One person’s pooling – Another person’s pattern

As I mentioned before, I am in the midst of a Not Blue project. Like everything else I’ve made, it’s simple, small, and didn’t require any new materials, as there is still no job in sight for me. The yarn is Berroco Comfort, in the Mixed Nuts colorway. The pattern is a nice simple Drawstring Bag that I thought would make a very good dice bag, and the project was intended as a gift. I cast on for the base, and all seemed to be going well.

(Sorry about the dark pictures…)

Anyway, I was pleased. The colors seemed to be breaking up well and playing nicely together. This is just the kind of varied coloration I was hoping to see from this yarn. I thought it would make a delightful, masculine look for the bag.

I finished the bottom and proceeded to pick up stitches around the perimeter, in preparation for knitting in the round to create the sides of the bag. It took a few tries (I slipped each stitch at the beginning of the row, but I didn’t get the nice slipped stitch border I was expecting. There must be a trick to it that I haven’t found yet). There were some mistakes, but I finally got it so that it looked right and had no gaping holes, so away I went!

A few rounds went by, and I realized the colors didn’t seem to be breaking up the same way as they had on the base. Oh well, give it time. Just keep knitting.

A few more rounds, and it didn’t seem to be breaking up yet. Well, maybe it will look all right anyway.

About halfway up the sides of the bag, well…

Not exactly what I’d expected. Now, for myself, I don’t think this is that bad. Looks kind of nice, even. But it’s much more likely to be something you either Like or you Don’t Like, as opposed to a relatively neutral, understated pattern like the bottom. But look at it! Look how far along I am! All that time and work, wasted! Plus, if I can’t use this yarn, what am I going to make this present out of? I don’t have yarn money!

As I was bemoaning my plight to Andrew, though, he came over to have a look at my work. And wouldn’t you know, he loved it! He says it reminds him of the coloring on a pit bull. Which I have to agree with! So I’m going to finish it out, and give it to him instead. It doesn’t solve my problem of what to make the actual gift out of, but at least all the cursing I did while picking up stitches isn’t going to waste.