Never Go Without Your Knitting

So yesterday, I decided I would just have time between working at lunchtime and working in the evening, to go to Shipston Needlecraft and purchase the ingredients for another Buttonhole Bag, destined as a present for my sister-in-law (sister of 'im indoors). I left about 4pm, back to work at 6.30pm. Plenty of time? Ha!

I got there, I purchased this:



Four balls of Rowan Biggy Print. Nice.

I leapt back into the car and hurtled out of town. I got about a mile and the gear stick suddenly went all floppy (that's a technical term); the car started to slow down dramatically; the traffic started to build up behind me. I managed to struggle to a handy lay-by and stopped the car, phoned the breakdown service and waited.

There I was, with 4 balls of delicious wool, time on my hands and NO NEEDLES. I didn't have to wait too long but it was very frustrating - hence the title of this post. That'll teach me.

In other, less dramatic, news - I finished the front of the Jet Bag:



34sts on 4mm needles, using two strands of both Rowan Cotton Glace and Rowan Kidsilk Haze. Nice firm fabric, lovely colour.

At the top of the bag, we are required to work a hem. A few rows of stocking stitch, a knit row on the private side (to make the garter stitch ridge to turn over at the top of the bag), a few more rows of stocking stitch, cast off and then fold along the ridge and sew down. Well, I'm sorry, Ms King I don't do sewing.

In typical Kate style, I had to fiddle with it just a bit. This is what I did. I worked more or less as she suggests (a few more rows, since the gauge is all to pot - see discussion yesterday) but I didn't cast off. I folded at the garter ridge and picked up the purl loop several rows back corresponding with the first live stitch . I knitted that loop together with the live stitch, I repeated, so I had two stitches on the right needle and then I cast off the first stitch. Continue in this way all along the row and this is what you get:



I think that looks neat and no sewing!

Various people have emailed and commented saying they are inspired to start one project or another because they've seen it on this blog. I am proud and honoured. I wish them all every success and hope they won't hold it against me when they find themselves staying up far too late to do "just one more row"; tearing out their hair when they just realised they made a mistake 10 rows back; telling their loved ones, "Shut up, I'm counting!" and generally turning into lace junkies.