Hobo For Hombolo!

Heather’s son Matthew is off again to Hombolo, in Tanzania [see here] with Leprosy Mission Northern Ireland. In January I made a blanket which he could take out there. Heather said that they really wanted to take gifts for the women, as well as the babies and children. I thought about this, and came up with an idea…

I used the bag pattern which we did at Sewing Club 5 years ago [tutorial here] but this time I modified it. Before sewing the lining and outer together, I put some pleats along the top. It gives the bag a much better shape.

This style, I have discovered, is called a Hobo Bag. I made eight for Hombolo as part of my Monthly Charity Stashbusting Exercise. Thank you to Joyce and Rhiannon at Sewing Club who helped me finish off the last three.

They are both lightweight and strong. The picture at the bottom right shows how tidily you can fold and stack them – so they have packed easily into a jiffybag [for me to post to Heather in Blefast then Matthew to take in his case to Africa] I think my favourites were the last two I made

The left one is ‘half and half’ – because I couldn’t decide whether to put the floral or the plain as the lining, so paired them. The right one is a particularly favourite print from my stash.

I do hope that the African girls enjoy these!

Two other people have put in requests for me to knit for their charities, so I have ideas for June and July, and I am sorting out the wool for them, and for my August project [an appeal I spotted in a local free newspaper] Not sure how many items I will make over the summer. Holiday Club keeps me pretty busy, and also I find it hard to knit when it is hot.

Oh hang on – I think I may have missed the hot and balmy summer weather – wasn’t that Tuesday last week!!!