I’ve wanted to try the cascade ultra pima for a while, but haven’t been a fan of the shine. This project is the perfect way for me to test this yarn in a finished project. I chose this color because the project needs two skeins and there were just two skeins in the bin. No need taking a couple skeins from a color that has enough skeins for a large project.

Summary

• Starting weight 193 grams, ending weight 26 grams.
• Used the invisible circular cast on found on Eunny Jang’s site.
• It really doesn’t matter if you use M1R or M1L for the bag’s bottom, as long as you use one consistently.
• Cotton doesn’t have any give and I’m a tight knitter, so I used a US 8 for the first (K2tog YO) row. This helps me transition to the US 10.
• This yarn has a wonderfully soft feel when knitting it. It is a bit slippery however. I would definately knit with this yarn again.
• The strap is easier to knit if you separate the two sides of the strap, putting the stitches that aren’t being worked on a holder or another circular.
• My gauge is 8 rows per inch and 6 1/2 stitches per inch.

Journal

2012-09-09: Cast on using an invisible circular cast on. Complete increase section of bag bottom.

2012-09-10: Complete garter border of bag bottom. Start netting for bag sides. First row is knit using a US 8; second row with a US 10. Complete 10 repeats of bag side netting.

2012-09-11: Completed 4 more repeats of bag side netting.

2012-09-12: Completed 5 more repeats of bag side netting.

2012-09-13: Completed 25 total repeats of bag side netting, 3 more than 7” for about 8” from the first row of the bag bottom garter section. Completed top of bag garter section. Completed decrease section of handle and starting 7” straight section. My gauge is 8 rows to the inch, so I’ll need 56 rows.

2012-09-14: Completed first 7” straight strap section.

2012-09-15: Completed 4” middle of strap section and am half way through the second 7” straight strap section.

2012-09-16: Completed knitting and grafted handle to bag.

Next Time

• The first ball of yarn ends in the middle of the netting. A better approach might be be to knit through the garter ridges on the base and then change to the second ball of yarn. This way the ends can be woven into the base of the bag rather than woven into the netting.
• Try using appropriately aligned KFB and derivatives to increase in garter section. I don’t like the way the M1s pull.
• Shorten the handle. Its tool long for me when the bag is loaded.

First Time

• Used a circular cast on.

• Using Kitchener to graft garter.