A Tote for All Seasons

I'm trying to be really good about not buying yarn for new projects until I've used some of my stash. I'm also trying to finish my UFOs. I was doing pretty well. I started the Barcelona Jacket(Interweave Knits, Fall 2009) in a handspun wool that a friend had given me(15 balls of wool that are between 200 and 300 yards in each skein! That's a lot of wool in one color). I hope to take the sweater with me to Boston in a few weeks so I've named my sweater Homespun in Boston. The pieces are finished and I just need to block the pieces, stitch them up and then I can finish the collar and edging. Since I've never been able to get steam blocking to work for me, I usually submerge my knitted items in my tub and then pin them out on my bedroom floor. However, right now, my tub is in desperate need of a cleaning and I refuse to put my pretty knits in the tub until I've done so. Tub-cleaning is a project for this weekend; it's part of my general de-spidering campaign I've got going at my house.

So, that left me with other UFOs to work on but I was bored with those. I started a double-knit scarf in mohair(also from my stash), but that is slow going and I think I'll save that for the actual flight to Boston. And then, I finally found the colors I wanted to use in the Medallion Travel Bag. Though I liked the bold contrast of the colors of the original, they were a little too bold for my use. So when I found the beautiful grey and green wools that were exactly what I wanted, I broke down and bought them. Plus, they were cheaper than I thought they would be too.

I couldn't wait to cast on. After a few bus commutes, I've been able to complete the base. The only difficulty I've had so far with using the chart(I love charts! I mean it, no sarcasm) is that I have to remember that the white squares are grey and the black squares are green.

Then, last night, I picked up the stitchs to start on the sides. I hate picking up stitches. I can never get the number to come out right. It took me at least two tries, and more often three or more, to get the right number of stitches on each side and even then, when I got to the end of the first pattern row, an stitch had grown all on it's own. It was sitting there, taunting me. Do I tink back to the picked up stitches and start again. Never! This tote is going to be felted so I quickly k2tog to hide that random stitch. Take that, you extra stitch.

This morning, the crowd waiting for the bus seemed abnormally large and I reconciled myself to not knitting this morning. After all, it's difficult to knit standing in a moving vehicle and I'm more likely to stab someone when I attempt it. But, lo and behold, in the back was a seat. I made a beeline for it, sat down, placed my voluminous purse at my feet and proceeded to knit. Then came the inevitable question from a fellow commuter, "What are you making?"

"A tote-bag," I replied. "Once I'm done knitting the bag, I'll felt it."

"What season is it for?"

Season? I wasn't aware totes had seasons. Is that like the "no white after Labor Day" rule? Is there a "no tote" rule as well? The bag is not black and orange or red and green so Halloween and Christmas are out. What season was she talking about?

Thinking how I would like to take this bag with me to Boston as well, and how it is made of wool, I replied, "Winter."

"Winter!? Oh, well...."

You would have thought I committed fashion high treason! Or is that high fashion treason? Seriously? It's a wool bag; if I had to pick a season for this tote, winter makes the most sense to me. Even then, I don't like restricting my knits to one season. After all, I live in the Pacific Northwest, where, if you don't like the weather, wait 5 minutes and it will be different. I'll probably use the tote well into June.

Like everyone else, I usually cannot think up clever come-backs on the spot. I wish that I could have left her with this come-back:

My tote will be a tote for all seasons.