This is my second favourite shopping bag. I am a big fan of cotton shopping bags. More comfortable than nylon bags, much, much more comfortable than plastic, more durable and weatherproof than paper.

My most favourite shopping bag is one that Ingrid sewed for me at school a couple of years ago. It’s orange, with patterned handles, and lives permanently in my handbag whenever it is not in use, so I always have it at hand.

This one and its identical twin I remember buying at a book store in Estonia when Ingrid was three years old. I use them for all my grocery shopping.

The two bags have held up for over thirteen years and are only now starting to show significant wear. The handles are fraying, and there are tiny holes here and there.

Just replace them with new ones, I thought. Reusable bags are so trendy now – there’s so much choice and they’re everywhere. But after thirteen years of very frequent use, I’m picky. I know exactly what I want from my bags, and it’s not easy to find a replacement that delivers.

Many bags have stupidly long handles. I guess you’re supposed to carry them on your shoulder, because if I hold them in my hand, the bottom drags on the ground.

Many are too large for use as grocery bags. Load them full, and they’re too heavy and bulky to carry comfortably. For people who drive to the supermarket, perhaps, or for carrying or storing lighter items.

Many are in unbleached, undyed cotton. Stylish but completely impractical. Others are all black, and I realize this one isn’t technically that far from all black, but the stripes make all the difference, in my opinion.

I can either sew a new bag (and I know from experience that that takes me two hours), or spend fifteen minutes and 200 kr to buy a new one and then maybe still not be satisfied – or I can spend those same fifteen minutes replacing the handles on this one. Not a difficult choice.

As a bonus I even darned one of the holes, just because I felt like it.