Bare necessities bag

Bare Necessities Bag Pattern

When I leave the house, my bag almost invariably contains

• my planner
• the book I'm reading
• a sketchbook
• a current knitting project
• my phone
• my wallet
• my coin-purse, because my wallet doesn't have space for coins
• a water bottle
• my pencil case

Optional extras include

• my journal
• a notebook for writing projects
• my 'miscellaneous' notebook
• camera
• another knitting project in case I don't feel like working on the first one
• my sewing kit
• specific items I need that day

This could be construed as me having a terrible aversion to not having something to do, which is true, but it becomes even more uncomfortably irrational given that I usually cycle into town, so I can't say that those things are to occupy me on the bus in. I'm usually cycling to either meet someone or go to work, as well, so once there it would be impolite to start reading or writing. So in practise, I cycle into town, a large bag containing the weight of a small child in paper hanging off my handlebars just in case, then I cycle home, where I can use any of it.

I like small bags because they force me not to damage my back for no reason. Usually in pattern backgrounds this is where the "so I made one to suit my exact needs" comes in, but I made one for someone else, because I like the idea of it, but I need all that paraphernalia.

This bag was made using a 9mm crochet hook with Hoooked Zpagetti. (I'm a brat when it comes to other people's presents - I select yarn I want to use, then decide something to make with it.) The fabric is a bit difficult to work, but it's very quick to make, an easy beginner's project, and doesn't have seams, which I consider a bonus in anything.

"Are you intoxicated? You're being all affectionate."

I went to Electric Picnic at weekend!  Last year I got to go for free as I went with work, this year I got to go for free by volunteering.  By chance, I was working in the boutique campsite, so my wristband let me into the campsite where my work-friends were staying.  I took advantage of this after the first night, when my brother's friend crawled into our tent in wet clothes and fell asleep on my legs.  (I did manage to fall asleep, but woke up a while later because he was shivering violently, and couldn't convince him to put on dry clothes.)

I made this bag out of two t-shirts the night before I left, as my conveniently-sized one got snatched in Lima.

Confession: The 'handmade' one isn't an old, re-used one, I just saw it on sale.  But how could I not buy it to make it into a something?

I was happy enough with it for a speedy job - though the strap was a bit stretchy, which I solved by tying a knot a few inches down it - until Saturday night, when the bottom ripped and my wallet fell out.  So now it's at the back of the drawer while I sulk about that.  That will teach me to be lazy and speedy in my sewing, especially hand-sewing (though I expect my clothes to take much less strain than bags, so first time mistake etc.)  I have a pretty low opinion of whipstitch, too.

The wallet thing was also annoying as I'd planned to go to a few Greencrafts workshops on my last morning.

Happy concert things: PJ Harvey, Republic of Loose, Jazzberries (the guy playing the keyboard lives up the road from me, and he and my brother have been friends since they were teeny, but I've never heard them play before), running into people I haven't seen since the start or the Summer, the spicy veggie burgers from the big orange stand.

A incident I'm not sure how to feel about is that when I went to buy a shirt, I asked for a men's small (babydolls sit funny on me, and men's shirts are easier to made into different things, plus the material tends to be lighter) and was given a women's small.  I asked the person who gave it to me, and he said that was all they had, and sure that'd fit me better anyway. (1. Wonky proportions, no it won't, and 2. Men's Small and Women's Small aren't equivalent size-wise.)  I ended up getting it because it was the design I liked the best, but giving a guy a Women's shirt because it was the only kind left would be seen as a weird thing to do.  It's nice to have the option to buy things from either section of the shop, which isn't really available to guys, but assuming without checking that I'll take something from the section I didn't choose this time sits a little strange with me.