Grrlfriend Market Bag

So, I finally finished the present I was working on for my friend Xtine's birthday. I'm only a week or two late, which is pretty good for me! I found the pattern on Ravelry, and it was designed by Laura Spradlin, check her out at www.sugarbunnyblvd.com



Skills I learned while making this bag:

Emily Ocher's Crochet Beginning - That's how I started the bottom of the bag. I only had to do it three times to get it right. It was real tricky because the crochet hook I had was larger than my DPNs, and the stitches kept falling off the needles at the beginning. Eventually I was satisfied, but mine still doesn't look as nice as the one in the pattern. :(

Russian Join - A way to add in a new ball of yarn. I went through almost two balls of the Sugar n Cream variegated yarn, and then had to join the dark green for the cuff and the handle. It worked better than I expected, but the ends seem to unravel a little... 100% cotton yarn does not felt, and the stitch pattern for this bag is full of holes, so the methods I already know just wouldn't work.

Kitchener Stitch - The handle was grafted together with this stitch, which I first learned for the Jughead hat that I made for Willie. It seemed to work out much better this time around. Of course I did it once and then ripped it out and did it again. The Domiknitrix says discipline is important.

I tried to incorporate a cable pattern into the handle, but I couldn't make it look right, so I ripped it out. I will save that cable for a project that won't be subjected to so much stretching.

Happy Birthday Xtine! I hope I can get this present to you before you read the blog. :)