Not a knitting receptacle

Last week was my birthday. See I told you that Hyde Park entry was holding me back! The only thing I asked for was a purse. I knew this was a safe request because Hubby has spontaneously bought me purses as gifts on two previous occasions. He got me this really nice bag that is a gold fabric, but not in a tacky way. The handles are just long enough to go over my shoulder, but short enough to hold in my hand if I want. And it's a good size with a few pockets for dividing stuff up. And it has a really cute pink interior. After I moved all my stuff over from my old purse, I still had more room in the new one. What was the first thing I thought, "There's enough room for a sock." But I resisted the urge. I think there is plenty of room, but I wouldn't want the interior fabric getting damaged. Although I do have to spiffy new DPN WIP tubes, so I wouldn't have to worry about the needles poking through. Still, I'm resisting the urge for now. But it has been grand fun and I really like.
Of course the other bag consuming my interest IS going to be a knitting receptacle. I'm talking, of course, about my Ravelry Bag. I've been working on it quietly and steadily while I was avoiding the blog. I have about 7 rows left to go on the back and then the flap. I concerned about the flap because I'm worried I might run out of green yarn. I've already bought two skeins of green and I don't know that I really want to get a third, but I have to do the flap and the handles still. I was considering doing the flap in green and white stripes to stretch things out. The other option is to skip the flap and have mom to a zipper when she sews the lining. Assuming she does zippers. I don't remember how she closed her own bag. I do like bags, especially purses, to close securely. I might have to think about the role of the Raverly ID bag. If it is just going to be a knitting bag a flap, and secure closure, might not be as important. But if it is going to be a knitting bag slash purse, then it will have to shut tight to protect my wallet et al. I suppose I have time to decide. I also have to figure out the flap decreases. I was thinking a triangle flap, but it occurred to me it will have to be like 50 rows long to account for the 20 rows on the bottom and the 30 rows down the side and if I start the decreases on row 2 that might be too soon and I'll have gaps at the top. sigh.
Anyway, since I'm lazy and didn't want to have to sew I decided to connect the sides to the front by knitting them in like you would

a button band. I didn't cut the green yarn when I switched to black for the bottom. So when the bottom was done, I just went back to the green and picked up and knit along the sides and edge of the bottom piece. Then I knit back and forth. When I started a row I picked up the next stitch along the side of the front and knit or purled it together with the first stitch of the row. Oh, I had slipped the first stitch of every row when I was working the front in order to have a nice, easy edge to pick up. Like on a heel flap. (Now she tells us, you say to yourself. Sorry.) Anyway, I didn't have my Vogue Knitting handy for the first few rows, so they are kind of bungled and I even managed to increase a few stitches, but after I looked up how to actually do it it moved along quite nicely. I'm rather pleased with it and have faith that the felting will take care of any wonky bits. I also am purling (RS, k WS) in the "corner" stitches, which I hope will lend some definition.

I have a crazed idea to knit a free standing Ravelry ball to make a pocket on the back, since it looks so plain at the moment. But the one on the chart I used is, as you know, huge. I would really want one just 30 rows high. Then I would sew it on with black and finish the swooshy details in duplicate stitch, which might be over kill. So I might have to think on that. I might wimp and just do a red patch pocket (because red is about all I'll have left!).
Anyway, it's bed time. Which should be lovely, considering it is pouring rain and the dogs got soaked and Samson was just laying on my pillow. sheesh.