-Dixon Knitting. It’s 2nd Time Cotton from Knit One Crochet Two, and it’s not expensive. 75% recycled cotton (new, from the garment industry) and 25% acrylic, 100 grams in the skein.
I’m feeling like I want to start several projects, which is strange for me, because I’m fairly monogamous when it comes to projects. The Central Park Hoodie is coming along nicely; do I really want to start some distractions? Monteagle bag, socks, Endpaper Mitts…I sense trouble ahead!
Starfall
Ebb and Flow
Pooling is a Cinch
Deep End
Half the Knit Sky
Minerva Entrelac Cowl or Scarf
Syncopation
Sheepy Steeky Coasters
Brioche Hat Trick
Brioche Entree (free!)
Petite Brioche (free!)
Go Tell the Bees
Braided Wristlets
Summertime Blues
Thrumbelina Slippers
PDXKnitterati 