Summer Market Bag KAL

Yarnspirations had a 3 week long summer knitted bag knit-a-long (KAL) and I've decided that I'd give another KAL a try again. :P

The KAL has 1 bag per week so, I'll just be participating in Week 1's KAL:  the summer market bag.  This KAL comes at a good time because we are finally going plastic bag less (sort of) and will need to bring our own bags when shopping.  While I've been doing this for the last several years, this KAL gives me an opportunity to learn how to knit one of those stretchy cotton market bags I see everywhere and it let's me (finally) try out Lily's Sugar 'n Cream (in addition to using some of my stash).  Plus, the pattern I'm using requires a US15 needle so, it also gives me an opportunity to knit with large needles! :)

So, here's my yarn:

 and my new needles:

And ... I started this project on July 12th and finished most of it on the 20th before realizing that it wasn't going to be as big as the picture it was portrayed in the pattern.  I talked it out with my knitting guru, Ariana, and she told me that while I did follow the pattern correctly and got overall bag gauge, my suspicions were on target:  it wasn't going to be nearly as big as the picture portrayed in the pattern.  At best, it could be a cute little girl's bag.  

Fortunately, I didn't love this pattern; I was a bit skeptical about the handles that was portrayed in the picture on the pattern and worried that it wouldn't be very comfortable (much less useful) as it looked like if you filled the bag too much, the handles would cut into your skin.

So, at this juncture, here's what I learned:

• The yarn is really linty; I had to take a break every 10 rows or so to clean my hands.  
• It's also a little hard on my hands (I'm not sure if it's because of the yarn itself (it's not made out of premium cotton) or if my hands are just weaker now); so, lots of breaks were needed.  
• Using the new needles was like knitting with a gigantic fat crayon at first - like the kind you buy for little kids.  It was very awkward at first, then after a couple of row repeats, I got used to it and it didn't feel so weird.  
• Overall, this bag didn't take as long as I thought it would but, there was no way I could've finished this bag in a week.  Maybe if I didn't have to go to work, absolutely abandoned all chores and other things I needed to do during the week and perhaps be on a week-long vacation, it might've been possible to finish it in seven (7) days.  Although I still doubt that that would've been realistic as my hands got stiff and sore if I didn't take enough (and long enough) breaks.  For those folks who were able to whip this out in a week, they must be amazing (or have super strong hands)! :P

So, I decided to rip out and start over with a different pattern: Chevron Market Bag.  I liked this pattern significantly more than the (original) market bag pattern mainly because it was knitted in the round and that it wasn't nearly so "hole-ly".  I started this bag on the 20th and finished it on August 4th (not bad for me as it meant that all this time while I was knitting this bag, I was also in the throes of renovating all my closets in my house - all four of them simultaneously).

So, how'd it go?  Well, at first, it was frustrating (too).  The chevron pattern was a lace pattern and it wasn't charted out (aka no visuals on how its supposed to look like other than a picture of the actual bag the pattern writer created).  So, since I've never done a lace pattern before and there's no chart for me to visually see what I was supposed to be making, my first segment of the chevron was a bit funky.  Then I learned that if I wasn't paying attention, I tended to forget which row I was on. :(  I think it took me about 4 pattern repeats to get the hang of it and "see" what it was supposed to really look like (so, don't look too closely at my pics! :P).  At that juncture, I was at the point of: come hell or high water, I was going to get this bag finished so I'd have a damn market bag to use! :P  I finally got the hang of it at the end of the 5th pattern repeat and it was smooth sailing from there on.  As I got to the bottom, I modified how I closed it off by using a Kitchener stitch (rather than just pulling the yarn through).  (Yes, I deviated from the pattern - looks like I'm not the greatest pattern followers; apparently, I think patterns are more like guidelines rather than actual (literal) instructions to use. :P)  I think if I were to make this bag again, I'd further deviate from the ending and ssk 2 more times (so that I'd only have 3 remaining stitches) before closing it off.  Then, I also deviated from the instructions about how the handles were made;  I didn't like the idea that the handles were all knit so, instead:

1. I casted on ten (10) stitches (to the border) and knitted the first six (6) rows onto the border (so that it would be securely fasten to the bag).
2. Then I use a modified version of the border in which I p2, k2 for two (2) rows then k2, p2 for two (2) rows (for a total of 86 rows) for 42 cm (16.5 in) for the handles itself (now the handles would lay flat and not curl in).
3. And finally, reattaching the handle to the other side (same side) of the bag and stitching it to the border.

It took me nearly three (3) whole balls of of the Lava Lamp yarn and 30 grams (a little bit more than half) of the Seaside yarn on my Knitter's Pride Cubics US 7 needles and here's my final product:

This is the bottom.

Chevron Lace stitch pattern

And, here's what it looks like in use.

Despite all my (initial) frustration, I like my new bag. :) The color is nice and makes me smile whenever I look at it.  For a "little" bag, it can hold quite a bit and it was exactly what I was looking for in learning how to make a market bag (and knitting it in the round).  Now, the question is: what market bag will I make next (if I plan to make another one)? :P