Aylaah........You Got Me on My Knees Ayla!

Sniff, sniff, aaah-choo! Oh what a surprise another bloody head cold! I hadn't even gotten over the last one yet! Probably has something to do with those four days last week without house heating!

I've dosed up on Sudafed Super Extra Mega Strength, so hopefully I've get through this post "drip free"! Ewww!

Earlier this month I began knitting a felted backpack, Ayla by Jordana Paige. I used Cascade 220 wool as the pattern suggested, but changed the colours to those that my adorable little niece, Jaycee Mae, would just lerv!

Jaycee Mae with the knitting needles she made

I know I said I'd never do intarsia again...but the flower on Ayla called for intarsia. The knitting itself was pretty boring.....stockinette all the way. I modified it a little - to break the boredome - by spelling Jaycee's name at the top with some stranded work. I also did the last three rows in a little red and white stripe just to add some of the flower colour somewhere else on the bag.

At the end of my knitting my unfelted bag was 20ins tall, 46ins around and 5.5ins deep. The straps were 30ins long.

Unfelted Canary Ayla

The pattern said to sew the base to the body of the backpack, then pick up stitches around the base, stockinette for a few rows, and cast off. The tube that results from this gets wrapped around the sewn edges, making what almost looks like an i-cord. I sped this process up a little by not sewing the base to the body first. I simply picked up the required stitches holding the base and body together.

I put the straps, i-cord tie, backpack and an old pair of jeans into the washing machine for about 10mins - hot wash, and a little detergent.

My resulting felted backpack measured 11ins tall, 39ins around and 4.5ins deep. The straps were 21ins long.

Felted Ayla

After the backpack was fully dry, I had to line it. The instructions for lining the bag could have been better (i.e. adding some sizes of pieces), but I'm a sewer, so it didn't take long to sew the pretty lining. The body piece was 40ins x 11ins, and the base was 11ins x 5ins. Finally, a bit of hand sewing to attach the straps and the lining to the backpack, and I was finished.

End Results

This was a fun project. The backpack turned out awesomely! I love it, and I know Jaycee will love it too.

Now, as they say "one down, two to go"! Next one is for Karlia. Like her Aunty, she loves turquoise!