My Watercolor Bag is in my washer right now! I had left it at my student’s house (that would be Officiallyaknitter) last Thursday when I popped in to fix a hiccup in her knitting, between Foster Center and visiting my brother. I’m so relieved. She *had* written to tell me I’d left a sock there, and a bag. I thought she meant a baggie holding the sock in progress. Actually, it was a sample sock, knit years ago (for my toe-up sock class, pattern released just a few days ago). And my knitted, AWOL bag. I’m delighted.

I can’t wait to have my own bag, just for me. Right now I’m knitting such large projects that this bag may be too small for my main carry-all, but when I get back to socks this summer, I’ll be ready. Or maybe I’ll make it my dance bag (holding a hip scarf, finger cymbals, shrug, a few CDs), who knows?

Here is a somewhat-fuzzy photo of Irene A. with her own recently-finished version of the Watercolor Bag. She took my class at Little Red Schoolhouse fairly recently, but I had not yet seen her bag since she finished it. Gorgeous.

Irene used one colorway for all three skeins of Noro Kureyon, but there is enough variety between the three skeins to give it that handpainted look I love. At her class, she decided to change the solid color of her bag to turquoise (I think from purple) and I think she definitely made the right choice, don’t you? Great bag, Irene!

By the way, that handsome guy in the background on the right (in focus, actually… the camera wanted him to be the center of attention) is my friend Rob (Black Dog) of Threadbear Fiberarts. Actually, you can see a tiny bit of Matt (also from Threadbear) in a white shirt hiding behind Irene on the left. This photo sort of gives you the guys’ personalities right there… Matt would rather be the observer more often than not, and Rob and I are two peas in a pod, social butterflies from the word Go! I love them both, for being just exactly who they are. So there!

In other news, it appears that my toddler sweater is done. Never mind that I forgot it at home today, it turned out that Anne couldn’t make the Habibi Dancers’ rehearsal today either. It can wait one more week, if need be. We are going from yesterday’s summer temperatures (78F), back to standard spring chill (55F), starting tonight. I will not worry, I will not worry, I will not worry…. everyone who has children and has seen this sweater says it will fit the child just fine with space to grow. I hope so!

Didn’t it turn out great? I modeled the final collar style after my favorite sweater, the one I always grab when I want to be warm and comfy all day during the dead winter. Mine is turquoise mohair, and the collar has about 13 rows (at a tiny gauge) of K2P2 ribbing, followed by about 13 rows of stockinette, that curls all by itself.

This sweater is at a much larger gauge (4.5 st/in) and so I needed only six rows of rib before 12 rows of stockinette. I used a crochet hook instead of my right needle when binding off, and made one crocheted chain stitch after every bound off stitch, to make the bind off stretchy enough for a child. Since I did that many rows of stockinette, it curls under enough to hide that bind off row that looks a little different than expected. Success!

The toddler sweater really needed to be stretchy to go over her toddler-sized head (read: bigger than one might imagine), but I did not want it to gap open and show the inner construction, as did the first two rolled-collar styles I tried. This one will work out just fine, I think. Actually, I just took a chance and pulled it on over my own head with no trouble. I can’t wear the sweater, but the collar is stretchy enough now. Whew!

And now… while I sat here typing this, my Watercolor Bag finished shrinking in the washer. Oh, my! I’m pleased, it looks wonderful. When I’m done posting here, I’ll prop it to dry overnight. I’ll do my best to bring you photos in the next few days. I also have a handful of photos of my students and their work… two socknitting students and a photo from my CityKidz Knit! program.