I have been using a new knitting bag (which I bought at Stitches West) to house Max’s sweater project. It is too lovely to call a mere “bag,” of course, but what other word do we have? Purse? Handbag? Not a Tote, heaven help us! Reticule? Sack, Haversack, Carryall, Holdall, Quiver? Thank you, Mr. Roget for your kind help, but I am left with Bag. Knitting Bag, it is.

This knitting bag is made by Offhand Designs – sumptuous velvet in smashing green stripes with black velvet piping. Black grosgrain interior. Sensible pockets and handles – and those little brass feet. It is a long, narrow bag (clutch-shaped) and a departure from my usual voluminous black-hole bags (the stuffable kind that usually retains crumbs, as well as every broken pencil lead, receipt, and twist-tie that has passed within 3 feet, but time-warps crochet hooks and the last page of sweater instructions into the stone age or Renaissance or somewhere they are unlikely to do any good – okay, maybe Queen Elizabeth I would have appreciated a nice standardized set of crochet hooks…).

This is a “One Project Bag.” Totally monogamous – one sweater, no little sock-knitting slipped in. I am becoming converted to this method. Besides the obvious fact that it totally legitimizes the purchase of new knitting bags, it keeps me focused. If I have one knitting bag with three or four projects inside, I am pretty much destined to project-hop my way through the evening. I will begin with the baby sweater and, eventually, the socks will start whining for attention or the ball of silk (that is not even cast-on, the hussy!) will coo invitingly. With one project in the bag, I am safe – or, at least the other projects would have to really yell from the bedroom and then I would actually have to get up out of my chair…

Anyhow, it is a good system and the new bag is a good bag. The best feature is the frame which is hinged in 6 places. It snaps open and stays open so I can knit out of it. Function is Beauty – and the green striped velvet is pretty cool, too.