[color=red][/color] :oops: hello again, i’m back with more questions…(sorry)…but i’m just so anxious to learn all these things…i’ve had a couple of really nice bags recommended to me, and i’m going tomorrow to buy the things i need, except, i’m not exactly sure of some things…like i don’t understand gauge :oops: means and i’m not sure what size circular needles to buy, and not sure what yarn to buy… :oops: :oops: :oops: i feel so silly asking these but i’ll never learn unless…here’s my pattern http://www.blacksheepbags.com/booga_bag.html or http://www.magknits.com/warm04/patterns/sophie.htm …thank u for taking the time with me…
i have been watching all the videos on here and am learning, but i’ll learn as i do i think better…again…thanks so much
Both of those patterns are felted and so they absolutely require 100% WOOL yarn. No cotton or synthetics. Also, no superwash wool. I believe both of those patterns use a worsted weight wool yarn - worsted is a mid weight yarn, not bulky, not fine. It usually has a gauge of somewhere between 18-20sts/4". Anyone at a yarn shop will be able to help you find an appropriate yarn.
Now gauge…gauge is a measurement of how many stitches you get per inch, and how many rows you get per inch. Stitches per inch is much more important than rows per inch. In the Sophie Bag pattern, for example, the gauge is 20sts and 16 rows over 4"/10cm in stockinette stitch, using the called for yarn and the called for needle size. With felted items it’s not such a big deal, but get into the habit of making a gauge swatch. This is a piece of knitting that you make before you start the actual project, but using the same yarn and same needle size, and in the stitch pattern specified (this case it’s stockinette stitch). It is a good idea to make the swatch a good size so that you can measure the middle section and avoid the cast on/cast off/edges in your measurements because these could be distorted a bit. So cast on something like 30 stitches and work a good 5-6" in stockinette stitch. Now you will measure. Count how many stitches across a single row fit into 4". Also, count how many rows in a single column fit into 4". Compare your results to the gauge given by the pattern.
[b]If you have too many stitches per 4" you will need to use a larger needle size to achieve gauge.
If you have too few stitches per 4" you will need a smaller needle size to achieve gauge. [/b]
I hope that helps you out.
Needle size…both of these patterns call for a size 10.5 needle. That is in US sizes. You will need a 16" circular and also double pointed needles in the same size for the Sophie bag. For the Booga, it says you can use either a 16" or a 24" length circular, and it also says that you need double pointed needles for that one, but I found it was unnecessary because everything it was asking me to do with the dpns, I could do just as well with the circular.
I hope this helps you out. Let us know if you need more pointers.
xxx
The really nice thing about either of these bags is that gauge isn’t critical at all! The size will change more according to how it’s felted than to what your gauge is. Just get the 24" 10.5 circular needles and some 100% wool yarn. Gauge is simply how many stitches you get per inch with a certain yarn on a certain set of needles. You use this to figure out what size something will end up, but when you felt, that all changes when it shrinks anyway! So for this project don’t worry about gauge (if you are knitting a sweater say… pay TONS Of attention to gauge).
Get the 10.5 double point needles if you want to do an i-cord for the handle. You could do a cord for the handle or get one of these clover wonder knitters that my daughter prefers for the i-cords (she says they go MUCH faster). The blog post with the wonder knitter explains more.
Don’t buy white as most whites WON’T felt! Patons Classic Merino is good for felting, as is Cascade 220. Most 100% wool yarns will felt. Someone posted that Patons is on sale at Michaels. If you have Joanns coupon, they usually carry Patons. Also, Michaels will honor Joanns coupons if they are from an actual printed flyer (not printed off line).
The patons felts down pretty fast and can get really SMALL if you don’t watch it. Check it often while felting 
You can read about my daughter’s experience and see her patons and other bags on her blog.
this post has photos of two bags. Both made with the booga bag pattern. One made with patons (the small purple bag) and one with recylced yarn. You can see the difference in size the yarns made!
The photo is this post shows a different booga bag made with recycled yarn, as does this post which also shows her inventive way of drying the bags more quickly.
As you can tell, she likes to knit booga bags! She’s away till tomorrow, or I would have had her answer.
Hope this helps!
Mama Bear
I see knitqueen was posting while I was writing and did a better job of explaining gauge. I do have to agree with her that you don’t need the double points for this. You can easily do an i-cord with the circulars. I just wasn’t thinking (besides, always a good excuse to get more needles 
)
Mama Bear
You can read about my daughter’s experience and see her patons and other bags on her blog.
)
[color=red][/color]thanks so much again for everything…i’m so excited about getting started :happydance: hopefully i’ll be able to do…i’ll keep in touch to let u know the progress…and probably have more questions :oops: :doh: but thank u both so much…u guys are life savers…and my heroes for being able to knit so well…talk to you soon