Q & Q
The body of the market bag is finished, but now I'm stuck, stuck, stuck. It's time for a handle, and I'm completely and utterly confused.
Donna was kind enough to leave some instructions in the comments to yesterday's post, but I'm afraid that this help needs some major translation before it gets through my thick skull. Maybe it would be better handled via e-mail, but I figure the collective wisdom out there might crack the code that I can't.
-"Knit halfway round the last round of the top border, put 9 stitches on one side of the bag on a stitch holder, knit the other half to the last 9 stitches, put the first 6 on a holder."
And the questions begin... I assume that I'm not knitting those stitches on the stitch holder. If not, am I able to get around those first nine without making some weird, misshapen thing at that spot? And where it says knit, should that mean bind off? If so, what's a stretchier bind off, per the pattern's instructions?
-"Then I made I-cord from those last three stitches (fairly long -- probably too long -- remember braiding will shorten it by about a third)."
I-cord? Any idea on length? I don't feel like I have any clue to make a guess.
-"Put stitches on holder at the end, break yarn with nice long tail (at least 6 inches)."
So I need three stitch holders?
-"Attach yarn at second three stitches beside where you started the I-cord, do the same; then the same again for the last 3 stitches."
Here's where I'm totally mystified. Where am I attaching the yarn? If it's just stitches on a stitch holder, I don't understand where there's anything to attach to.
-"Braid the three I-cords together. Then graft them to the 9 live stitches on the other side."
Here's where my gender gets in the way. I've never braided anything. Tips? As for grafting...???
I will say that this part of the bag is a major reason why I considered not knitting it in the first place. There's a lot of stuff I haven't done before, which I don't see so much as a challenge but as something to run away from shrieking.
Labels: Everlasting Bagstopper, knitting, knitting questions, market bag, stuckness, WIPs
posted by the secret knitter @ 9:16 PM
3 comments
3 Comments:
Glad to hear the main body of the bag is done.
Just read through Donna's directions. I think I see what she is suggesting. You have 9 live stitches and you do 3, 3 stitch I-cords, your choice on length. Then braid them. Then graft them to 9 live stitches on the other side of the bag. Cool handle Donna. I think I might need to try that one on my next bags.
While out and about on Ravely I found http://www.ravelry.com/projects/AuntyKaren/everlasting-bagstopper this Everlasting Bagstopper with a single I-cord handle. If you like this handle you might consider pm'ing AuntyKaren about how she did it.
Another simple handle is on the Fantasy Natural Market Bag, I've done this handle as well. It's like a big button hole, cast off on one round then cast back on the next so there is a big hole that becomes your handle. Not as elegant as Donna's i-cord braid but another option.
No need to run shrieking. You can do it.
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/fantasy-naturale-market-bag
Forgot to add a link to the Fantasy Naturale Market Bag.
You are totally right -- bind off around, leave 9 stitches, bind off around, leave 9 stitches. I just carried the yarn around the back of the 9 held stitches on the far side, but I didn't know what the heck I was doing. I'd break the yarn now and reattach it on the other side.
You can just use waste yarn as stitch holders -- put waste yarn on a tapestry needle and slip the stitches off the circ one by one onto the length of waste yarn.
To work out how long to make the I-cords, figure out the length of your braided strap that you want, then just knit the first I-cord to 1.3 times that length.
You could do the same thing with a nine-stitch garter stitch handle (I didn't do that because I wanted less stretch, but make it nice and short, and you'll be fine) -- hold 9 stitches and graft at the other end.
I don't remember what bind-off I used at the top, but I know I undid and redid it a couple of times to make it stretchier (by doing it more loosely). I'd be tempted to do a lace bindoff or sewn bindoff, or just go up two needle sizes to make sure it's got plenty of play.
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