Market Squares is Finished!!!

Hooray!! I'm so excited!! Market Squares is finished!!

Some things you should know about the pattern that the don't tell you.

1.) At the beginning of each square, take the first stitch from the color you'll be knitting into and SSK or P2tog, THEN start row 1 or it doesn't work out.
2. Buy two packs of size 8 DPN's or finishing the bottom of the bag becomes a pain unless you're proficient at the magic loop (which I'm not... yet).

Above is what it looked like before it was felted. Oh yeah, and here are the straps. They are 35" inches (pre-felted) not including the tabs on the ends which are about an inch and a half a piece. So about 38" inces total. You'll notice that on the top middle sticking up strap that it look skind of wonky. Yeah, that's cause I messed up and I didn't add the four rows of grater stitich that the pattern calls for before begining the I-cord. So, when I was fininshed with the strap, I went back and picked up more stitiches all the way around so that I could just have more to sew on. I figured you won't even be able to tell when it's all felted.

Then I thought you might like to see what the inside looked like after I darned in all the yarn hangers (oh, yeah , you have to break the yarn at the end of every row, so it's important to remember to leave enough for eaving in the ends).

So, into the washer it went on HOT with a pair of old jeans. I even had a linen washables bag that I got at The Container Store that was big enough for the unfelted bag and the straps. Actually the friggin' thing is so large, I could probably put a comforter in there and there'd still be room left over.

So, one cycle (yes, only one cycle) later or about 15 minutes in the wash, and out it came. I was surprised that it wwent so fast. Course now that I have it over a bowl sitting on top of the OxyClean tub on top of another bowl that's upside down, I'm wondering if I don't need to felt it some more. But it seems to be just the right height right now and the straps are perfect. They hang down to right in the middle of, well, the bottom of where my bra hits my underarm. Incidentally, this to me seems to be the perfect place for straps: too high for someone to stick their hand in while you're not looking but just low enough to wear with a coat without discomfort. So, here you go... The cool thing is that after felting, the seams on the insdie are completely flat. Too cool.

Tonight the bag is dry and I am sewing on the straps. I'm hoping the straps wil be strong enough.

I hope you've enjoyed watching this bag come togther. I've enjoyed doing it and even DH says it's beautiful. He recommends doing it in EAster Egg colors which is good cause I've already bought the yarn for it in Easter colors for me. ;)

Smooches,
Jen