Booga- what part is knit first???

loveswildflowers · 03-27-2006, 05:59 PM

Help! I am a fairly new knitter (since late Jan.) and this website has helped me tremendously! I've been lurking a while using the videos to learn and reading the posts for information. I've had some success with garter, stockinette, drop stitch, and very simple increase/decrease projects. I am really nervous about trying the Booga Bag, but it is soooo cute I cannot resist! Several Q's:
1. Which part of the pattern is knit first? the top? bottom? (I am wanting to try putting in a little eyelash near the top so I need to know where to add that in.)
2. I don't have any Noro Kureyon, and am substituting Paton's Classic Wool Merino which appears to have the same weight and thread count based on what I've read about them both. Anybody else have any experience with trying the Paton's Wool?
3. Any other warnings or tips for a newbie on this pattern? Or trying to integrate eyelash yarn into felting projects?
Any help, advice, or shared experiences are welcome.
THANKS so very much!

Ingrid · 03-27-2006, 11:03 PM

You start the booga with the bottom of the bag, then pick up and knit in the round for the main body of it. If you use eyelash at the top, use a strand of the wool with it so the felting of the wool will hold the eyelash tight and keep it from being floppy.

People have used the Paton's wool for felting other things, so it should work fine.

Also, the pattern says to pick up twisted stitches around the bottom. I don't think anyone ever does this, and it makes no difference.

loveswildflowers · 03-27-2006, 11:06 PM

Thanks for such a quick reply! Now I can muster my courage and go get started! :-)

knitqueen · 03-27-2006, 11:08 PM

The bottom of the booga bag is knit first, so if you want to add eyelash yarn you will want to do that at the end of your knitting. As for doing that specifically, I have never added non-felting yarn to a felted item so I can't help you there!! Someone else will, I'm sure.

And about the yarn, I have made a booga bag out of Patons Classic Wool and it came out just fine. What color are you going to do??

Have you ever knit 'in the round' before? This pattern is made on a circular needle, which sounds daunting at first, I know I was pretty nervous about it!! The booga bag was my first circular project and I found out that it was actually very easy and nothing to be afraid of.

Good luck and give a shout if you need more help!

loveswildflowers · 03-27-2006, 11:21 PM

Hi Knitqueen,
Thanks for the encouragement concerning the circular needles. That is exactly what has my nerves jangling. I've never tried them before so it makes me feel better to know that was your first circular project too.

I'm trying this in red and going to attempt to carry a little black eyelash yarn towards the top to give it a splash of contrast - which may turn out to be a big mistake, but I want a little bit of something in with the red.

Ingrid · 03-27-2006, 11:25 PM

You will be amazed at how easy circular knitting is. You'll find yourself looking for projects knit in the round!

knitqueen · 03-27-2006, 11:28 PM

I'm sure it won't be a mistake!! Every booga is original, one of a kind, and yours will be too!!

Good luck!

horve1 · 03-27-2006, 11:34 PM

I made a Booga and I think you'll enjoy the process. It was my first felted project, which was the part that had me a bit up in the air. I guess maybe I tend to "think outside the box" with knitting, but can you add the eyelash after felting, somehow? I'm just thinking out loud, but could you sew it around the top edge with a whip stitch or something like that?

njdesantis · 03-28-2006, 06:20 AM

I have another question for you Booga experts out there...

This is also my first project using circular needles, and as the pattern calls for, I've taken one of my DPNs and picked up the required stitches along the side of my rectangle. Here's my question- Do I continue using a separate DPN for each side of the rectangle (leaving me with one DPN on each side of the knitting), or can I transfer the stitches I've just picked up along the side of the rectangle to my large circular needle and knit from there? I'm a little confused, and even though this is probably obvious to you experienced knitters out there, any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much for your help!

-Nick

knitqueen · 03-28-2006, 06:56 AM

When you knitted the bottom portion of the back with knit rows back and forth (the bottom portion not in the round), were you knitting that part with your circular needle? If so, you can just keep on with the same tip of your circular needle, picking up stitches around the whole rectangle. There is really no need to use a dpn for picking up stitches. I don't think that a dpn would be long enough to pick up stitches along the entire long edge.

I hope this helps, if not give a shout.