Larger Than Life CAL

The first bag was fueled by inspiration to work with crocheted blocks and a selection of Crystal Palace Cotton Chenille in so many great colors I felt like I could taste them all. I was working at Unwind at the time and every day it felt like this yarn was taunting me. I grabbed the colors I thought would work together and dived right in. There are 12 different color combos in that one. I just went wild with the crocheting and then spent a week playing a puzzle game matching them together to layout the bag.

I must admit the lining and the handles were afterthoughts and lacked a certain polish. That didn’t stop me from carrying the bag everywhere! I’ve owned two bags in my lifetime that have the power to make me new friends in odd situations (public bathrooms, waiting in line to order at Fatburger, etc) and this bag is one of them. People really would stop me in my tracks to talk about my bag, crochet, color, all sorts of things. As a result this one became known as the “Showstopper” and “Superstar”. Even with a sloppy lining that didn’t include a closure for the monster bag, I used it as my carry on for several plane trips. Who doesn’t want to fly with a bag that feels like a pillow? Superstar now has the look of a well loved teddy bear. I’m planning to spruce her up and make some much needed repairs very soon.

The second bag is the Larger Than Life bag in Interweave Crochet. Superstar did her magic at TNNA last year and got the attention of the powers that be at Interweave. I had taught several classes on making your own bag with crocheted blocks, but hadn’t submitted this design for publication. I felt the Willow block from 200 Crochet Blocks was too strong a part of the bag and too unique (not a standard like the classic granny). I didn’t want to step on any toes by publishing something that depended so strongly on someone else’s motif. Luckily, Interweave published 200 Crochet Blocks and everyone was excited to show what one can do with a great crochet block. Once it was decided that the bag design had found a home in publication, it was time to choose colors and yarn. this was a tad trickier than the first time around. The magazine has a color palette. I also had to shake loose from the first bag’s inspiration and find the second bag’s inspiration to focus on. Where the first bag had been born because I loved the feel of the Cotton Chenille and the colors were a party of wild abandon, this one was approached in a more controlled manner.

I copied the colors from the palette and drew blobby things with them in photo shop to get a feel for how I might like to use the colors.

Once I had a feel for it and could start to taste the color (always a good sign), it was time to choose a yarn. I had never used any Koigu before, but they had every color I needed. I was in for a pleasant surprise, Koigu Kersti is just dreamy! Once again, I had a great pile of colors and a yarn that feels so great in my hands.

I’m at it again. Making bag number 3, destined to be a display piece at The Knitter’s Studio. They have a lot of variegated Koigu Kersti in stock at the moment . . . I have some issues with variegated though. You see, some of the hate crimes against crochet were committed using horrific variegated yarns. The spacing of the color is usually too short and creates pooling of blotchy colors where the same yarn knitted up would have layers of lovely color lines. I have personally had a crush with many a beautiful multicolored yarn to bring it home and find it just doesn’t crochet as purdy as I wished. It’s a cruel, cruel thing. So I was rather suspicious about working up the bag with a slew of variegated yarn. I brought the yarn home, decided to commune with the inner 10 year old. The one who spent her summer days hanging with Mama Mac and crocheting chain after monster chain with pink variegated yarn. It’s a bit of a fine line, but I think I’m getting some good results. The whole thing is missing some greenish something though.

I’m finding that if I use one variegated color way that really contrasts the previous round things seem to look better. I’ll mention here that I seem to suffer from a disorder in which any color can be made to look good with another color if you arrange things right. I can also start to see any specific color as a neutral. I can use pinks or even chartreuse as though it’s a subtle neutral like gray or brown, determined if seen as a neutral any color can be worked into a piece. In this case the overall look of any individual variegated is being seen in my head as a more neutral solid . . . does that make any sense? I absolutley love to babble about color, but often shy from it in written form because I’m convinced it won’t make sense to anyone. It all comes down to my gut. Like mixing spices into soup I just find myself piling things in to get what I’m craving.