I used to be a trail runner and a bit of a gym rat. For now I’ve ditched the discipline of running and  am discovering the joy of  just “playing” – it’s a whole new ballgame (ha, ha).  It’s a blast to grab the softballs and mitts, head for Feller Field, and simply play catch or hit a few balls. Steve is a very good teacher and patient coach. He also has good reflexes, which is a good thing because on those rare occasions when I actually hit the ball, it tends to rocket right at him. (I keep trying to reassure him this is not intentional.)

Naturally, I had to drag knitting into this activity. What better way to lug the balls and gloves than in a string bag?  Elisa’s Nest Tote is a pattern that fits the bill perfectly. Not only is it stretchy and fun to make, but the pattern is free too. I made it about 50% bigger than the pattern called for, in Knit Picks Comfy Fingering yarn. I used blue and red, as a nod toward our adopted home team , the Cleveland Indians.

The original pattern does not call for felting, but I wanted a good sturdy bag without having to line it. I swatched and came up with a gauge that’d give me the size bag I wanted. I used good ol’ Cascade 220. Because I wanted the maximum detail, I knitted it single strand on #8 needles. This gave me the crisp points and lines necessary to keep the motifs’ delicate feel.

 The other good thing about felting was that I had done very little intarsia before. Which means I had some wonky stitches where the colors met. I threw the bag in the washing machine and Voila! Wonky stitches magically disappeared.