Finished and Felted: French Market Bag

Since I think of my projects by their Proper Names, a good pattern title can suck me in immediately...it's kind of its chance to make a good first impression. I saw this cute little felted bag pattern in a back issue of Knitty, and was entranced by the idea of it. A bag for the French market! How quaintly chic. Had it been called the Schlepping Stuff to the Library Bag it wouldn't have had nearly the same effect on me.

No, I want to imagine myself in my ballet flats, tiny Audrey Hepburn bangs, and striped t-shirt, wandering among the flower stalls in Paris with a baguette peeking out of my French Market Bag.

But since nothing about that scenario is actually going to happen--especially the very short bangs part, eek! Not a good look for me--I decided to enlarge the bag and give it the ability to close. Which makes it eminently more practical for schlepping stuff to the library, n'est ce pas?

But sigh, it was not to be. As I gleefully modified the pattern on the fly as I knit, I had more confidence in the felting process' ability to cover a multitude of sins than was, perhaps, warranted. When I finished felting I had a floppy, disproportionate bag unworthy of its name. I was about to say as much when my darling daughter caught sight of it and gasped, "Mommy! It's beautiful!!" So of course, I said, "I'm glad you think so! I made it for you!"

She will use it as a Moses basket for her dollies, but her little brother discovered its true function: