Fingerlicious Purse in Progress

I woke up the other morning with a bright idea for a fingering weight purse.  Eventually we are going to get a bit tired of always making socks.  We still will want a portable project but maybe a friend has enough socks. I don't know how but it could happen.   Or we just might want to try something different.  Then I saw a sock yarn purse in the latest Knitter's mag but once I looked at the directions thought I could come up with something different that was knit in the round instead of flat.

I looked at the purses I have that I like best. What were the parts I liked, why?  What about the ones hanging that are rarely used?  hmmmmnnnn

I thought and thought about what might look fun and be fun to knit, took some stash sock yarn out of the storage container and started looking through my Barbara Walker Books. Aren't they like eating candy?   Then  s l o w l y   several swatches were made to see how a stitch pattern might look on size 4 needles. 

The middle swatch is actually 'knit one below'.  I finally understood the directions and very much enjoyed the process but it is too elastic for this project.  However I know my brain will come up with something soon for that neat stitch.

The bottom one won out, giving the most dense fabric but on size 3 needles.

Now for the prototype base.

Yes there are a few trials and errors down in the starting rows but by the last 1.25 inches this pattern was settled.  You are seeing the beginning of a smallish purse - 6-7 inches wide for the prototype - but I think it may become a pattern in and of itself as this one will take only a single skein of yarn.

Once the base was established and I could no longer avoid the factoid that the row gauge is 16 rows per inch I blanched. ONE SIXTEENTH OF AN INCH PER ROW, ARGHHHH!!!! Who is going to finish that?  OK how could the purse go a bit faster yet still have enough body?  Really, 9 sts per inch with 16 rows per inch is plenty dense but plenty slow too.

So for the bottom we keep that gauge as it should be extra sturdy. BUT the bag is going to be lined anyway allowing for a slightly less dense body fabric.

We are now on size 4's getting 12 rows per inch. This is very acceptable and the larger needle gives the bit of billowing out I wanted without adding stitches.  However the book I was listening to on my ipod is done so another selection needs to be made.  Yup, I have found that listening to a book allows me to knit along and make much more progress than just knitting to music or my own thoughts.

Oh and the Wee Baby Bonnet from Piecework started in RI is now done.