Friday, August 24, 2012

Bag Gone Wild

Do you remember those horrid videos called something like, Girls Gone Wild?  I can assure they have never been in my sight, but I can not get the name out of my head because of my crochet bag
disaster, thus Bag Gone Wild!
 
 It all started innocently enough, I had a bunch of wool, mostly Cascade 220, so I plopped all the balls of yarn in a basket and started making the bag.  I followed the directions on Attic24, which were extremely understandable, and spent much of last weekend and this week working on the bag.  It is easy to put down, easy to do a stripe or two.  What is apparently not easy is my ability to make this bag. 
 I can not tell you what happened.  I used a smaller crochet hook for denser stitches.  I increased the amount of rows I was supposed to.  All I can say is that someone did something to this baby while I was asleep, because it kind of kept getting bigger, lets just say its waistline was expanding.  I don't like it because it doesn't look like it is supposed to.  I thought about frogging it, but no I really did not want to spend more time on it.
 And really what is this?  Apparently I never learned how to join stitches together when completing a row.  I have Joinitis, a severe case it seems.  I swear I was starting to break out in a sweat as I approached the end of a row, will this one finally look better?  I guess the answer is no.
 I just got fed up with my apparent lack of crochet skills and threw the whole bag into the washer.  Felting was my only option.  It came out just slightly less wonky then pre-washing.  The seams look a tad bit better as they are not screaming, "I can not join the end of the row", now.  I added this handle and button I already had, and inside a magnetic clasp.
 There is no cute shell border, crochet handles or flowers.  This my friends is a dud, and that is okay because we all have them.  I am afraid if I put anything in this bag it would just tip out the side.  Can I still count this as a finished project even though I will probably use it only to haul yarn around in? 
Two more feathers have joined my stash this week.  The striped feather is from a barred owl, now I have three wing feathers and a feather from a the body of the owl.  The white one looks almost exactly like the feather I found in Minnesota, a water type bird I imagine.  
They are smaller than the ones I have found before, but they are still pretty big.  I took this picture with my hand in it to give you a reference point.  The barred owl feather was found the afternoon my son left for Ohio State.  That morning I also found the lovely dark feather discussed previously on the blog.  Two feathers in one day, and that was the day I was so sad.  A message I think!

Hope your weekend is wonderful and that your projects turn out better than this wild bag.

24 comments:

Jennifer said...

I'm sorry t didn't turn out the way you wanted it to...I think it is rather lovely! I really like the colors you chose too!

Anonymous said...

The bag is actually cute. Could you run a drawstring around the top so stuff wouldn't fall out?

The black tipped feather --- maybe a wood stork?

A Whole Lotta Magic said...

Lol! I crocheted a hat once that just wouldn`t look right and I couldn`t figure out what went wrong either; I finally just gave up :0

Have a lovely weekend.

S
xo

Stitchy Mc Floss said...

Well, I think it's cute...and yes, it counts as a finished project! It will make a great yarn bag. I also like the idea the that Dee had in the comments about making it into a draw string bag. Very clever.

Hope you find more feathers this weekend and that all your stitches are right where you want them to be.

Sending out hugs and wishing you a most wonderful day and weekend, too my dear friend. :)

moonstruckcreations said...

I think your bag looks lovely!!

The one thing I cant seem to get right is baby bootees - it doesnt seem to matter which pattern, yarn or hook I use, they are always a disaster!

Helenxx

millefeuilles said...

Am I allowed to say your bag looks quite lovely to me, please?

Have a lovely weekend,

Stephanie

Between Me and You said...

What an absolute coincidence, Meredith. I just made a 'Lucy' bag too with all the same problems as yours. I was totally disgusted with myself at my joins. In the end I added a row of shell stitch to the top and filled it with my stash...that's all it's good for now!I like the colours in your bag though and it doesn't really look bad at all!
Have a good weekend. x

kathy b said...

THems some big feathers!

I think your bag came out AWESOME
I wouldnt change a thing.
Seriously it is great

Mrs. Micawber said...

It's a very cheerful bag and the handles and clasp give it a polished look. If you really think things will fall out, perhaps you could make a folded tuck in each side - rather like a brown grocery bag type of tuck (if that makes any sense).

I'm always trying to find a way around that joining issue. I think all crocheters struggle with that one. Have you tried using one less chain as your starting dc, then finishing the round with an invisible join that skips over the starting chain?

Teresa Kasner said...

Hi Meredith, I think your bag is great, too - and love the idea of basting in a string along the top and pulling it and tying it - it would give it a great round look and hold your yarn better. I made one and keep yarn in it and love it. I also have a thing for feathers - the striped one is cool! ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

MaryMargaret said...

There are few worse things than having this grand idea of how a project will turn out and then it ends up anything but what you'd imagined. I have a terrible time ending rows on round projects too, and I quit making baby hats because it was driving me crazy. Those feathers are quite the find, and finding two in one especially crummy day is definitely not a coincidence!

deebriese said...

Oh We have all had the projects we were not completely happy about...I think it looks great but I know how you feel..I have made that sweater with the sleeve longer than the other....That is my knitting skills...I try. Love the feathers. I used to work at Cypress Woods Elementary over your neck of the woods and we had so many birds to see...Love it..

Susanne Tyree said...

I tried that Lucy bag too quite some ime ago and had the very same problem. I ripped the whole hing out. Maybe I just didn't follow the instructions right, I have no clue. I usually watch tv when I am crocheting so it is highly possible that I read something wrong or missed something. The drawstring suggestion is a good one and had I thought of that back then I wouldn't have frogged it.
(((HUGS))) Susanne :)

Susanne Tyree said...

I seem to be missing a couple of t's....that is what happens when you don't proof read what you write, lol
Susanne :(

Kris said...

I think the bag is pretty and would be great with a drawstring! Lucy is one of the blogs that I drew inspiration from and wanted to revive my crochet! However, when I went to make her blanket using her instructions, I could not figure out why it was not looking right until I later learned that the UK abbreviations for crochet and the US are not the same.
: ) Your ring is fabulous!
Kris

Nicky said...

I tried to make this bag too and mine didn't work either. Probably due to my lack of skill :) Your bag is pretty though and will make a good stash bag.

Taci simmons said...

The bag is very cute. I had the same problem with mine looking really big and what I did is Continued making the bag, but decreasing instead Hoffman increasing and

Tammy@T's Daily Treasures said...

Well, it may not have turned out as you hoped, but I think you did a good save on it. And if all you can use it for is hauling yarn around, then it serves a very good purpose indeed. All of my totes are filled with yarn and cross-stitch supplies and projects -- probably at last 10 totes all around the house, hanging from knobs and handles and plopped here and there. I need to get more organized.

I found a fabulous big dark colored feather in Germany but I stuck it in my purse -- the quill part was so big that it kept ripping through and even scratched my leg. By the time I got it back to the hotel, it was a mess so I had to toss it. :(

Back to school tomorrow. Ugh! Have a great day.

Unknown said...

Im sorry it didn't turn out the way you planned but well done you for finishing it and not giving up. I really like it and i love the colours, you could use it to store things in or even a towel to take to the beach. You could add a zip if you wanted to but i know that means more work. Just look forward to your next project ;-)) Have a lovely weekend, dee xx

Sentimentally Me said...

rut roh!

Well, I can tell you that my first "Lucy Bag" had size issues, too, but I put the ends of the handles farther apart and that made the bag slouch a bit more in the middle when I carried it, or filled it with yarn. My second one was much better!

Love the color combo though :)

Lillie and Moss said...

Lol....oh my goodness I laughed until I got to the feathers!!!(which are great...it's a sign.) You poor thing...maybe you were adding a stitch when you join??? that would have made it grow??? who knows but it still came out lovely...add a draw string like a few had suggested..but really, it's lovely!

Toni said...

I vote that a finished project is a finished project. Not all of them can be loved equally..........says the woman who regularly banishes projects to protective custody to protect them from being sent through the food processor............

Rose Red said...

I think your bag looks great! The colours work together so well! I was going to suggest the tuck at each end like Mrs Micawber already has, and the drawstring idea is good too!

Babajeza said...

Good Morning Meredith

I've just come across something that solves your problem with the ugly joins. On this blog (http://winkieflash.nl/2012/08/27/mandala-cal-tips-tricks/) Winkiflash mentions another blog, where you can see how an invisible join is done. As you change colours in each round anyway ....