It all started harmlessly enough. My dad gave me a prototype knitting bag that one of the rubber stamp designers he works with had given him.
It’s a cleverly designed bag – it has pockets everywhere and is spacious enough for a good sized project. But I don’t do so well with light colors: I spill mochas and pinot noir on them and then set them down in muddy puddles. So this bag holds assorted tools, zippers, and early projects.
I next picked up a bag at the Land’s End Inlet. It’s good sized, has lots of interior pockets, and is water resistant vinyl.
It came with a mysterious little mat and a nifty little bag that was very handy for carrying extra circular needles. Eventually one of my friends broke it to me gently that it was a diaper bag.
Oh.
Soon after, while browsing at Depth of Field, I picked up what became my very favorite knitting bag. Alas, after I got Chaos, the lack of zipper on this beloved bag was extremely problematic.
(Shhh. The bag has been retired to my closet.)
It was replaced by a handy Eagle Creek tote bag that would be perfect if it was just a little wider. (I am completely weak for Eagle Creek bags of all sorts, from luggage to tiny shoulder bags. I probably have at least 15 Eagle Creek bags of various sorts. But, since we’re just talking knitting bags here..)
Moving right along… Next follows an assortment of bags in no particular order. Most hold yarn in my closet or are used for holding inactive projects.
This bag was from Yarnover, the Minnesota Knitter’s Guild’s annual spring market and class event. An attractive bag, but alas – no zipper.
This one’s from (you’ll never guess) the Taos Wool Festival. Since it’s the size of a small suitcase, it’s most suited for shopping at fiber festivals.
I have a pair of Bagsmith’s handy freestanding project bags. I like them, but mostly use them for storage because they don’t have zippers.
This is my sock knitting project lunch box, purchased for $0.25 at a yard sale a few years ago. Completely cat resistant.
I mentioned my Red Tango mini bowling bag a few days ago, so haven’t included it again here.
Here’s a very new bag that I’ve been using to carry my current sock project. It’s a Laurel Burch, about 6″ tall. Purple cats, black cats, green cats. Doesn’t get much better than that. I like this bag so much that I’m ordering a larger version of it because… obviously I don’t have enough knitting bags.
I also have a larger Laurel Burch bag, which was pictured a few weeks ago (without Chaos). It’s a fun bag that I picked up in Taos last year, but it’s so bright I find it traumatic to carry, so I use it to hold inactive WIPs.
Um, yeah, so maybe I have a small problem with knitting bags. Just maybe…
LOL, I love bags too. Those are great bags — I love the pattern on the last one. And I had to chuckle a bit because I kept scrolling down and seeing all of those great bags and I was thinking, “Oooh, that’d make a great diaper bag. Oh, now this one would be even better.”
Too funny!
You don’t have a problem with knitting bags. Your bags are wonderful. What you are is a fabulously Basket-Free Household! (nervously glancing behind to see if The Basket is reading over my shoulder)
This is getting spoooky. I too have a metal lunchbox that I use as my sock knitting kit!!!
I don’t have a single knitting bag, though. NOT ONE. But after seeing your beautiful bags, I want one too!
And it’s good to know that Chaos cleans between his toes.
🙂
those bags are just amazing. wow.
Eileen – True enough. No baskets. The compulsion to buy bags must be separate from the compulsion to buy baskets. Whew!
Kellie – 🙂 Beware starting down the path of buying bags!! You have been warned. 😉
No… you can NOT have too many knitting bags, they’re like purses, shoes, coats and sweaters. You just need them all. I totally understand. Love the sock knitting lunch box!
I agree completely. One cannot have too many knitting bags. You have projects, right? Or UFO’s or WIP’s or I-don’t-know-what-it’s-going-to-be-but-I-love-that-yarn…. they all need homes. It’s just sad for yarn/projects to not have homes.
I saw a glorious bag in Mendocino that I wish I’d bought. It had a four corner contraption that snapped into a normal purse closure (two sides – I’m hideous at explaining things) but opened it up beautifully when it was….opened. Lots of pockets. Pricey though.
Carrie K – I am glad to “see” you out and about.
Thanks for being enablers, gang! 😀
My husband seems to collect bags too, but he doesn’t knit so we just have all these useless bags lying around. I stored some of them inside a larger bag, so now we have a bag of bags.
I love Laurel Burch too.
The lunchbox is my favorite – how great! My favorite sock bag is a little zippered pouch that fits inside my larger purses, because I hate carrying two bags simultaneously. Maybe I’ll blog about that soon . . .
Oh, I didn’t include bags like that, Theresa… um, gosh, do those sorts of bags really count?? If so, well, I have a lot more bags.
I often use stuff sacks (those nylon drawstring bags so handy for camping) for project containment – I’ll have a small purple stuff sack with a “meeting sock” in my purse so that I always have knitting with me. Larger projects and their accoutrements will be in big stuff sacks. Helps to keep the pattern, needles, extra yarn, and so forth contained.
I am in love with that Laurel Burch bag, the tapestry, muted colors one. Fantastic!
Oh, and the yarn I used for the cozy was recycled sari silk. It’s crap to knit with, I hated the way it felt, but the end result is so pretty.
If anyone else besides Aspiring Crazy Cat Lady is curious (love that name), the muted tapestry Laurel Burch bag (and its larger cousin, which I have also ordered….) are available from (don’t laugh at me too hard) CatGifts.com. I will neither confirm nor deny also purchasing a pair of black cat slippers.
there is no such thing as too many bags. However, Cricket agrees with Chaos that zippers are evil. Also, they say you should always leave a little bit of yarn hanging out of each bag so you’ll know what’s in it. 😉
Oh, now I have blog fodder! I too, am a bagaholic. Just show me a bag and I am there, baby.
Hubster and painting. I can send him, but I am not sure how much help he will be. He probably won’t want to see a paint brush after this week!
Maeve – Hmm, it sounds like Cricket and Chaos should not be encouraged to conspire!! 😉
Chris – The bathroom’s not going anyway. It’ll still need paint whenever. 😀
Wheewe, what a collection. They are some nice ones, though I especially love Shaun’s cameo in one.
Anmiryam – I am not surprised that you noticed Shaun! I have a bunch of the Wallace & Gromit knitting patterns, and I’ve been meaning to knit a stuffed Shaun for the longest time…
I think that the knitting bag addiction is related to the knitting addiction in general–they go hand in hand. I have a ton of bags too; mostly Vera Bradley and felted ones. 🙂
Yay, bags! They are GF! We have to have some sort of concilation prize, right?? :o) The philosophy box is perfect for keeping little paws out. I’ve have the same pair of socks-in-progress/sock yarn destroyed twice by my little beast. I’m learning to be more creative in hiding the yarn…
Why are your knitting bags a problem? I don’t see any problem. Nope. No problem at all. (she said, thinking of all the bags in *her* closet).
🙂
Dang, I’m thinking I should have tagged any knitters reading this to post pictures of their knitting bags. 🙂