Tote Bag - Plan C

After struggling with the dimensions listed on the pattern of the Tote Bag, then deciding to change them to suit me, I knit the bottom and about 3/4 of the back. Then I started working on the chart for the front of the bag. The chart incorporates 12 different colors and on most of the rows of the chart there are 5 colors. I worked 4 rows, or I should say, I struggled through 4 rows, carrying the 5 colors across each row and came to the conclusion that I don't have enough years left to live to make that struggle worth while! That chart would be MUCH better worked as a needlepoint project rather than a knitted one.

Yesterday I cast on for the front of the bag using a stitch called "joyous stripes". It's k1, then with yarn in front, slip 1, repeated across the row. Then purl every wrong side row. Very simple but not boring. I'll work 2 rows of each of the 12 colors and keep repeating that for a total of 7 repeats of the 12 colors, which should give me the desired height I need. There will be a band of the green color used for the bottom and back, at the bottom and top of the front. So far I've completed just over 2 repeats of all the colors and I really like it. There's a lot of ends to weave in, but I've been stopping to do that after every completing every 6 color changes so it isn't too bad. This (not very good) picture gives a rough idea of how the front will look. :)