A bag for Mimi

This is my Mama, Mimi. I've mentioned at least a couple times on this blog that Mimi is quite the prolific knitter. (Though the name "Grammy" was quickly relinquished when Ava first pronounced her "Mimi", yes, I am referring to the same woman in those old posts.) I am certain, however, the word 'prolific' does not adequately communicate how productive and generous Mimi really is with her knitting. 

I searched through my photos and gathered the small collection of images above of all that Mimi has accomplished in the 3 1/2 years since Ava was born. And friends, I do not exaggerate when I say "small collection". You can't even imagine how many beautiful sweaters, hats, mittens, booties and blankets Mimi has knit for these (and other) little ones. Let's just say they are in absolutely no danger of ever being cold. 

I was very happy to hear that Mimi has finally started knitting for herself, as she should be able to enjoy her beautiful work too. And I am looking forward to seeing her sweaters in person as I know they will be exquisite. Often when I make a small mistake in one of my own projects I just push forward thinking no one will notice it in the end - and most of the time I am right. But Mimi is exacting and will tear out rows and rows that may have taken her hours to complete just so that her sweaters are *perfect*. 

Given this keen attention to detail, you may be surprised to learn that Mimi totes her creations-in-progress around in plastic bags. Scroll up to that first picture of the lovely Mimi and you'll see the evidence resting in her lap. Now it's no secret that Mimi is a lover of ziplock baggies. (She may even love them as much as Poppy loves Lysol.) If you ever receive a package from her you'll be fully stocked with ziplock bags for the entire next year. And I'm not talking your run-of-the-mill sandwich bag variety. Somehow Mimi finds the most ginormous ziplock bags possible - they're practically large enough to crawl inside of (not that I am recommending you try it). While these baggies are no doubt impressive in stature and most certainly squall-proof, I've been thinking for a while that Mimi should have something a bit nicer and more earth-friendly to carry her projects along in as she knits her way from home to knitting store to Minnesota to everywhere in between.

So for Mimi's birthday in September I decided to make her a Super Tote knitting bag. I got the idea from Ashley's blog a while back. I felt the pattern would work perfectly for a knitting bag with it's large size and numerous pockets - not to mention it's so much more appealing than a ziplock. The pattern was extremely thorough and well made, and I am very happy with how the bag turned out.

The poppy print is a home dec weight fabric I found at Crafty Planet. Unfortunately the selvage is not labeled, so I don't know who the designer is. It struck me as being playful yet sophisticate and I hoped Mimi would like it (it's covered in Poppy's - how could she not!). The contrast fabric is home dec weight glimma by Lotta Jansdotter. The lining is a Kona cotton solid. I lined all exterior pieces with interfacing as recommended, so the bag is solid and structured.

I included pockets on the inside of the bag for stitch counters, scissors, measuring tapes, tapestry needles and any other knickknacks Mimi may tote along with her. After much consideration I omitted the zipper, as I couldn't get the thought of a knitting meets zipper catastrophe out of my mind - and I certainly didn't want to be responsible for such a disaster.

The large external pocket on the super tote seemed perfect for storing knitting patterns. I made and inserted my first piping ever on this pocket and am so proud of how it turned out.

We love you Mimi and hope your birthday celebration with us made you feel as loved as you are. We appreciate the warmth you send us with all of your beautiful knits and hope your new knitting bag serves well for toting your future projects wherever you may wish to take them.