Bike bag

I wanted to post about a project that I actually finished a while ago, but hadn't taken one final and in my opinion necessary photo of, which I wanted to do before I shared it.

I mentioned a while ago that I was working on this project, a small bag to hang on the handlebars of my bike. I've been using it and I love it. It's the perfect size for the necessary items like cell phone and wallet.

I came up for the idea myself. I knew I could make something that met my needs much easier than trying to find a bag in a store that would work. That's what's fun about being a "crafty" person!

I measured to get an idea of size, and then came up with a cable pattern to use. (In fact, I liked so much how this came out that I would love to make an actual purse like it someday!) I did a giant cable flanked by two smaller cables. The yarn was Lion Brand Wool-Ease Chunky in gray. (More specs on the project here.)

First I made this rectangle:



Then I stitched the sides using mattress stitch. I then turned it inside out and sewed little gussets in the corners to give it some depth:



Here's what the corner and seam look like on the outside:



I wanted it lined, so I stitched this, and added a pocket:



The pocket is intended to store the little bike computers we have (a nifty little thing that has an odometer, spedometer, etc.) while not in use. I added velcro to the pocket to secure them in:



And then stitched it into the bag, added a zipper and one of my little labels:



So here's what the bag looked like before I added the handle:



Then I added a simple i-cord strap, with a clasp:



The clasp is so that I can hang the bag from my handlebars:



And last but not least, here are two photos of my bike with the bag hanging on it (the very reason I hadn't posted about this before!)





We went for an awesome 20 mile bike ride this weekend and had a picnic at a park. It was a lot of fun, and a gorgeous day. I LOVE my bike, by the way. I just got it this summer, and it was the best thing I could have done. We have gone on so many more bike rides this summer because we both love our bikes now. (My old one from college was uncomfy and just wasn't cutting it for me anymore.) That big cushy seat this bike has makes all the difference!