And then the REAL order of things

Okay so below you will see that my if, then theory is correct but uncorrectable! So let me give you all the stuff about what you are about to view below and then tell me if you agree with me or not....
Mother in Law's Mother's Day gift details:

PATTERN Sophie bag by Julie Anderson for Black Sheep Bags www.magknits.com/warm04/patterns/sophie.htm

YARNS
Cascade 220 9408
http://www.cascadeyarn.com/cascade-220.asp
Melissa 10
http://www.ericas.com/yarn/melissa.htm

HANDLES
Clover Bag's & Tote's HandlesU-shaped marble (brown) Art no 6335
http://www.fabricsunlimited.net/batouhabycl.html

All purchased from Knit 'n Knibble in Tampa Florida
www.knitnknibble.com

NEEDLES
size 10 1/2" 16" circulars (Denise's literally)

MARKERS/COUNTERS
bits of leftover bright pink cascade and one row counter

Here are the differences from the pattern as posted at
www.magknits.com/warm04/patterns/sophie.htm


I started to decrease earlier as someone on one of my knitting lists mentioned they did that and liked it better. I could not put my hands on the print out of that woman's email so I just decreased at rows: 7, 14, 21, 28, 35, 42, and 50
[Note: I added the Melissa in at rwo 43 after the decrease at row 42.]

Then I knit one more row and used an I-cord bind off
Don't know how to tell you the "number" of stitches but I knit 3 then knit 2 together and then slip the stitches back on to the left needle and knit 3 together and knit 2 together and so on and so on.

Sorry don't know of a link for that one I use a combination of the actual I-cord instructions found here
http://knitting.about.com/library/blicord.htm
and the I-cord bind off directions in a hand out pattern at Knit 'n Knibble (Autumn Tote) that I did not understand without the online directions... makes no sense but if you think of it I-cord is soooo confusing until you "get" it smirk

No one can tell me what to do when I get to the end of my I-cord bind off so when I can no longer knit in the pattern (in the above case I'm down to just 4 stitches) I then knit 2 stitches then slip the first stitch on the right needle over the 2nd stitch. then knit another stitch and now slip again until left with one stitch. cut yarn leaving about 8" of yarn. Pull through loop on needle. The 8" of yarn leaves you plenty to attach the bound off edge to the start of your I-cord bind off and work in the tails.

The pre-felting measurements are in one of the "ordered" posts below as are the after felting measurements. What I forgot to say in one of them is that when it was all felted it had a "waistline" better than I've ever seen on this body and it just begged to be folded down over the bag! That made it just right and I could not have been more pleased with the finished bag.

The brown cascade 220 has a slight heathering look to it that does not show up much in as you work with it but it showed up NICELY in the felted bag! What a bonus that turned out to be.

FELTING
12 minutes in a pillowcase and nothing else in the washer on hot with one pot of hot boiling water added to the water and a bit of Dawn detergent. ummm that gave me a scare because I had not added that before and it looked like I would become a suds action disaster in my garage!
rinsed
6 minutes again all alone in the washer and it was just right for my tastes.

It is now stuffed with plastic Winn Dixie bags and upside down on a canning jar on my dining table drying! I'll add the handles after it is dry and make a final decision as to whether or not to add a decorative button or beads on the folded down area of the bag. I think a trip to Wannabead Tampa Florida (conveniently located near Heritage Quilt and Needlework where I work and teach) to test lay out some stones/beads on it.

so now.... on to the pictures and the writings.
have a marvelous day filled with God's Blessings
denise aka grandma brattie-to-be