BEFORE BATH

NO FELTING YET, originally uploaded by planeta hilda.

One evening plus a day from my perfect weekend and the knitting part was done. I knitted it after Meema's Felted Marsupial Tote pattern, from Stitch'n Bitch. The original includes a lovely little pouch but I didn't do it. The yarn used is Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride. I used about 5 skeins from a beautiful portuguese mohair from "Arrancada" yarns (sadly discontinued nowadays). It is not a sophisticated mohair yarn, the spinning is rather tight and wavy and the hairy effect is irregular: the result is a yarn full of texture and personnality. I love it and will sure be using it for more projects I have in mind.
Using two strands together and 10 mm circular needles, as the pattern called, knitting it was really pleasant and fun. The bottom is knitted flat, then you pick up stitches all around and begin knitting in the round. The corners are shaped by a right twist: when you get to each corner you knit the second stitch on the left hand needle without slipping it out of the needle, you knit first stitch and you slip both stitches off needle. That really works and creates a kind of a vertical structure. Anyway it looked really floppy and huge before felting. It seemed to me that the handles were too wide.
Then I machine washed it together with a fleece blanket and a pair of jeans. One cycle at 40 degrees was enough.
One night drying on a mould made of boxes and it was done.