Christmas Projects

sweater #2: Violaine

Again, much much cuter on a body than a hanger. This sweater took me about 2 days to complete-- I guess because it is sleeveless. I used Malabrigo worsted in Deja Vu. For being so wool-y it's terribly soft.

I started off working this in a size small and, along the way, got a little lazy with my counting. Lost a few stitches somewhere (prolly on the turns) and ended up with something closer to extra-small. It's somewhat fitted but I think that's what makes it so cute.

my first sweater!

I am so so so SO happy with the sweater. It looks a little weird in the photo but it's actually really cute on. I made some alterations to the sleeves-- the pattern as written would have made HUGE, balloon-y sleeves. Not my thing. Hopefully I can get a photo with it actually on and I will list the changes I made. Did I mention I'm happy???

hold this thread as I walk away

I've started my first sweater (and have "The Sweater Song" by Weezer stuck in my head.)

No financial disaster brought on by sweater project. No, it has turned out to be quite affordable actually. This is a free pattern on lionbrand.com and, as it would go, I was at JoAnn's today for something unrelated when I discovered the yarn I needed to do this was on sale. Thus, the sweater will cost $15-- unless I have to buy more yarn... Hopefully it will not come to that.

Keep your fingers crossed.

I'm doing mine in "mushroom" instead of gray.

baby, it's cold outside

I'm looking at sweater patterns. This should be interesting... and possibly expensive. meh.

rookie win!

Helloooo Christmas presents!

I whipped up my first hat in approximately 5 hours and am so thrilled with the results. Now I’m trying to decide if I will make optional flower pins. The only alteration I made was to add one more row of fpdc/4dc before beginning the band. I have a big head and figured I would need it but I think I would have been perfectly fine following the pattern as written.
Yay! Hat success!!!

Recently finished:

Finished projects pt IV: Otrasventanas Scarf

Kind of a variation of the Fan Bookmark pattern but with a more exaggerated effect. Very fun.

***

Okay, four more to finish then I really HAVE to move on from this obsession. Yes, four. Do not mock. Two are for someone else.

Finished projects pt III: Green Boteh Scarf

The green Boteh scarf (whatever a boteh is...)

I was really unsure about this one when I started it. I love it now. It's so weird and different-- strange pattern, strange colors. But then I do tend to like the strange.

Finished projects pt II: Sunset Scarf

One of the most beautiful things I've ever made. (And took one night as opposed to 3-6 weeks)

Finished projects pt I: Noro Plaid

I'm slowly whittling away at all the stuff I've started over recent weeks... Beginning with the Noro plaid scarf.
Meh.

I love the colors (as I always do with Noro). The overall effect of the pattern is great. I think the problem for me was in the numbers. Following the directions as given produced a scarf about 2 feet shorter than I prefer. I like my stuff LONG. If I had it to do over again, I would make it skinnier and longer. I really hope I will grow to tolerate it. It was way too much work for it to go unworn.

fan-trellis stitch

I picked up a skein of Araucania Ranco in Denim over the weekend and, against my better judgement, started working with out a pattern... sort of. I'm working a stitch called the Fan-Trellis stitch in long rows-- another scarf I guess. Now, after 5 rows, I'm flipping it over to work 5 more off the other side of the foundation chain. I may do some kind of trim on the ends but I guess it will depend on how I feel about the finished effect and how much yarn I have left. Really happy so far though and I've picked up a new stitch along the way.

I might be slightly obsessed...

because I've been working on the plaid scarf ALL DAY and have no plans to stop despite the bruise on my palm from nail-dig and my massively cramped fingers. This is a little out of control... but so, so very fun.

The photo only shows the first part-- the horizontal grids. After I finish I will chain the rest and weave it through vertically, thus the plaid. I actually don't mind it as is though.

It's hot as balls. Let's make scarves!!!

Yeah, I'm working on five (count em) five scarves. Why? The important question is why not? Two of these scarves are crochet projects using Noro. One with gross cheap yarn which I am knitting-- mostly to practice knitting & purling. The last two are for Jules with some yarn she provided. Everything is in progress, nothing finished but I expect to complete 3 this week, possibly even this weekend.

Of course it's the Noro scarves that are really flipping my switch. I've named one the "Caribbean Sunset Scarf" because it has lots of coral and pink in it and is from a pattern for a fan-bookmark on Ravelry.

The second is called a Noro plaid scarf. This particular one is done in Kureyon Sock (only 1 skein required so... gravy) and is done as horizontal open-work then chained and woven back through vertically... It will make more sense when I can post a photo. Now that I think about it, the fact that I can do the whole thing with one skein of sock yarn makes me wonder if this isn't going to be another 15,000 stitch headache. Maybe I should save that one for last.

Cascade Scarf

The finished item from the frogged Boyfriend Basketweave Scarf.

I am satisfied... for now. Mwah-ha-ha!!!

screw knitting!!!

Okay, just kidding. Just, screw knitting with such fabulous yarn. I can't bear to unravel the alpaca one more time. It's abuse and it's sick and twisted and I can't do it anymore. I'll do crappy knitting with crappy yarn. This stuff has to be made into something worthy and I can't do that with freaking needles. It's time to do what I do best... hookin!

and, yes, this ball of yarn is as big as my head.

3 weeks and over 15,000 stitches later...

{exhale}

alpaca management

I still haven't finished my Boyfriend Basketweave Scarf and can't bring myself to just do it. I've invested a lot in the materials-- and a lot of time and it's just not as great as it should/could/would be. The scarf is too bulky, I guess because the yarn is so bulky, and posted stitches almost make it a double-thickness. I just don't see myself wrapping this puppy around my neck.

But the yarn is so fabulous... This is the alpaca that you just want to stick your face in. I can't waste it! So now I'm thinking about unraveling the scarf and making something else more fitting and worthy. Maybe this would be a good knitting project. It's chunky and should knit up fast. And even if I crochet it again, anything but a posted stitch would have to be better.

I guess I need to determine first if this scarf will allow me to unravel it-- sometimes really fiber-y yarns like to cling together and you practically have to razor it apart. There's no way I'm going there. We'll see...

5 month ruffle scarf {but only if you're lazy like me}

When I'm not whipping projects out in hours, it's taking me months (or years.) I completely crocheted another bag today (a duplicate of Emma's Bag of Horses for Jules so she won't steal said bag from Emma.) Then tonight I finished another project I started sometime last February or March-- can't remember exactly. This was an improvised project I just call a ruffle scarf. I did 75% of it back when I first started and freaking ran out of yarn. I'm terrible about underestimating my needs then making multiple trips for replenishment. Sheesh.

Anyway, I went through a lot of ridiculous crap to replenish this puppy... I used Araucania Patagonia Nature Cotton in #206 and could only get it in Murfreesboro. I had them mail me a skein only to get the wrong color. So I made a random trip down there to exchange it... total hassle. Then after all that, I just put it away.

I saw it in my ridiculous supply stash as I was searching for potential lining fabric for Jules' bag and ended up working on and finally completing it. I totally love this scarf! It needs to get cold so I can wear it!

Patagonia is really luxurious considering it's just plain ole cotton. The colors are incredible-- the photo doesn't accurately show the color (looks too pink.) It's mostly lavender with some rose, red and rust thrown in. The yarn has varied thicknesses also and it gives it a rustic look. The ruffles and colors make it decidedly feminine. I'm way too excited for my own good right now and can't stop manhandling the thing.

and one more thing (bear with me)

I ordered the Noro online and was totally disappointed when I got it. The pukey green was on the outside and I'm pretty sure I made a big frowny-face when I took it out of the package. As it turns out, I'm much more talented at choosing yarn when I can't physically see it first. The good stuff was on the inside (think of fruit-on-the-bottom yogurt and the green was the watery crap that sits on the top) and now that's it's all mixed together, I even like the pukey green. So I'm giving myself a big fat high-five as if my own skill brought this to pass.

wavelength scarf

I broke down and started a Noro project. This pattern is called a Wavelength Scarf. I decided to do it because it only requires one skein of Noro sock yarn and I figured this would be a good way to get the most bang for my buck.

Um, so I love this yarn. The colors are really incredible and I find myself staring at it when I'm working on it.

The only drawback:

You know those projects you whip out over a weekend? This isn't one of them. The picture shows about 16 hours of work and I'm only a third of the way done. Very labor intensive. The yarn is so fine, it takes a billion little stitches and two passes to complete one wavy little row. Maybe I'll finish by fall.

noro

Why do ravelers go so crazy over Noro yarn? The colors are obviously beautiful but there must be something else that I just can't seem to see. It's not soft. Maybe I should try it out and see what all the fuss is about. Whatever I attempt is going to have to be small though... it's a little expensive.

jiffy bear

I've been wanting to do this for forever. Working with chenille was... interesting. It's almost like crocheting blind. The stitches instantly diappear in all that fluff and you just have to put it where you know it should be. I'm sure it would look less than stellar if you could see where the stitches landed but oh well. Now he just needs a bow.

mermaid purse

Considering how fast I whipped this puppy up, it sure made me nuts. It FELT like it took forever but it was more like 5 days. Later I'll add photos showing the pattern on the bottom and the pocket inside. Seriously cute.

I call it the Mermaid Purse because of the scale-like pattern in the sides and the colors. I used the same yarn as I did for Emma's Bag of Horses.

I finally lined this crazy thing!

& it was crazy.

loving the skull-bandana fabric...

call me 'square'

I've done something I thought I would never, ever do. I ordered "200 Crochet Blocks" which is a book dedicated to square motifs, aka "grannies." I loath granny-squares but I'm really fascinated by this book because it has such a contemporary spin. I could see actually attempting a blanket using a combination of these patterns.

The other possibility I see for this book involves the Haekelbeutel pattern I've used twice recently (see previous posts.) On ravelry a lot of people use the basic construction and assembly of the pattern but use alternate types of squares to make their haekelbeutels. Some of my favorites have been the mitered squares, linear patterns arranged in criss-crosses to simulate a woven effect, variegated color changes and so on. One of my favorite things to do on Ravelry is to just look at the new possibilities everyone has come up with for this single pattern. It's really beautiful and amazing!

So anyway, I'm on the verge of plunging myself into the world of squares.

bag of horses

I made this as a birthday gift for a six year old girl. She loves horses. I wasn't really planning to actually make any gifts but I stumbled across this fabric and thought it was just too cute. I used the basic construction pattern of the Haekelbeutel but instead of granny squares, I did mitered squares. Also, instead of creating each strip from four squares, I used three. I wanted it to be much more petite than the full-on Haekelbeutel was.

Lining this thing was... interesting. I've been hesitating to line my own Haekelbeutel because I'm more than a little intimidated by its odd shape. I started with half a yard of fabric and, after attempting to create the proper shape by pinning the fabric together inside the bag (both were a bust and created a lot of waste) finally came up with something workable on the third. Strangely enough, when I technically made it too big, I was able to make it work. Don't ask. I just don't even know.

The other interesting facet of lining this little monster was I wanted one of the horse scenes to show at the bottom of the bag. A lot of trial pinning and hand-sewing later, Emma's horsey bag lives. It turned out cuter than I expected considering that I was winging 50% of it. I had hoped I could make something else with leftover fabric but-- my scraps were small as I wasted so much in my first two lining attempts.

I ended up cutting out individual horse scenes and sewing them together and stuffing them... why this child would want tiny stuffed horses, I don't know. Anyway, it took a total of maybe ten dollars and six hours to complete this project. I'm proud of it. Emma may look at it sideways but that's okay.

haekelbeutel

...and I already want to make another one but with mitered squares this time. This was one of the funnest, most interesting patterns I've done in a long time. It will be hard to line though because it has a funny shape-- It's made by assembling squares into strips, the strips assembled into a "+" then attaching all of the edges so it's not exactly square. (But I do plan to attempt a lining.)

This was a free pattern available on Ravelry and found it to be pretty easy. This was the first time for me to make granny squares-- not something I usually like AT ALL but I loved the unusual construction and shape of the bag and the way it creates diamonds and squares within the diamonds.

By the way, Haekelbeutel is German for "crocheted bag." Yup.

Mitered squares (starting in one corner and working out instead of starting in the center and working around) worked into this pattern would be great with variegated yarn Hmmm... Or you could do a mix of different types of squares. As long as they all come out the same size and same number of stitches along the outside edges.

I have maybe three projects to finally finish off then it's time to take on knitting. Who knows, I could totally love it.

handle-bag: updated

...and here is the latest incarnation of my circle-handle bag. I added the lining-- much needed considering how many loose strands of yarn were on the inside from all the color changes. I'm much happier now. (the voices are finally settling down...)

summer sling

Okay, I found this pattern on Ravelry and made it on a whim. If you sat down and did it all in one sitting, it could be finished in maybe 6 hours so, that's not bad at all. It's already lined and I added a slip stitched edge to clean it up a little where my turns weren't perfect. I'm still trying to decide if I want to add some kind of closure. I briefly considered a zipper but I feel like that should have been done directly before the lining. I'm not thinking about an inside snap or a tab that would wrap over and button.

Project #8: Blue Octopus

The octopus was a request from Emma, who had been wanting an amigurumi doll and finally chose an octopus from the Lion Brand site in turquoise, her favorite color. I used this free pattern and this yarn in "Swimming Pool" to make the doll... "Swimming Pool" was the closest thing I could find to turquoise in a 100% cotton yarn***, but it is variegated. I wasn't too excited about that initially but I think it turned out cute. I didn't realize then that they do make a solid turquoise yarn... they just didn't carry it at the store I was visiting that day. Pooh!

Oh well, to add a mouth &/or hair bow or NOT to add said accoutrements? I'm still undecided... and what of eye lashes? I'll have to think about this.

Anyways, the body was the easy part. Tentacles just give me handcramps. There are a few things I wish I'd done differently but I'm still okay with it overall. I usually use poly-pellets to stuff the body and fiber-fill for any extremities but because of how the doll is closed in this particular pattern, I shied away from the pellets. I could only envision thousands of tiny beads spilling everywhere and me flinging Emma's poor octopus into a wall... So I stuck with fiber-fill and was a little too generous with it. So... octopus is nice and bouncy. but still cute.

***I prefer 100% cotton for amigurumi but the pattern didn't call for it. This was just a little slice of my psychosis in action.

purse-onalization

I may be heading into a purse/bag phase. <--- My latest attempt was based on a pattern in a book which I altered quite a bit. The original pattern was for two colors with the only stripes being in the square that makes the bottom. I added a third color and side stripes along with some additional trim. I like it but think it needs lining. That should be a quick afternoon project though and should be pretty functional afterwards.

I estimate that if I put 90 more minutes into this bag, it will come to a grand total of about 8 hours and $20. Not too bad.

The other bag project I did was this one (it's free!) ---> from the Lion Brand site. I thought it would make an adorable child's purse and was done somewhere between 60-90 minutes. So let's say, 90 minutes and $3. (And that's generous...) I made this for Julie's little girl, Emma.

Project #7: Valkyrie

**This is the Valkyrie expansion pack for Creepy Cute as available on NeedleNoodles' site.**

I'm calling the Valkyrie done even though she's really not. I started her maybe a month ago, crocheting her face and body then I put her aside. Yesterday I forced myself to finish. It's a 4-5 hour project... not finishing is a little silly.

This was my second time making fringe hair and it went so much smoother. I can't even tell you how much easier it was. Not that fringe is especially hard... well, it kind of is. But as I was setting up to do it, I had to remind myself that I would likely get frustrated and scream &/or throw something. Never came to that, thankfully.

The other funny thing about her is the pleats along the bottom of her skirt. Who the heck figures this stuff out? She should be holding a spear on the other side but I didn't have the right colors in polymer clay to do that yet so, technically, she is incomplete. Hopefully I'll not put that off just because the hard stuff is behind me.

chocolate raspberry scarf

I'm dying to make a scarf like this. It's a free pattern which you can find here. I'm not sure that I would use the suggested yarn or colors even although I do really like this combination. I'm really liking cotton these days and I don't think there's a brown in the cotton brand I like.

Can you tell I Y scarves??

robins egg scarf

The Robins Eggs scarf isn't a pattern (that I know of but, you know.) It was kind of a spontaneous effort brought on by my finding the yarn at Joann's. It's Debbie Mumm Traditions in Robin's Egg Blue (I'm so original!) There are actually several really good colors in this brand but I was really drawn to the blue and cream in this little varigated wonder.

I can't remember the name of the stitch but I think it's a type of shell stitch. It's so simple, I think I could teach any beginner to do this in less than 10 minutes. Basically, you are doing three stitches in a loop: one single followed by two doubles. Then you skip the next two loops, repeat in the next loop. It makes an adorable pattern that reminds me of a popcorn stitch.

I bought three skeins hoping that would be plenty but I think two will end up being more than enough, as long as I don't go hog wild with the trim.

On a side note: I need to either give away or sell some of this stuff. It's not like I need it but I just love doing it so much...

wrapped in crochet

I would say I'm not really a shawl type of person (seems a little stodgy) but Wrapped in Crochet may change my mind. Granted, a lot of the patterns don't exactly look practical-- the finished product being so open they can't possibly keep you very warm. But wow are they beautiful.

That I'm even considering attempting one of these bad boys is a little intimidating. If I start now, maybe I can finish it by next Fall.

the boyfriend basketweave scarf

I discovered a yarn store convenient to me on White Bridge Road called Haus of Yarn. They had a great selection but, unfortunately, most of what they carry is significantly more expensive than what I usually buy. On a side note, as with any big purchase, buying luxury yarn is borderline tortuous for me. I feel extreme pressure (brought on by myself) to make the right decision… the perfect choice. Because if I’m going to invest so much in a single item, it has to be worth it. Buying my camera was awful. Same with my car and my laptop. Absolute agony.

So after an hour or so of making laps and picking up the same three or four yarns and carrying them around… followed by putting it up and carrying the next one for a lap or two… I settled on Misti Alpaca chunky weight yarn. I don’t know the color but I think it’s Ember Melange. It looks chocolate-y brown in some light and deep maroon, purple in other. I love this yarn for its squishy texture. It’s worthy of burying your face in it—except that makeup smears on lovely eggplant alpaca (over which you’ve conducted a one-gal debate tournament in your head) doesn’t really work.

I’m using this yarn to make the “Boyfriend Basketweave Scarf” featured in the Chicks with Sticks book. To do this pattern, the only stitches you need to know are double crochet and half-double. You’re using these basics to do front post stitches and back post stitches. This is basically coming down into the post of the stitch (from the front or the back, respectively)from the previous row, instead of the top loop. You’re alternating three stitches from the front, three from the back, etc. and it creates a basketweave texture. How anyone figured out how to do this, I’ll never know. But then, I say that every time I do a new pattern.

The end result is a really simple piece, double thickness of the stitch—because each row overlaps the previous one by 50%-- in a fairly masculine color and texture. If someone else were to attempt this pattern, my only tip would be to establish a habit of consistently ending on either a back row or a front row every time you put the piece down, so you always know how to start again when you come back. There is a pattern of how to start and end each row and how to alternate and failing to be consistent will result in an uneven weave, one row usually appearing too long.

***I lightened the color on the photo so you could actually see some of the texture. This thing seems to suck all the light from the room.

Now I understand the whole carb thing with marathoners...

When I work out, I typically stick to weight lifting and occasional hiking. I find straight-forward aerobic activity to be tortuous and dull and have a long long looong history of doing whatever it takes to avoid it. This weekend I had my first aerobic victory-- followed by injury... or maybe just radical soreness.

Friday night my boyfriend took me out to have Italian for our early Valentine's date. I carbed up on a massive bowl of whole wheat pasta (followed by a pomegranate martini and wildberry sorbet.) Waking up this morning I thought a stout workout would be a good idea, if anything, to do some damage control and so I promptly hit the gym.

I went to the treadmill since I didn't have a lifting routine preplanned and didn't want to wing it. I then proceeded to run almost 4 miles (run, people!) with only a handful of very brief walking breaks. It may not sound like a big deal but you have to keep in mind, before today I have never ever run more than maybe a minute at a time before slowing to a walk. And I never do enough aerobics to built more stamina. And I loved it. In fact, I wish to God I could go run right now-- except that my body is screaming out in agony. Whoops.

the Manos project: part III

finished!!

the Manos project: part II

Last night I completed another stage in the Manos project, crocheting the two flowers for the “Pocket Full of Posies Purse.” The pattern called for yarn in fuschia and pink. However, the fuschia appears to have been discontinued and I was unsure of whether or not I liked what they called pink… it looked like a really blue pink. I really wanted a nice, warm coral pink.

I ended up selecting Manos yarn in Rhubarb and Henna from the website—knowing I could end up with colors that are in reality nothing like how they appear in the photos. I took my chances anyway.

I was mostly happy with what I chose. The Rhubarb was a nice purple-y-pink. Henna was a tiny bit more peachy than I wanted but I don’t dislike it. It’s just not what I expected.

I started with the Rhubarb. I completely misread the pattern and ended up making a long strip with lots of small, rounded petals. When I wind it into its intended bud-shape, it almost looks like a peony or a poppy. I immediately realized what I had done but decided not to redo it as I really like the effect of two completely different types of flowers. This one is big and petal-y and full and somehow appropriate for its bright pink color.

The Henna was done as the pattern was originally intended and will look more like a true rose, also very pretty and sweet. I can’t wait to get everything properly assembled and completed!

the Manos project

The Manos del Uraguay yarn I ordered arrived yesterday so (of course) I immediately got to work on my Manos project. I’m doing a pattern from "The Chicks with Sticks Guide to Crochet" by Nancy Queen called “Pocket Full of Posies Purse.” It’s a small, round green bag, felted, with two big flowers on the front. I’ve seriously wanted to make this thing for about 6 months. Not sure what my fascination is.

I finished the main body and handle of the bag and felted it before going to bed. Hopefully I can finish the flowers tonight and can do the finishing before the weekend. In the meantime, the bag is taking longer to dry after felting than my projects have taken in the past. Previously, I allowed my pieces to go through the cold water cycle and spin before I did my last minute shaping. Since Manos del Uraguay was a little more of an investment than I usually make, I followed the explicit instructions that came with this pattern and did a cold rinse and towel-blotted by hand. Maybe it will be dry by tomorrow… we’ll see.

I used maybe half as much yarn to make my bag as the pattern required though and have an entire hank of Citric green left… which begs for one last creative effort before I taper back on the crochet until next fall. We’ll see where that leads. Not to mention, I did 75% of the work for this piece in one night. Six months of waiting and now it’s over. I’m too fast I think.

adventures in felting: the tote

I've been wanting to try felting for a long time. One day while browsing in Michael's, I impulsively bought several skeins of wool yarn. The yarn I chose was Patons Classic Wool in Aran (1), Dark Grey Mix (1), Leaf Green (2) and That's Pink (1). I used a 5.5mm hook, single crochet throughout, to create the individual pieces for my project, a tote bag.

I crocheted two side panels which measured about 17" x 17" before felting and one long green strip which was about 53" x 4" to go around the edge.

I did not use a pattern although I have seen similar totes to this in several books. I decided I wanted the slit-handle to be rolled down over the liner so I slipstitched the handle together, leaving the sides unattached so it could overlap the liner later. All of this was kind of off the cuff and I was interested to see how (and if) it would work.

I put somewhere between 12 and 15 hours into crocheting. I feel like my stitches have looked really good lately... which doesn't matter one iota when you're felting. It's amazingly forgiving as everything tends to matte and blend together, minor flaws melting in with the good stuff. Nonetheless, I put a lot of effort into the individual pieces... which makes throwing said good pieces into hot water slightly sickening.

felting

For my purposes, I was interested in felting with hot water. There are other methods that involve the use of needles and various tools to be used manually. I avoid needles and such as I am prone to accidents… and I would rather just let my washing machine do the work anyway.

There are multiple methods and rules for water felting—and they tend to contradict each other. Some people say to use very hot water. Others say not so hot that you can’t handle the piece. Some say to never ever ever rinse in cold water, some say do. Some say spin, others say don’t. I decided to follow the closest thing I could find to manufacturer’s instructions which I found here.

The hardest part was throwing the pieces into the hot water knowing it was about to be irreparably altered. And boy was it. It was amazing to pull a completely different product out of the machine. The strangest thing about the felted piece was how pliable it was while it was still damp. You have a certain ability to reshape the piece until it’s dry, then it’s game over.
I chose not to iron once I was done but I did have to do some minimal trimming where I had woven the ends back through from the color changes. Now you can’t tell anything was ever there.

I've read various info about how much size your piece should lose in the felting process. One website said the length and width shrink unevenly-- which is true I guess to some extent but my piece kept its original ratio for the most part. I did read that you can expect to lose about 30% and I would say that this was pretty accurate of my project. I'm sure it depends on the yarn you are using... The striped panels shrunk pretty evenly. The green strip ended up being about 4 or 5 inches too long but, with felting, you can just trim it to what you need as the stitches have all joined together and it behaves more like fabric.

I decided to hand-sew the bag together for the most part, out of fear that the fuzz could get caught in the foot pedal of a machine. It took several hours of hand work after which I remeasured to decide what size to make the lining. I did machine-sew the lining together then hand sewed it into the bag, finishing by folding the top edge down over the liner.
I love how the bag turned out. It’s actually better than I expected.

Anyway, I think I invested about $25 into supplies and 20-25 hours of my personal time. A hefty time investment (compared to the stuff I normally do) but I think well worth it. I did record my basic pattern as I went so I do have a record of how to recreate this bag for the most part.

Cheers!