I can’t believe this beast is finally done. I love it, but it was a lot more work than anticipated.

Then I couldn’t figure out how to photograph it!

But finally, here it is, my Weekend Getaway Satchel from Interweave Knits (hmm. I can only find a picture on Ravelry), designed by Marta McCall:

Make no mistake – it’s huge. The base is 24 x 8 and it’s so tall that I have to put it on my shoulder. Part of the height issue is my fault – I couldn’t bear to cut away all the excess knitting to make the felted pieces the same size as the schematic, so mine is a few inches taller than recommended. I never thought about the extra height from the handles (or my lack of height) but the end result is that I can’t just carry it in my hand without it dragging. Oh well. I like shoulder bags.

I changed the handles as well, using leather handles from Grayson E. instead of the felted handles suggested in the pattern. I don’t find that felted handles stand up to stress that well – plus didn’t like the idea of knitting that enormous length of red strap shown in the pattern. These handles are beautiful but expensive – I could only justify them by using odd balls and mill ends for the wool. It’s mostly Patons Classic Merino, which is now called Patons Classic Wool – you can see that one teal blue, the one that outlines the flower at the bottom left, was NOT wool and didn’t felt, but I like how frilly it looks.

The pattern is easy to follow and the knitting isn’t complicated. Most of the detail is embroidered on to the intarsia. I had thought to pattern the back as well, but by the time I finished the front, I was ready to knit a plain back as the pattern specified. The finishing, though, was a bear. I lined the bag – because I hate unlined bags – and sewing that lining in, after the base was installed, the handles were sewn on and the hex frame was sewn in, was an acrobatic feat. Fortunately, blood doesn’t show in black tweed because I stabbed myself with the needle a number of times!

I really love this bag, but I won’t be in a hurry to make another. In fact, I think I’m worn out with felted bags for a while.

What do you think? Do you knit felted bags?