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Bag Hag

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I’m a longtime fan of Namaste products. I have a set of their beautiful glass needles displayed in my office, and have used one of their older Messenger bags to tote around larger projects for years. Their latest line The Cali Collection however, has offially given me a “bag crush”. So much so, that’s I’ve completely ditched the purse I just made for myself in favor of using the charcoal Laguna as both knitting bag and daily carryall! With it’s roomy and smartly organized interior, and it’s Sex-in-the-Knitty-esque exterior, the Namaste ladies have definitely, boosted Needle Arts’ glamour level.

If you feel like packing lighter (and dare I say, sassier) for your next day/night on the town (I know I’m not the only one that brings at least a small project out with me wherever I go!), then the Cali Clutch (see below) is a MUST HAVE. It’s ingenious design and modern shape makes it both functional and fashionable! I personally have the turquoise version and *heart* it so much that it stays perched on my desk so I can just stare at it. Amazing handbags+knitting friendly=utter accessory bliss! Oh, and for all of you fellow veggies out there, all of Namaste’s bags are leather free. Bonus!

You can get your own CC bag at your local yarn store, but the full collection is available for your viewing pleasure on the Namaste website. I dare you to not covet one (or three)!

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Comments

  1. the Namaste bags are amazing! i’ve had the aqua clutch for a few months now and i really love it. i feel the urge to splurge on another! 🙂 marg

  2. I love my bag! I have the Laguna in Hollywood Pink and use it every day. I probably should have gotten a less conspicuous color had I known that I would’ve been using it everyday but I really like the pink.

  3. Ooo – I pre-odered the newport bag in peacock and I should be getting it soon. I can’t wait! I also love the laguna bag. That will probably be my next “retail therapy” purchase.

  5. Namaste has since closed (this post was published in 2008), though some of their bags are still available from places like Fabulous Yarns or eBay.

Have you read?

Knit a Linen Stitch Hot Pad

Linen stitch is one of my favorite knitting stitch patterns that, every time I use it in a project, I think about how I don’t use it often enough. 

It’s an easy stitch to make, with slip stitches done with the yarn held to the front of the work on the right/front side and to the back on the wrong/back side, which makes the strand of yarn a visible part of the pattern. 

It also makes a fabric that is thick and looks kind of like a woven fabric.

I recently used linen stitch to make a double-thick pot holder, which I worked in a kind of interesting way. I didn’t want to have to do any sewing on the project, so I started it from a crochet cast on and picked up stitches from the side of the cast on to make the hot pad all in one piece in the round with the edge sealed. 

This requires working on two circular needles, which is another technique I don’t use that often and am always reminded how much I like it when I do. 

The combination of double thickness and the stitch pattern makes for a hot pad that’s already pretty thick, but I also added a bit of old towel to the inside before I closed up the end to make it super thick and extra protective for your surfaces. 

I found the engineering challenge of this construction method to be a lot of fun, but you could also just knit it as a tube (casting on twice as many stitches as I did) and sew up the ends by hand when the knitting is done. Either way you’ve got a useful and pretty addition to your kitchen, whether you work it in a solid color, stripes or as a stash busting project will all your cotton odd balls. 

You can grab the pattern over at Our Daily Craft, or check it out on Ravelry. 

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