Project #83,492

I picked up one of my many long-abandoned projects at Stitch n Bitch last night. It's headed for life as a bag, but at this point is still a rectangle...like most of my "works".

In this picture it looks like I am using two different yarns, but they are actually both the same shade of Gedifra Fashion Trend. The yarn is mottled but also changes from light to dark and back again every, say, 10 metres or so. So the two balls are just at different stages of light-to-dark. So I'm using 8mm needles and doing stripes in seed stitch and stocking stitch. Actually I'm not 100% sure this is seed stitch. There seems to be a bit of argument in books and on the net about the difference between seed stitch and moss stitch. What I did above is just k, p, k, p, etc, then knit the purls and purl the knits on the other side. I always thought that's what constitutes seed stitch and that moss stitch was far more complicated than this, with a purl row in there or something. But then I have heard my stitch above referred to as moss, and also a pattern for seed that was just WAY too complicated! Who knows. Hopefully someone out there can clear this one up.

So back to bagging. I'm not sure how I want to finish the bag once the rectangle is done. I'm thinking of using these handles on it:

They are just very dark brown plastic - nothing fancy. I would have liked to find some faux tortoiseshell ones but a. they don't grow on trees and b. they're pricey as hell when you do find them. Anyway, then there's the decision about the gusset (hate that word, makes me think of undies) - whether to knit it in the same yarn or a contrast yarn (I've got the same yarn in charcoal but I don't think that will go with the brown of the handles), or to sew the sides in a contrast fabric. It will definitely need lining because it's quite a soft yarn. I feel a bit guilty using such a nice fluffy yarn on a bag, but given the size of my stash, I can't afford to save any more yarn for "the perfect project". Nope, it's all gotta go. I've got to get this bag finished pronto anyway because I need the needles for another project which I will tell about tomorrow...