Betsy's Purse - Christmas

Here is a picture of the purse that I gave to one of my Seattlite sisters for Christmas. Look how happy she is (actually, I think part of her is wondering if my Dad really needs to take her picture on Christmas morning)... I'm not sure if you can see the cables on the purse from this angle, so I will repost with pictures from a different angle. The inspiration for the purse came from these designer purses. I found a pattern on Crochetville, but mixed it up to get a shorter, wider bag. I bought rattan handles from Joann's and painted them a warmer, darker brown. I used Red Heart Yarn in Heather Gray and added a satin ribbon. I made another purse in a skein of Aran for my sister-in-law, Sue. I love the cables because they are simple but add a lot to the purse. The cable work inspired me to work on this Lion's Brand vest for my dad, which I haven't finished yet. The vest pattern is frustrating because it is waaaay too short for most men. I'm hoping that it will work out when I finally block it out. I ended up not making it in wool because I figured that he might want to be able to easily wash it. I'm also adding extra pockets because my dad always needs extra pockets! I'm planning on finishing the vest as I work on the Spiderweb Skirt pattern for Betsy's Birthday... which might end up being next year's Christmas present depending on how it goes :)