Pattern/Technique: Monteagle Bag by Modern Daily Knitting
Materials: 1 skein of HiKoo PopCycle in Glad 3004. Used size 10 16" circular needle.
New skills: lots of fun and strange new stitches
Lessons: The pattern calls for 270 yds of yarn, but I was actually able to squeeze 2 bags out of a single skein of PopCycle.
The diameter of the cable is significantly smaller than a size 10 knitting needle, which can make the stitches hard to "load" on to the needles. I had a really hard time with tension initially and nearly gave up on the pattern, but I eventually figured out some techniques to make this much easier:
Using loose tension on the knit stitch rounds, particularly during the crossed stitch section
Using my fingernail to slide stitches without putting pressure on them
Lightly gripping the already-knit stitches during the lasso section prevents the loops from getting tangled into the active stitch while lassoing.
In the horizonal stitch section, it's easier to move the stitch to the left needle by slipping the needle into the loop from the back.
The handle stretches out a lot when loaded, so make sure to measure the 20" length while the handle is stretched.
What I'd do differently: I'd cast off a little looser at the top of the bag to make it easier to fill.
I'm definitely curious about knitting this pattern in linen as recommended in the pattern.
