French basket bag knitalong anyone?

[kristiface]

I found this pattern
http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEwinter03/PATTfrenchmarket.html
on knitty and have been drooling over it ever since.  It's more complicated than any of the hats and scarves I've tried before! but I think it'll be a fun project.  Is anyone else interested in knitting along with me?

[ctgirl]

I love felted bags and had liked this pattern as well.  I might join you, it will be a nice break from sweater knitting.  If I do make it, I'll probably knit it with a worsted weight yarn I have in my stash.  Looks like a fun bag to knit up and should be pretty quick.  A few of the measurements in the pattern look kinda wonky though (like a bag circumference of 44 inches.?)

[kristiface]

You're right.  I'm going to take the pattern to my knitting group and brainstorm a bit over the weekend, because there seems to be a couple of issues.  At the LYS the owner convinced me to go up in needle size (to an 8 ) as well, because she thought it would felt up better. I'll post whatever info I can find out once I get started on it. 

[xntrick]

I'm not knitting this but I did come across some interesting pictures on this blog the other day.  I thought it may or may not alleviate any worries about the size as you go along.  That's a direct link to the unfelted results.  Just scroll up for the felted results.     (This blog also has a cute pattern for a button-hole bag that I must try some day.)

[kristiface]

OOoh, thanks for linking the blog-- that place is fantastic!  The post to the pre-felted bag is here: http://www.masondixonknitting.com/archives/2005_01.html#000825, and boy it DOES look huge.  But that answers ctgirl's questions about the circumference of the bag. 

I've started knitting the bottom of my bag, which I'm excited about (man I wish I were a faster knitter!).  I'm using Cascade 220 (in a reddish brown [2403] and a lighter khaki color). 

[kaybee]

i'm in the middle of knitting this bag---in a purple and blue bulky yarn. i'm only using one color for the whole thing.  i have about an inch to go before the handles.  it takes a while because each round is 200 stitches.  my daughter thinks she's getting this bag---but i think i like it too much and will keep it myself.

it's not complicated at all to make--i knit the bottom with regular needles--not dpn's---

[kristiface]

Oooh, feel free to post progress here!  I'd love to see how it's shaping up!

I'm knitting the bottom flat as well.  Do you like the shape?  I was a little concerned that the bottom might come out a little more square than it looks in the photo on the pattern, though I'm sure a sufficient amount of blocking could rectify that.

[kaybee]

I am up to the handles---have done 2 out of 4 halves. it looks really good. i can't wait  to felt it. i took a picture,but have to wait for my daughter to put it up on the computer.

[kaybee]

 
 

this is the bag with 2 handles done. i'm hoping to finish the handles tonight and sew them together tomorrow.it's really big and floppy---but i think it will felt up really well.

[kaybee]

finished it today---i did the kitchener stitch for the first time---and it worked!!!!!!

i'll post pre and post felting pics tomorrow.

[kristiface]

Wow!  Great progress, I love the colors!  You're quick   I will post project pictures later this week.  I finished the bottom, which I've knit flat and will start working the body of the bag this weekend. 

Did you knit the bottom flat, or in the round on DPNs?   I'm curious as to how this may affect the shape of my bag. 

[kaybee]

i knit it flat---i couldn't deal with dpn's so long......

[kaybee]

finished---pre felted--it's in the washing machine now.

[Nederlass]

Hmmm, I've started on mon petit French Bag yesterday, but I had some problems with keeping focused on the increases! Could you girls perhaps give me your opinion on my little square? Lemme know if I'm on the right track? (Cause I think it looks rather sucky, but I'm not too keen on starting another wrestling match with my dpns...)

I'd really appreciate it! 

Grtz,
MJ

[kaybee]

i knit it flat--not with dpn's---so don't know....

[hyerac]

I've only done the bottom of a bag like that once, but it looks pretty good, Nederlass.  And don't forget, felting is very forgiving, so sneak more increases in if/when you need them, and you'll most likely be the only one who knows they're there.

To me, the first few rounds with dpn's is like battling an octopus... =D

[Nederlass]

Merci!

Yeah, I think I'm going to leave it like this and hope the felting will save me.
I'll post a pic when it's done...

[kristiface]

Woohoo!  So I have the bottom of the bag done (I got it done earlier this week, but haven't been able to post pictures), so here it is:



I'm going to pick up around the sides this weekend and start working on the body if my second color ever arrives!!!!  I'm envisioning stripes  

[Shizzys]

Hello!  I just finished the French Market Bag... it was my first bag and first felting project.  Finished Pics!

[Nederlass]

Yey, more pics of finished bags!

I'm beyond help: my wool will not felt. But I won't give up!
Off to my LYS for new -FELTING!- yarn, and starting again. (I feel like such an amateur, which I am, luckily...)

And the bottom of my non-felting FMB? Let's see if I can turn it into a nice baret. In keeping with the French theme, eh?!   

[kristiface]

Oh, that bag is soooo cute, Shizzys!  I thought, since I started this thing, I should post my progress (or lack thereof!). 

I've finally picked up the stitches around the edge (I knit the bottom flat) to my satisfaction-- I undid it twice before I liked the way the stitches sat!  Then I tried knitting it in the round, but that was the first time I'd used circs and some how ended up with the stockinet pattern inside for some rows and outside for others.  Don't ask!  So I had to rip AGAIN! 

I was moving for a while, but my complimentary color took longer than it was supposed to to come in.  But it's finally here, and i'm hoping I'll get to work on my bag tonight... and perhaps make some SERIOUS progress   Can't wait to see others' bags!

[JoHunter]

Hi everyone, I've just started my FMB today, I'm using a blackish (it has flecks of red and blue) Cascade 220 for my contrasting colour and Rowan Magpie in a chocolate brown for my main colour.  Very dull, yes, but I'm trying to use up what I have in my stash.  I'm doing the bag in the round and it's my first time trying out the magic loop method, which I'm really loving.  I've only tried felting once before but it turned out a mess, but I'm sure I felted it for too long.  Because my washer is a front-loader I'm going to try two hot quick eco washes and wish for the best!

[tinybits]

I am sooooooooo jelous! I was hoping to start to knitalong and I went to my famous yarn market (remeber I posted about it once) and asked for a 100% wool yarn and heard that it is very hard to fine and toooo expensive to afford, well what is my other options then i said and they pointed the mohair ones and said will felt in the machine and just for 3 bucks/100 gr. I said hmm and as I was short of cash and couldn't think to buy only one as a sample to see, went off to another one, again there was no 100% wool but mohair to felt and this time it was 1 bucks/50gr. I hmmed and hmmmed and thank god bought only one as a sample to see if its felt or not. I came home knitted a sample and throw it to the machine with jeans for 25 minutes, when i took it off it was soften than before and didn't even felt a bit to save my life. But then I remembered that I always wash the jeans on wool-friendly mode in 30 degree (celcius). I said hmmed again and tonight I will throw my swatch into hot hot hot water and try to hand felt it and see!
so the point of this story is don't be so cheap! LOL!

[kristiface]

Woohoo I finally finished my bag!  Instead of doing school work (as I should have been doing yesterday) I pushed through and finally finished this thing!  I'm in love, except for the handles, which I think were too big.  If I do this again I'm going to shorten them by an inch or two. 

Before felting:



After (being blocked on super huge shoe box):



My comments can be found on my blog at http://kristiface.blogspot.com/2005_03_01_kristiface_archive.html#111194929010713113

[Nederlass]

Ooh, looks nice! Incl. the handles, don't see anything wrong with them.
Kinda waspy looking, isn't it?   

[kristiface]

Thanks, Nederlass.  I'm pretty fond of the bag... especially now that the wet wool smell is gone (yuck!).  I don't think there's anything WRONG with the handles, per se... I just think that I would like them a little shorter so that they sit closer to the body of the bag.  How's yours coming along?  And what kind of yarn did you have that didn't felt? 

[Nederlass]

Well, almost done with the bottom. Got a little distracted by a certain Rowan cardi.   

The yarn I used was given to me by a friend and bought at a thrift store.
To me it felt like it came straight off a sheep, but alas.
I think it was just a lesson in swatching that I needed to learn. 

Oh, btw now I'm using a rediculously expensive skein of Rowan Yorkshire Tweed, hee hee. But felting it shall!!

[rabideloise]

I'm knitting this on a circular--the flat way...I'm not even half done but I'm patient.

Everyone's finished item is so pretty!!  Good work

[guessica]

hey y'all,

here's my FMB unfelted... when i find someone with a non-laundromat, top-loading washing machine around here i'll felt it, but until then it's stalled in its stretchy-arse state...

i'm happy with it, though i'm concerned that the straps will felt too small.  they aren't quite as short as they look (due to optical illusion striping at their bases), but still may be pretty snug.