Aberdeen Yarnfest Part One - Anticipation

So I decided to make a bag.  Out of these leftovers.  All treasured bits from previous projects hand dyed by my friend, Helen, of Ripples Crafts.

When I learned that Aberdeen was to host its first yarn festival, and that Helen would be attending as a vendor with her wonderful wares, I offered to help her at her stand.

She said yes.  I'd need a bag and what could be more appropriate than a bag made from my precious Ripples Crafts stash.  So, with only a vague plan in mind, and less than a fortnight to go, I started crocheting wee squares.  I already had some bright pink lining fabric to match the main colour.

I'm not the only one to keep all my precious Ripples Crafts leftovers.  My yarn enthusiast friend, Ethmay, is a champion sock knitter and kindly lent me her spare yarn dyed by Helen to add to my colourful collection.

The squares each got a pink edging...

... then I joined them all together.

During a car journey to visit friends and back again, when I wasn't driving(!), I crocheted a plain rectangle to be the back of the bag.  I was going to need every scrap of Helen's wonderfully named pink 'A Cerise Which Demands Attention' so a pussy hat I'd made some time ago which was too big was unravelled for the greater good.

Pinning out the fabric whilst damp helped iron out the rumples.

I crocheted a long strip to add width and attached it along three sides.

The sewing machine and I are not best friends -  however I managed to make a cotton lining with my vibrant pink fabric and insert a zip.  Please don't look too closely.  I then hand-sewed the lining into the bag.

All that was left was to crochet a strap and attach it.  Not cutting it fine but I was sewing in the handle whilst having coffee with Mum the day before the festival and just hours before Helen was due to arrive!

So I filled my bag with festival essentials and pinned on my favourite badges.  My 'Adventures in Yarn' notebook is made by Popcorn and Crocodiles and my wool girl brooch is made by Gabrielle Reith.

I wore my bag all day and it worked really well, even if the strap got a little longer as the day went on!

Were you at Aberdeen Yarn Fest?  Did you visit the Ripples Crafts stand and see me and my colourful bag?  I'll be writing more about the great event the yarn fest turned out to be in my next post.