FO: Squatty Sidekick

Pattern: Amanda's Squatty Sidekick (from Knitting Daily)
Yarn: 3 skeins of Lamb's Pride Worsted in black, held doubled
Needles: US size 15, from the Needlemaster
February 18-22 (knitting), February 29-March1 (finishing)

I knit this to use up the black wool I had in my stash. It was a straightforward knit, and I thought that I'd make the bag bigger by knitting it on larger needles with the yarn doubled. It turned out BIG. It's about 20" across, easily. I felted it, and it didn't seem to get any smaller! I don't really care for Lamb's Pride when it's felted (especially compared to Paton's classic merino) but I quite liked the fabric when it was knitted up- I could see myself making a rugged little sweater out of it. Well, if it didn't shed worse than my two mutant Corgis.

My finishing skills are not so hot, but I like the way the lining and strap turned out. Instead of knitting a strap, I knit little nubs to indicate where the straps should go (and then blocked it crooked so they don't quite hit the sides. duh). I sewed D-rings on after it was felted with the 18" of yarn I had left (seriously!). For the strap, I cut a width of the fabric in both the yellow and the print cotton, sewed the long edges, right sides together, and then turned them inside out, folded in and topstitched the edges, and then topstitched the long sides. I tied the ends to the D rings, so I can adjust the strap if I want to. For the lining, I cut the lining pieces roughly the size of the bag laying flat. I added a pocket, using the same general techniques as the strap (so it's lined), and sewed the lining pieces together along the bottom and sides, right sides together. Then I turned the felted bag inside out, turned the lining inside out, put the felted bag inside the lining, folded the raw top edge of the lining down, and tacked it into place with black thread and big, ugly, childish stitches (I'm impatient and I'm also learning how to sew!). After I turned the bag back the right way, I sewed on a snap on the inside (not worrying about the outside because the thread is black and the bag is hairy), and ta-da! Dan's impressed, and I think it's cute, too. It took about a 1/2 yard of the lemon print and a little bit of the yellow quilter's solid cotton.