Blogtober 2020 :: Day 23

Ahhhhhhhh, Friiiiiiidaaaaaayyyyy, how happy I am to see you!!!!! Is it just me or has this week felt supremely long? It's the last day before our half term holiday week and I'm pretty certain we are all very ready for some down time next week, an ease up on routine and some serious slobbing time. Pyjamas on until lunch time, nothing planned at all except for extensive relaxation. Bring it on, I am so ready to switch my morning alarm off and allow my body to go with it's natural flow. However, I am secretly hoping for one great-weather day where I will try my hardest to press-gang the fam into a "spontaneous" trip to the seaside, and I won't be doing that in my pyjamas. I am keeping all crossed, I really do need a sea fix quite badly.

I spent this morning having a laugh with good friends, four of us plus an iPad with one of our other fab friends joining us via zoom. It was such a tonic, a real happy few hours where I drank lovely coffee and finished knitting the second foot of J's socks.

When I came home I sat quietly and finished hand stitching the lining into my bag and it looks so neat I have to say.

However...........I'm afraid to tell you that there is some very, very bad news to deliver. Sigh. I almost don't want to tell you the story because I am that mad at myself and the bag is currently sitting slumped in the naughty corner.

You have to keep in mind that it's around 18 months since I was last working on this bag, and honestly last year was really not a good year for me. I was in a peri-menopause induced brain fog for so much of it, and really I am hard pushed to remember an awful lot about 2019.

I shall try and give you the brief run down.....

In the above photo, you can see two things. At the bottom is the 4 x 4 square bag that I have spent the past week constructing and lining and photographing for a tutorial. And at the top you can see one of the handles, plus some additional squares and a magical half-square that I found in the bottom of my project bag. Hmmmmm, a half square??? This has really been puzzling me as I confess I don't even remember making the half square. My brain has drawn a complete blank on that, I remember nothing. 

This afternoon when I  started to think about joining the handle to the body of the square bag, I realised with a sinking heart that it wasn't going to work. There is just too much crochet to gather in, and no way is it do-able. I couldn't understand it, because I recall last year I actually physically sampled the gathering and attaching method and it worked a treat, so I assumed I was good to go.

And then it came to me in a flash........the extra squares and the half square....Oh. My. Goodness. Of course!! There is meant to be an extra layer added to the top of the square bag body, two central squares with a half square either side!!! It was like a lightbulb went on and I remembered what I had planned. I am SO CROSS with myself that I didn't think to write this down, to make notes, to even take a single photo to remind me. What was I playing at?!

Anyhow - the upshot is that I now need to crochet a couple more squares and 3 more half squares, unpick my super-neat hand stitches, remove the lining, attach the additional squares to the top of the bag, make the expedition back into the eaves to drag out the sewing machine, cut and sew a new bigger lining, stitch it in place and then.......then I can crochet the gathering in handle attachment bit. I feel a bit defeated by it all at the moment.

There is one bit of good news.....I've just gone to look in my Word doc files to see if there is any remote chance that I might have thought to write up the pattern for the half-square. I was very, very doubtful as I have no recollection of doing it. But what do you know???? It's there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I almost burst into tears when I found it - high emotion indeed!!!!!!

So. I think I shall leave the bag in the naughty corner for the time being, until I feel ready to tackle the adjustments.

In the meantime, I am very close to finishing J's sock, yay, at least that's going OK! I finished one foot this afternoon and will work on the other tomorrow, then it's just the toes to graft. I know he's really looking forward to getting them on his feet.

When we went to collect Little B from school he was in very high spirits as we were finally making the trip to the new chocolate café. I love that we can easily walk wherever we need to go in this little town and within fifteen minutes of leaving the school gates we were seated inside a very busy café.

Oh my. It did not disappoint. Little B went for the signature hot chocolate which came with all sorts of additional extras as standard. As well as the drink itself (which was pretty amazing) there was gourmet popcorn, chocolate buttons, a chocolate cigarello, a chocolate flake and a small slab of double chocolate brownie. Wowsers, it was a very impressive chocolate feast and his little face was a picture when it arrived to the table. He demolished the lot, declared himself absolutely stuffed and said it was the best hot chocolate he'd ever had. Well worth the wait apparently.

We walked home in the late afternoon sunshine feeling glad for the upcoming break from school and the prospect of nine free days stretching ahead. I am thankful, truly.

It's been a day of ups and downs, but despite the bag fiasco I think the ups have out weighed the downs.

Right now it's 6pm and J has cooked dinner tonight (such a treat for me), the fire is lit and I have a mini bottle of prosecco waiting in the fridge. Not a bad way to end the day if you ask me. 

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Comments

[Jackie Wright]

Hi Lucy

I laughed when I read you had a naughty corner for recalcitrant crochet....so do I and sometimes they're in there for ages!!

[Liz]

So sorry about your bag☹️ I would leave it in the naughty corner until it is very very sorry😂 Love the socks.💕

[Trudi]

That cheeky little bag playing a trick on you. I wouldn't let it out of the naughty corner unless it promises to behave. I so know what you mean about peri-menopause brain fog. I lost most of 2015 when I turned 50, I was convinced I had dementia, but no those pesky hormones and the menopause was to blame. I'm not sure which I am most jealous of Little Bs chocolate extravaganza or that natty bottle of prosecco!

[Susan]

Hello Lucy,
That is such a seriously impressive chocolate! I’m taking my thirteen year old to the ice-cream parlour as a treat for a good report. Your school holidays sound so different to mine, there is so much school work to get through. How do you manage? I’ve enjoyed your daily blog, it must be hard on you, thank you!

[Karen]

My first thought reading about your bag, was that you mentioned had ordered more material than needed for the bag lining. It hurts to have to undo your patiently put stitches, but on the positive side, you won’t have to order more fabric. It’s funny how things work out. You’ll know when you feel ready to work on the bag again. Can’t wait to see the finished bag.

[Francesca]

Hi Lucy, I feel your pain...sometimes craft projects can be so frustrating with many 'undo' involved but the final results always make it worth it. Thank you for sharing your ups and downs, I'm sure it's not always easy.
I'm really enjoying your daily blog posts and I wish you a lovely half term! I hope you can see the sea! A day in the New Forest is at the top of my wish list this half term. xx

[Meredithe]

You poor love - it’s so frustrating when projects go haywire. It will all work out now I’m sure. So envious of Little B’s hot chocolate treat - looks amazing.

[Sandra]

Dear Lucy, I'm a follower for more than 14 years, but rarely posted a comment before. Your colorful crochet always makes me smile and the pictures of your beautiful! surrounding always want me to go outside myself. But what I do appreciate, is how you describe the struggle of the peri-menopause... Struggling myself with it, it is a relief that you're describe it. There's still a lot of denying about it, by men and also by women... After 7 years I'm almost over it, and it was a really instructive time, I'm proud that I found my ways to get it through, nowadays I can handle it. I'm convinced you will find your own way! A big hug and kind regards from Holland, from Sandra

[Line]

That's life! It happens and many people would have hidden the fact. Thanks for your honesty: it is what makes me want to read you and I' m sure your bag will in the turn out finished in the most beautiful and colourful way.

[Andrea]

How are you all dealing with Covid right now? Are you wearing masks? Are all children in school? Are shops open to full capacity? Just wondering how different it might be across the pond!

[Denise]

Could you... unpick the lining from the top 2 corner squares, swap the squares out for triangles and just have a smaller bag? It feels like that could work to start with? I do feel your pain though. Nothing more infuriating when something that’s supposed to be fun feels like it’s slapped you in the face. Dagnabbit!

On a side note, can I just say what a stroke of genius your sock knitting is? The fact that you just literally knit 2 socks on 2 different needles and switch between each one, so you don’t get second sock syndrome. It looks so fiddly knitting 2 on the same needles, but this is perfect :)

[Sandra]

Wow that hot chocolate looked amazing no wonder little B was stuffed.
Looking forward to seeing the finished bag, sounds like the sort of thing I would do when I get over excited about finishing a project.
I hope you enjoyed half term with the family and maybe a trip to the seaside.

[Silvia]

So nice to be with you everyday!! And I Love enjoying hot chocolate!! Have a nice weekend, today is my birthday so I'm having a great family time!! 😉

[Julia]

Oh no, oh no!! Oh, I am so sorry that this happened! It must suck big time, I'd be discouraged as well. (Good thing that you had bought more cloth, right?) I was relieved to read that you had at least notes for the half-square!!! PHEW.

I hope you can get to it one step at a time, I'm sure the bag will look lovely - as lovely as little B's chocolate, which looks downright amazing, honestly. (The socks look great, too! Opal makes fantastic sock yarn)

[Julia]

Happy Friday to you!! The hot chocolate looks so good - my favorite. I have a bottle of prosecco in the fridge with my name on it. So looking forward to pouring myself a glass very soon! Have a lovely and relaxing weekend.

[CJ]

Oh my, my youngest would be VERY happy with that hot chocolate as well, amazing. How frustrating about the bag. Redoing stuff is harder than doing it the first time somehow. It sounds as though you have a lovely week coming up. I'm hoping for a sunny day or two as well, I shall try and drag the youngest one (or even two) out somewhere. Fingers crossed. Have a lovely weekend. CJ xx

[Val]

This is my crochet squares bag, mentioned earlier.
https://www.ravelry.com/projects/brightsprite/granny-squares-bag
...just an idea...
Val

[Sue Rostron]

I would just make a mini lining for the extra and join it to the top of your bag. Then cover the seam with a pretty ribbon or crocheted trim.

[Charlotte]

I agree with Val. Surely it would be better if the top section wasn't lined? It would fit much more snugly over the handles without the extra bulk that the lining would add. The turned-over squares can then be sewn to the lining on the inside, which would stop them stretching. Then some crochet draw strings threaded through for added strength. Have a lovely half term hols. xx

[Sandra]

Why not relax by crocheting up the needed extra squares and half squares? It won't take long at all. Then you will be all fired up and ready to go whipping out the lining and cutting and stitching on the new one. You can be back to final finishing by tomorrow and it all done by Sunday or Monday.

[Linda from Boston]

You made me laugh with the naughty corner!!! I feel your pain. Good thing you have all that extra fabric!!!

[Lena]

Can you just make a piece of lining the sahpe of the top and sew it to the main part? Seems a shame to waste all your time and effort so far.
Sorry about your day, maybe it'something in the air! Mine involved losing my mobile phone,then finding out my prescription glutenfree rolls weren't in, so I'm now making girdle scones for tomorrow's breakfast as I'm right out of my favourite rolls. Phoned my mobile when I got in and the police station answered, as it had been handed in, and the kitchen smells lovely. Don't think the scones will last until tomorrow!

[Caz]

You have made me smile! I know you will get your bag sorted out eventually...once it’s allowed out of the naughty corner!
That hot chocolate looks amazing! Worth travelling all the way to Yorkshire for!
I expect the Prosecco is finished by now. We’ve just had fish and chips as a treat for half term. X

[Tineke]

Awful, hun, just awful. Could it be you make a different handle to this one and make the next one with the planned handles? As it's such a pity to undo all your neat work. I haven't seen the sea for a long time and won't be seeing it for a long time too. I want to go with retirement, this pandemic is way too much. Oh well, that's life. Have a lovely break with your family ;>*

[Val]

Lucy, do you have to unpick your beautiful lining - it doesn't necessarily have to be right up to the handle after all - does it?
I made a bag from squares many moons ago, but I used crocheted handles, and a long crocheted 'tie' that I wound through the top squares to pull it together.
Perhaps an idea just to crochet a long strand and thread through your unlined squares, leaving your lovely lining in place.
Good luck with whatever you decide. :-)
Val