Two bags by Christina

I have poor pictures of two bags - one finished and one a work-in-progress (see how I copycat Cyndie!?). Anyway, the lighting isn't great, and the first bag is dark, so you're just getting a glimpse, but this is the one I made out of grey wool, with ribbony accents, and then I felted it and shaved it and added the snap. The bag was a pattern from my local craft store, but I adapted the handles from a bag called Sophie on MagKnits.com. Although it looks a bit small here, it's about 14 inches deep and 18 inches wide. I made the handles long so I could sling it across myself to carry it, thinking it would be a bag to take to the farmer's market, but it turns out it's my knitting bag, where I stash my work I'm taking on the go.

This bag was pricey, though, and I think my talents did not do justice to the expense of this wool. So, I've turned my meager talents to something a little more affordable, which may make you cringe. Yes, it's true - I'm now working with plastic. I got sick of all the grocery bags we accumulate, and yet when I try to re-use them they are often too flimsy. So, I found a few patterns online, and am adapting them to make a tote that I'll just store in the car for grocery shopping - you cut up the plastic bags in one long spiral (like you're peeling an apple) and then I'm crocheting with that to make a front (pictured), an identitical back, and then a four inch gusset that will run all the way around between front and back. We'll see what we see on this one - it reminds me of the breadbag rugs mom had - or at least I think that she did. Anyway, I thought that I woudl like the multicolor of this, but I have few multicolor bags, so I'm sticking mainly with it being white and beige. The beige color is from our Safeway, and when I crochet it up I think it looks passably like straw (see closeup) so if I make another of these, I might make it all out of Safeway bags for a uniform look. Anyway, fun to play.