Arden Bag

Are you making the gorgeous Arden bag?

I can't wait to make this - it's so beautiful!

Also, be sure to check out the lovely & talented designer Kerin's great blog post on where to find the extras for finishing the bag! It's in the Bag!

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Jenny on December 2, 2009 at 10:02am

OH and i know this was discussed a little bit - but now i am trying to decide, 2 circs, or one long one for ML. i am ready to do ML ( i have a 47 inch 13 needle available) but if it seems fussy with the colorworkl, i may switch to 2 32" 13s. what do you think?

Permalink Reply by cherylbwaters on December 2, 2009 at 10:12am

Personally I don't like using 2 circs, ML or DPNs when doing colorwork. I know others don't have any problems, but I seem to have a difficult time keeping my tension when jumping from one needle to the next.

The side panels should be at least 15% larger than the finished felted size. I don't have my pattern out right now. Does it give before and after dimensions? Here's an example of what I mean: If you want the finished fabric to be 10" in width, you will need to have your pre-felted fabric to be at least 11.5". Does that make sense?

When I felt something, I check its progress about every 5 minutes, even if I think it's going to take 30 minutes to felt it. You don't typically want it to go through the spin cycle. So after 5 minutes I'm putting my machine back to the beginning of the wash cycle.

Permalink Reply by Jenny on December 2, 2009 at 10:44am

Yes, thank you, that makes sense, and i understood that fine from the instructions, (the 15% part) but it does not seem to say what the finished size should be, other than the finished size of the completed bag!! That is my confusion

And maybe i am being too particular, but that may be from my sewing background. The side panels of a SEWN purse are not exactly the same size as the finished size of the purse, kwim? I am just going to assume that they should felt down to the finished size of the purse.

Ya, i dont know what i will prefer for this, 2 circs or ML. So what will you do - just knit in rows rather than in the round? (a Pain for colorwork!) Or knit in the round on the appropriate sized circ needle? It is such a large project that it is probably possible, i really have not delved that much into the pattern. I just saw that the front page says to have 2 circs or a long circ for magic loop, i didnt even think about how it is probably possible to knit it on a fixed circ of the right circumference. I need to go look at the whole flyer again!!

Permalink Reply by cherylbwaters on December 2, 2009 at 11:01am

I won't be starting this until after the holidays, but I will definitely be using a fixed circ of the appropriate length. I think the reason for not giving exact measurements is because everyone felts differently so this is one of those projects that is designed to be done by the seat of your pants.

Permalink Reply by Jenny on December 2, 2009 at 11:03am

Got it, thanks cheryl! I think i may do this as well. I can't imagine why i wouldnt, unless i just dont have the right size circ.

Permalink Reply by Jenny on December 2, 2009 at 11:02am

Pattern question here - i have the booklet open, to the chart. You mihg tneed to as well, to understand my crazy question, LOL. It has the houndstooth chart, with decreases and steek checerboard area. OK, i understand all that just fine. BUT there are these black squares, which the legend states are "Placeholder, no stitch made".

So does that mean that i go right on over from the steek checkerboard to the decrease stitch, and then continue on with the houndstooth part?

So ultimately, the steek checkerboard part will curve around?

Thanks, i hope my question made sense!

Permalink Reply by Joann Linda Crenshaw on December 2, 2009 at 4:55pm

Wow I am going call and ask. I need to read the pattern again. Get back to you as soon as they tell me or I can figure it out. I always try my patterns on junk yarn (pound of love) first before I use the real yarn I paid good money for.!!

Permalink Reply by cherylbwaters on December 2, 2009 at 6:28pm

Yes, you are correct. The black is just that. They are placeholders. NO STITCHES EXIST for those placeholders. For example, if you have three rows with increased sts, such as YOs. Row one is 10 sts and you do 3 YOs. That increases row 2 to 13 sts. Then on row 2 you k3tog. That takes you back down to 11 sts.

So on row one you only have 10 sts but when you get to row 2 you have 13. On row one of the chart you have 13 squares but really only 10 sts. So the black sts are placeholders or sts that don't exist. There will be 3 black squares.

Then on row 3 you are back down to 11 sts so there will be 2 black sts.

Does this help?

Permalink Reply by CreationsofFaith on December 3, 2009 at 5:17am

it will make perfect sense once you start knitting. As you decrease, those stitches no longer exist. Therefore, think of the shape you are creating. It is a tube which becomes smaller as you reach the top. Follow the directions, but I plan to make a change when I make this again. Since I have already made the front & back, I don't see why they cannot be knit separately on straight needles.

Permalink Reply by Jenny on December 3, 2009 at 5:29am

Thanks ladies, i was thinking that is what it meant, but i wasnt sure if maybe i was suppose to do a big strand?? that didnt make sense, but then again i have never made anything bigger/more complex than a hat, or an ant, ;-)

thanks so much!!!!

Permalink Reply by cherylbwaters on December 3, 2009 at 6:07am

Jenny, your ant looks pretty complex!

Permalink Reply by Jenny on December 3, 2009 at 4:36pm

It WAS deliciously complex!!! i loved how ever row was an ordeal :-)