Fabulous Handbag - Sydney Satchel

When planning and then going on an overseas holiday, it's the perfect excuse to make a new handbag!  And it's also the perfect reason to use some wonderful textured European house print fabric.

For the flap and sides, I used vinyl for contrast.  A bit of playing around with the pattern layout and I managed to get the houses all with their roofs up when the flap is open.  I also love that this pattern allowed for an adjustable strap so that the bag can be worn cross body or from one shoulder.

A handy zippered pocket on the outside is great for keys and train tickets.

Not to mention, lots of useful pockets on the inside.  One zippered and the others for phone, pens and tissues.

This bag was a wonderful asset while I was travelling and now that I've been back home for a few weeks, I am still using it because it is such a good size and seems to fit me well. 

Just gotta love a really good hand-bag!

Pattern used:   Sydney Satchel by Monica Poole.

Scarves!

Before I went to the UK and Germany in August, I completed quite a bit of scarf knitting, to add to the ones I'd already made so that I would have some gifts for the friends I was meeting and staying with.  Using gorgeous hand dyed and small batch made local yarns, I knitted these 3 scarves...

Above is my favourite go to pattern, of the two leaves, which interlock to form a lovely neck-warmer.  The blue scarf is knitted with pure merino and the grey scarves are from a merino, bamboo and silk mix.

 

This grey scarf is using the pattern Speedbumps from Steepndeep designs on the Ravelry website.



For my quilting friends, I gifted either a collection of aboriginal prints or a patchwork pattern book with local icons by an Aussie designer.

In return I was lucky enough to have been hosted by these wonderful ladies and their families as well as receiving some fantastic gifts in return and being well looked after.