lucky green

Posted on Posted in book reviews/events

toby was nosing around my room yesterday afternoon and brought to my attention that i hadn’t yet shared my wonderfully green, L.J. Kaelms bag with you.

this bag was sent to me a couple of weeks ago from jordana paige and i’ve been saving it to put through its paces during my april travel, so i could speak knowledgeably about it here.

the bag is a good-sized tote with straps that are the right length for me to carry on my shoulder—not too long, so i can comfortably grip it against my torso with my elbow. it’s constructed of soft, “vegan pebbled leather” which is super-lightweight; i’m astonished at how little it weighs for its size and sturdiness.i would say that size, shape, and weight count for about 25 percent of a bag’s grade, in my book

as you know, i’m a sucker for green, too; the bag is also offered in teal and red. i like the bag’s looks a lot—not too much going on with a minimum of hardware. love the magnetic snap closure, hidden in the tab. the buckle on the tab has some sharp edges, so i’ve learned to be careful about sudden movements with it.

this bag has a square-ish bottom, which helps it sit on its own very well and to double as a portable knitting basket of sorts. this feature does not seem to make it feel more bulky on the shoulder, which is good.

of course, for any knitter, the bag’s innards count for at least half the points, right?

and this one is really well thought out. the very first thing i zoned in on was that center pocket, which extends the depth of the bag. had they really tailored a pocket to fit an iPad?

i don’t know if it is intentional or not, but my iPad does fit perfectly, smartcover and all. i LOVE the bag for this feature alone—once i’ve added project bags on either side, it is so well protected and concealed that i don’t even need to remember to be careful with it.

the center slot pocket divides the bag entirely in half, top to bottom into a pair of generous wells, big enough to hold projects, laptop, clothing, etc.

on one side, there are multiple needle/pen pockets around the outer inside walls of the bag, with a zipper pockets up near the top and a couple of snap tethers for keys or wallet. the flat credit card packets would be terrific, but they are awfully shallow and don’t seem to hold the cards securely, so i wouldn’t put anything too important there—maybe a train or commuter card for city-dwellers. i’m a little bummed that my business cards don’t fit; it would be awesome to have those at my fingertips.

the other well has a detachable change purse, zipper pocket, and elastic bottle holders, plus lots of storage space.

i can easily fit multiple project bags, plus essentials in each side of the saddle. and it does hold a ton of stuff without getting overly heavy; when i left home i filled it with project bags, camera, snacks, shawlette, mitts, and my airbook (i didn’t fly with my iPad this time).

i can fit all this into the bag—however, i can’t buckle the flap if i do. so i took out one of the bigger project bags and subbed in a smaller one.

and then i was able to close it. still, that’s a lotta stuff!

toby heard me say something about snacks and wants to know why he can’t find any treats inside—what the heck kind of review is he supposed to give if no bribes are involved??

and how does it do on the plane you might ask? can i get it under the seat in front of me?

i can, if i lay it down on its side. with the airbook inside, it’s a little too tall, but that’s ok.

all in all, i like this bag quite a lot. will it replace my favorite baggalini tote? not sure about that—i’m a creature of habit and i’m pretty comfortable with the long, low lines of my old green tote for heavy duty travel.

however, i do find this one a little more stylish, so i’ll definitely grab it to tote along when i feel the look is important—and certainly i love how it babies my iPad. i also really like that it could easily work as my only bag for overnight trips—i may even try that sometime soon.

many thanks to rebecca at jordana paige for sending me the bag and allowing me the opportunity to share it with you; it’s just the thing for spring travel. and if a tot isn’t on your list at the moment, check out the great accessory bags and toolkits they have. i’m loving the look of their messenger bag too, with that cozy tweed flap—looks like another good traveler.

BTW, toby says you’re making him blush with all of your comments and that he’ll be signing autographs after lunch for an hour or so before his nap.

 

21 thoughts on “lucky green

  1. Doggies and bags=cute, cute! As a designated bag lady, I did not need this temptation! The iPad pocket is enough to make me go for it!

  2. How nice of them to send you a bag. I purchased one in red about a month ago and am pleased with the overall design. I like the yarn “baskets” and circlets that hold the yarn, also the center zipper pocket, which holds my Nook and lots more. But I’m not so pleased with the quality of the construction. In less than a week, one strap burst open–the fabric pulled open revealing the white stuffing – and I had to stitch it shut (somewhat unsuccessfully, but at least it’s sort of fixed). Then a week later, one of the rivets on the bottom popped off. I was also able to fix that. So I have mixed feelings about the LK Kaelms. I just don’t think an $89 bag should require repairs in less than a month of use. But it’s a brilliant design, the perfect size for carrying both knitting projects and equipment and everyday purse items.

  3. Thanks for the in-depth bag tour. It always helpful to see how bags behave in the wild. I’m still not sure how I feel about the divider (I don’t own an iPad…yet), but it does look like usefulness isn’t compromized by being split down the middle. It holds more than I thought it would. Those snap tethers would also be useful as yarn guides if you were using it as the actual project bag…

  4. I am amazed at how much stuff you can fit into that bag! Amazing! Toby is very cute too. I reckon he’s hoping you’ll try to fit him in too!

  5. Oh Anne! I like that bag! Hope you don’t mind, but I would love to check it out at the Sweater Fitness Class this weekend.

  6. I have this bag in a teal. I love it. It’s everything you say, Anne. It was my March splurge. : ) Good to know the iPad fits so securely in it.

    And that Toby – what a love…I want him. But Ben wouldn’t be happy at all.

  7. Haha, bringing up right after Kat to say I, too, have this bag (in red from the Loopy Ewe) and I think you win the prize for the most project bags fit inside! So far I’ve been keeping projects on one side and wallet, lipsticks, papers, etc. on the other. I hadn’t even tried keeping my iPad in the middle yet but what a good idea! I’m traveling this weekend so I will do just that.

    The green is very pretty!

    Toby should get some treats for being such a good accessory to the bag.

  8. I love the bag. It’s one of my favorite colors, too! I’d probably use the change holder for my business cards. I don’t care for those open wells. The edges become worn and a bit discolored. That drives me crazy. ha

    Toby is beautiful. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to make yarn from his coat? How soft would that be? I’ve read where people do that with pet hair but haven’t tried it.

    Thank you for the nice blog. I read often but comment rarely.

    Wishing you a blessed day and safe travels home.

  9. which Baggallini bag is your favorite? could it possibly be the Hamptons Tote? just curious … and thanks for letting me know ;o)

  10. Thank you for posting about the bag. The teal one has been on my radar for sometime, but having not seen it in person, I wasn’t sure whether to buy or not.

    Then I saw the green advertised and started thinking seriously about it now. After seeing your thoughts, I think I am going to go for it for my summer bag. I always have knitting with me so I think it will be perfect for back and forth to work.

    That Toby is a cutie. Makes me want one, but the Tally Guy says no dogs for now!

  11. Toby can make a brown paper sack look adorable! How are you able to leave him behind??

    Would you believe The Knit Girllls also reviewed this bag (and the Rio) on their podcast this past Sunday?! They really liked them, too, though they hadn’t filled theirs up as full as you did. If I had another hundred dollars lying around (after the FIFC membership, of course) I would seriously consider one of those bags just because you like it as much as you do. You truly are an enabler! LOL

  12. I loooove that color green. I had considered getting that bag actually. However I’m pretty happy with what I have at the moment(my hubs doesn’t know that secretly I have a slight bag addiction yet).

  13. So glad you liked the bag 🙂 Thanks for the great review Anne! And awesome pics. You really put a lot in the bag!

    In reading the comments I saw that Bonnie had some problems with her LJ and I’m so sorry about that! If she wanted to email customerservice@jordanapaige.com we’d be happy to take care of that for her.

    Thanks again Ann! I appreciate your great blog 🙂

  14. Chica has a crush on Toby. She wants to know if he’s interested in grouchy old ladies.

  15. I already want a puppy so badly I could explode. These last two posts didn’t help with that. At. All.

  16. I love that bag! I’m wondering how it would hold up as a purse? I’m always toting so much around with me. Could you drag it along to Yarnover? I’m going to be in your class. Just look for the gal with the new hip and the cane.

  17. I got one of these in teal for my birthday earlier this month. It should be here on Monday, and I can’t WAIT! Thanks for the great review!

  18. I have resisted getting a fancy bag for years and years. Up until today. I had some bonus money come my way Friday, and your post cinched it. I bought one in Vegan (snicker) Teal Snakeskin

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