The Wildrose Backpack: A not-so-conservative purse

So there I was, the night before our trip to Minnesota…looking for a carry-on bag. Ideally, one I could haul my immediate-needs stuff in all weekend. And I had nothing.

It’s your carry-on, my wayward son…

I eventually made-do with a slim Samsonite laptop bag I’d used as an insert to my old and trusty college backpack (when the bag is over 20 years old but still in good condition, you find ways to give it an update). I didn’t bring the whole backpack, because I felt that would be overkill. It probably would have saved my neck and shoulders some strain, but I was trying to pack as lightly as possible. I wanted a place to put my tablet, my wallet, any cords or electronic peripherals I needed, and my crafting project. Somehow, I stuffed it all in the one bag.

Needless to say, when I found the Wildrose Backpack on Ravelry much later (as in after we came back home), my mind started to churn with the possibilities. I could make my own compact bag with a tablet pocket and room for my other “stuff”. Sure, it’s too late for our trip, but it will make a nice extra purse.

It’s bigger on the inside. Really.

I modified the original design by adding a few extra rows of height to accommodate my 9.7″ iPad Pro. There were couple of likely spaces both above and below the central motif where I could just add a few rounds. I also added a tablet pocket. There were instructions for a cell phone pocket, so I enlarged that, then stuck the cell pocket on the tablet pocket. Not sure I’ll ever actually use the cell pocket for its intended purpose, but it’s there in case I need a place for extra tissues or loose “stuff”. I may eventually add snap closures to keep things from roaming around inside the purse.

There’s also a lot of room in the main section. I was able to very easily fit a sizeable wallet and a project bag holding a sock-in-progress. I’m pretty sure I could also get a nice notebook in there as well.

I have enough cotton yarn in my stash that I could possibly make a second backpack with even more modifications. I’m thinking possibly fountain pen pockets/holders and a place for my iPencil. Possibly a second pocket for my power brick. It’s either that or design my own bag, which is a definite possibility. The Husbeast has a nice cross-body tablet bag made by Moleskine a few years ago that has given me some ideas.

Just a small note:

The Wildrose Party was a far-right political party here in Alberta. When the Conservatives didn’t seem to be doing enough Conservative-ing, they split. They all came back together in 2017 when they figured enough time had passed that Albertans would forget that they were the same old politicians we kicked out in the last provincial election for wasting money (among other things). Unfortunately, they were right. I am not now, nor have I ever been a member of the Conservative or Wildrose party. I was raised better than that. Plus, the centrifugal force caused by my Granny spinning in her grave would probably bring about an apocalypse. Therefore, this is my not-so-conservative backpack.

Made Using:

Yarn: Yarnspirations Caron Cotton Cakes in Lilac – 2 1/4 250g balls
Hooks: 2.75mm (C) and 3.75mm (F)
Also: My eyes are getting older, so I used my magnifying lamp while making the strap/cord. If you don’t have one, I definitely recommend picking one up!