Offspring

This purse is a descendant from the beach bag shown in the last entry.  It is made in the same basic style, but with my own "innovations" added!  I started without using the pattern from the beach bag.  I thought I could remember it pretty well, since it was a fairly simple design.  I found some great worsted weight cotton in a deep purple shade.  This was very nice to knit with.  I also used much smaller needles than recommended on the label.  I wanted it to be tightly knitted so it wouldn't have gaps between the stitches.  It was to be a purse, after all!

Again, the bottom of the bag is a garter stitch square, the stitches are picked up around the square.  The bag is knit in the round to the top.  The beach bag has "corners" to make it rather square-ish.  I didn't add these in the purse because I *forgot*!  But it was still okay!  I did add a little interest with some reverse stockingnette diamonds on the front & back of the bag.  I continued with a flap closure knitted in a seed stitch.  I added an I-cord strap & a seashell for a button. 

The body of the bag is rounder than the beach bag because it doesn't have the corners.  I don't mind though, it makes it different in that way.  This is my favorite bag for gathering shells on the beach!  It is lightweight, dries quickly if needed & it is still loose enough that some of the sand will sift out.  Yet it is knit tightly enough that I do still have to dump most of the sand out of the bottom.  It is also a great purse to carry for those times when I don't want to take the "real" purse!  This bag is about 5 years old now, & it is holding up very well! 

This bag also has memories for me!  Don't they all?!  I started knitting this while we were on our honeymoon.  I purchased the yarn in North Carolina, and started it right away.  However, we had to evacuate due to an approaching hurricane.  We were lucky to have friends in Raleigh who let us stay with them for a few days.  I remember sitting in their lovely living room knitting away on this bag.  Though our honeymoon was cut short from the storm, I have great memories of friendship & knitting!