Onto Smaller Things

Since last I posted, the giant crochet bag has been felted, fully dried, and adorned with handles. Here's the final product (admittedly not the best photo, but the best I could do with the early morning light -- or lack thereof):

The handles were a prize from a KAL last year. The set came with wooden buttons as well, but after I tried a couple, I wasn't completely happy with how they looked (plus the holes in the buttons didn't exactly line up with the holes in the handles), so I took them off. They're sewn on with waxed linen thread that came with the handles and buttons; there wasn't a lot of it, so I could only go through each set of holes twice. Still, the handles feel pretty securely sewn on, and I can always reinforce them at a later date if need be.

I am still working on the handspun cowl, though I'm in the home stretch at this point -- just about five more colorways still to knit. I'm hoping to finish it up before the weekend is out. Here's an obligatory progress shot (please excuse the ugly office floor and furniture in the background):

Meanwhile, in the week or so I have left before the Ravellenic Games start and I cast on for my sweater, I'm attempting to bang out a baby sweater. I have a shower to go to later this month, so naturally I wanted a hand knit to bring. This is yet another terrible photo due to low light; trust me when I say the color is bright and cheerful in real life.

This is the Hyphen cardigan by Lisa Chemery, and I'm knitting it up in Knit Picks Comfy Worsted, a cotton/acrylic blend. The family I'm knitting for lives in southern Florida, so I didn't think wool would get used much, and this yarn is soft and easy care. The color also screams Miami to me:

I'm really enjoying the pattern so far, and I'm also enjoying the fact that it's knitting up very quickly. Tonight I should be able to knit up the last textured section and get to the point were I separate the sleeve and body stitches. The pattern is simple but clever, and I can definitely see myself knitting this again, perhaps even in the largest size for Rainbow.