Craft Room Update

Okay, I know it has been months since I finished the desk in my craft room. I finally took the time to move most of my sewing stuff down today. It is really nice to have a holiday to catch up on things. It still isn't finished, but things are a step further than they were!Now that it is nearing completion, I DESPERATELY need to decorate. Oh well, I guess it doesn't hurt to have a work in progress...

Baby Dress & Mary Janes

Darlene, a friend of mine at work, asked me to make a baby dress and booties for her daughter that is expecting next month. She knew exactly what she wanted. It was the dress and Mary Janes that I had made about a year ago for another shower.

Both of the patterns I found on the internet. The dress is Little Sister's Dress here http://knittingalot.blogspot.com/2008/01/pattern-for-little-girls-dress.html and the Mary Janes are here http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/home/free-baby-bootie-knitting-patterns2.htm. The Mary Jane's only take me about a half hour to work up. I make a newborn size with fingering weight and 6 month size with sport weight.

Last time I just used a varigated yarn. I liked it, but decided this time I was going to try having a bit more of an organized pattern. I used Bernat Baby Jaquards and this is what I got. I think it turned out really cute.

A Shrug

It only took a week of occasional knitting and I have my DD birthday present done. As you know I made her a shrug. I found the pattern online at Woolly Mammoth Knits. It is called the Bella Sera for cool beautiful summer evenings. It is a great pattern, and a very quick knit using worsted weight cotton. It also is a beginner level pattern. Stockinette, garter stitches, increases and yarn overs are all you need to know.

I had it almost done, and even though it measured several times and it showed that I was on gauge, it didn't look big enough. I brought it to work. There are two girls that are about the same size as Ann. I had Heather try it on and it fit her fine. I took it home and did the finish work on it. Brought it back to work and Keely modeled it for me, so I could take a picture for the blog. (Heather had on the wrong type of blouse). http://www.woollymammothknits.com/bellasera.html

They both fell in love with it, and want to make one. Neither of them knit, so they are going to start coming to knitting. I told them that we would be happy to teach them how! We have taught quite a few of our group. Everyone says she will love it. Now I just have to wait a month before I can send it to her. LOL

Yarn Shopping

I decided to go yarn shopping on my lunch hour. I really didn't intend to spend that much, but she had what I wanted and today was payday, so what is a girl to do? $57 later I have enough yarn for 4 projects. And it is all beautiful! LOL

I started on the next tie using the brown Zino that I bought. I had to go up 3 sizes on the needles to get the right gauge. From a 1 to a 4. Probably the difference in my knitting and the yarn. I only have several inches so far and I love it! I love the look of it so much better than the one I finished. I wanted to see if they had the same thing in a blue colorway. I bought the one below. Came home and started comparing it to the black/gray colorway, and they are the same one. This skein shows the blue and the other the gray. It has all three colors. I guess I will take one of them back and exchange for the red that they had. I couldn't believe that Jan and I didn't realize it! I mentioned in the previous post that I had found a bag online to knit for my sister instead of designing another one. I needed a feltable worsted. Galway came out with a brand new color. It looks like denim. It is gorgeous. Last, but not least I have been thinking of what to give my daughter for her birthday next month. I decided on a shrug. I found the cutest pattern on Wooly Mammoth Knits. It is called the Bella Sera Shrug. I thought it would be a great item for layering. I also love the detail with the ribbon eyelet.
I am going to make it out of this really pretty gray worsted cotton. She should be able to wear it almost year round down in Phoenix.
Well, now that I have enough yarn to knit for a couple of months, I better get busy!

Oh, I almost forgot. A neigbor emailed me yesterday and asked if I had anymore of the dishcloth/potholder sets left from by boutique at Christmas. She needed 8. I looked when I got home and had 7 sets and the dishcloths for the 8th one. All I need to do is make 1 potholder. She is going to buy all of them. I guess I will need to make a a couple more sets in my spare time! They are great for shower and neighbor gifts.

1st Felted Bag

I finished the knitting on the Booga Bag, and threw it in with a load of laundry this morning. The directions say to find a box the same size as the bottom, cover the box with a plastic bag and put it inside. Let it sit for a couple of days and that helps block it so that it will sit up. I searched HIGH and LOW for a box this morning and couldn't find one. Necessity then became the mother of invention. I ended up with a 3 ring binder, two oatmeal boxed and a piece of wood. Hey, it was the right size!!LOL
When I came home tonight I looked at it again and decided that it needed another wash cycle. It isn't felted enough. At least I have the insert ready when it is :>
I decided to do men's ties for Christmas. I found a really cool pattern on Knit Picks. They look really nice. I had a hard time finding yarn that I liked. I'm not sure that I really like this blue. It was supposed to stripe, and it looks more like jaquard. (bummer) It is all rolled up because it is knit on the bias. The pattern is super easy, although it takes time. It is done on size 1 needles. I'm thinking the lining is going to be the harder part of the project. 1 down 4 more to go! I found some great brown and black stipe though for the others. It is Zino by Plymouth. I may invest in a different blue if I can find one though since this is so easy.

Pictures

I finally got around to taking some pictures of some of the things that I have done recently. As you can see none of them have the finishing work done, but the knitting part is. I have to put linings in all of them.

This first one is the Mallory Bag. This one is the Amble. The tie in the front is supposed to have a buckle. I can't seem to find anything but gold and I really want silver. I may have to paint the one I bought. I have the handles done, just now sewn on. The lining mom gave me. (see below purse) The blues match almost perfectly.
Here is the one that I designed. I really like the way it has turned out also. I have the handles, and even put them on, but decided I didn't like the way they looked. I am going to attatch them in a different way. They are going to be double twisted i-cord.

Speaking of which, I can't believe that I have been a knitter for almost 20 years and have only heard of i-cord about the last 2. I did an attatched i-cord finish on the edge of the bag and love the way it works. I can tell I am definately going to be using it a lot now that I know how to do it.

This is the beginnings of the Booga Bag. It is wool done on size 11 needles. It will be my first felted project. I hope it turns out well! The knitting is easy anyway.
These are the three skeins of yarn that I bought recently for the men's ties. I think that they will turn out beautiful. I am really excited for them.

I was going to design another bag for Christmas, but found a pattern on Ravelry that I am going to use instead. It is another felted one. It is called the Braided Cable Handle Tote. I really like it and so I am going to do this one instead.

Bags and More Bags

I have been working on quite a few of the purses that I have been doing for Christmas. I have finished the knitting on 3 and just have to do the lining on them. Unfortunately, I have to find the time to organize my craft room a little bit and bring down my sewing machine so that I can do them. :/ Maybe I'll work on a couple of the other ones in the meantime.

Came home and sat down and worked on the gray purse that I designed. Wouldn't you know that I didn't have to take it out once! Like I said, I think it was a concentration problem. I am really pleased with the way it has turned out. I took it in to my LYS Saturday. I wanted to get an opinion on what to do with the handles. I couldn't decide whether to go with leather or do a I cord handle. I decided on the I-cord. I am making two small ones and twisting them together. Hopefully I will be able to post some pictures of these creations soon. Jan the owner really liked my bag. That made me feel really good.

I have 3 more left. 2 of them are felted bags that I have patterns for and the other one is going to be another original design. I have some ideas, but we shall see what happens. I'm not sure what shape to make it. I think I want it smaller than this gray one I just finished.