The Merino Summit

So the "yumm-tastic" merino and I sat down and hashed out it's destiny. We discussed how it is indeed too amazingly beautiful for words, every shade of berry pink and purple, like a Razzleberry pie. Ultimately we came to the conclusion that while yes, some of the delicious softness may be lost on a felted bag, if it were a scarf, it would be hidden away 8 months of the year, in a dark lonely closet. As a bag, everyone will be graced with the presence of it's berry yummness all year round. There is a caveat: I bought 430 yards, there's no way I'll go through that on a bag, the remainder may become a scarf, or some slippers.

I'm trying a new thing. I'm knitting without a pattern, I wanted to make a slouchy hobo bag, so I'm experimenting. Scary, yes, but if it's that bad when it's done, I'll use the second ball to try again. So what I've done is cast on 3 st and knit for about 10 inches, knowing wool felts more up and down than side to side. Then, I picked up and knit the sides of the bag onto the 3 st wide peice. I'm hoping this will create a scrunchy bottom. I've worked in short rows every 1.5 inch, to make sure the sides are shorter, so the bag curves the right way, up toward the handles, I'm also hoping this will help it have a nice "belly" for lots of stuff. I'll be working the handles right onto the bag and grafting in the middle for a nice wide shoulder strap. I also bound off 1 st on the inside of each handle, and then worked about an inch, so I can have some room to have a zipper put in. I'm working the whole thing back and forth, so far I'm done with the first side and picked up for the second side. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

Any hints or tips or advise or prayer will be much appreciated.