Which-Crafts?

Felted Knit bag and purse, started January 17th, 2007, finished March 26th, 2007
Pattern: Designed By Me - more below the cut
Yarn: Cascade 220
Needles: 15s for bag, 13s for straps
Dimensions: really big
Pattern Notes: I used short rows on the front pouch which worked really well for creating a nice shape
Would I knit it again?: probably not - at least not until it wears out

I designed the pattern myself, I really wanted a knitting bag and purse all rolled together.

When felting, I tend to wing it a bit, and just get a good idea in my head of where I want to go, and then knit what looks and feels right. Most of the time it ends up pretty okay and felting/fulling is pretty forgiving. For this project I knew I would be knitting it over a long period of time, so I wanted something down on paper to remind me what I had in mind when I started. I decided to do double stranded knitting on really large needles (which isn’t how I usually do felted project) so I did swatch as a guide for the felting shrinkage rate.

I made a diagram (image below the cut) for what I wanted and then sort of did a lot of weird math to end up with my stitch amounts. I must have done the math fairly well (which is something noteable ) the size turned out almost exactly what I had planned. I did over do it on the front pouch (the purse part) but that is because I psyched myself out worrying that it was too small and added increases that I hadn’t originally planned for. After it was felted and I saw how big the pocket was I borrowed a magnetic clasp from B. to put in to keep the pouch closed.

The Lid/flap thing looks a bit strange in the image, but when the bag is full it works beautifully. It needed to be narrow to go between the straps, but I wanted it wider to cover the purse part. Its a bit long and floppy if the bag is really empty - I am thinking of adding something with some weight to the end to make it a little less floppy, and maybe doing a little needle felting or yarn embroidery to give it some visual interest.

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Its amazing how a little plan change really can shake things up.

To start this out, some of you may know that Erin and David (DS, and BIL) and nephew Rowan, are moving much closer to us v.v.soon now. It is less likely that you know that Erin is pregnant with “The Player to Be Named Later”.

We originally had plans to go out and visit them all for Erin’s Birthday mid April. But then David got a job, and they bought a house, and David’s job starts in Champaign before mid April. So after a lot of uncertainty and backing and forthing we changed our visiting plans. We leave Thursday at the ass crack of dawn and fly to Seattle. On Friday I will help supervise the loading of the moving truck. Friday evening we all will pack up David and Erin’s two Priuses (how do you pluralize that?) with their immediate needs and caravan back to the Chicago area.

And why am I posting about all this bit on the knitting blog? Well . . .

1. 4-5 days sitting on my ass in the car means a LOT of knitting can get done, I had to plan a project accordingly.
2. I had to push up my due date on the big ass felted Knitting Purse so that I could have it done BEFORE I got on the airplane. With only 2 bags allowed on the plane maximizing bag efficiency was important. I need to bring my laptop in its bag, so I needed to consolidate my knitting and purse into 1 bag. Which isn’t to say that I haven’t been planning on doing the Knitting/Purse combo deal for its own sake, its just that the travel date accelerated things a bit.

I did finish the bag last night and (YEA!) have a loaner camera so a post will be immediately following with pictures and details. Which now means that I have the space to bring all the knitting stuff I need for the trip. ‘Cause I decided to get an early start on the new baby’s blanket. I think I will bring a sock along for the airport and flight, but I’ll knit the baby blanket on the car trip.

Cast on 2x the number of side stitches you want plus 6.
R1: Knit side stitches YO, SSK, K1, PSSO, K2tog, k1, PSSO, YO, knit remaining side stitches
R2: And all WS rows, purl across
R3: Knit side stitches (one less than R1) YO, SSK, K1, PSSO, K2tog, k1, PSSO, YO, knit remaining side stitches

Continue like this until there 6 stitches left:
RS: SSK, K1, PSSO, K2tog, k1, PSSO
WS: Purl all
RS: Bind Off

So I am working on a super Sekrit project. But I have something really specific in mind, and I think I finally found the pattern I want, or something really close to it. Now to the yarn to knit it with.
. . .

. . .

. . .

I am not sure it exists. I start searching and am not coming up with much (something v.soft, preferably worsted weight, superwash wool, variagated, with fairly long and gradual color repeats). Next up, I think well I could buy “bare” yarn, and dye it myself, but I am not finding a lot of superwash options that come in the weight/style I want. And I am thinking of the process it would take to get the long color progressions. And because now that I spin, I have some real ideas about what I want my yarn to be like, and what options I have for fiber content. And whether or not it would be easier to dye the fiber or the yarn etc.

I realized how MANY options I have now, its pretty cool. It sort of opens up a whole new horizon of choices for creativity and that is pretty exciting.

OTOH I have to balance how much time I have for this project and whether I really want to blend fiber, dye it, spin it and then knit it. It would certainly make the project special, but i am not sure that it won’t be cherished no matter what I make it out of.

Go where?

Stephenson County Fiber Art Fair - “A celebration of fiber and the fiber arts with workshops, demonstrations of spinning and weaving, vendors offering fibers for spinning plus finished yarn, dyes, books, gifts, equipment, handmade soap and baskets. Also supplies for spinning, weaving, knitting, felting, dyeing, tatting and crochet. ” - Bamm and I went last year and had a really nice time, lots of stuff to fondle, and we had a blast playing at the yarn dyeing “make and take”.

I’ll be going, anyone else want to come with?

Hey! That is only one place, where else are you going to go?

I know it sounds early but Stitches Midwest registration is already open. I have currently signed up for 2 classes, Embraceable Lace, and a Sampling of Stitches. It was really hard to choose, there were lots of classes I wanted to take and only so much $$ and many things all happening at the same time. Fitting all that together and then negotiating with a friend who is going to take a class with me for what we would take . . . well let me just say I am glad we had a week or so to mull over the options before registration opened. If the money comes in then I’ll look at maybe adding a Traditional Shetland Scarf.

If anyone else is going to be there for classes or for shopping maybe we can meet-up somewhere.

Any Place Else?

Midwest Folk and Fiber Art Fair - This one I really want to go to, someone else who wants to go who might be willing to let me hitch a ride. There are a ton of interesting looking vendors, and maybe some workshops.

Fleece to Fiber - this one looks more like an art show, but still really interesting.

Striped Koigu Socks: started October 7th, 2006, finished March 5th, 2007
Pattern: Merike Saarniit’s Universal Sock Construction
Yarn: Koigu 2 colors, KPM Blue and KPPM Blue/Lime green/Turquoise
Needles: 0s Crystal palace DPNs and KnitPicks Classic Circulars
Dimensions: 7″wide (I like a tight sock) 9″ and a bit long, 3″ calf height
Pattern Notes: Hate the inital cast on and start for this pattern, but the rest is easy peasy, and really easy to modify and make personal
Would I knit it again?: This exact sock, probably not, but a similar sock - probably.

A few months ago I talked about my proposed Sock Progression plan to teach myself how to produce a specific pair of socks for my mom for her birthday. Well her birthday has come and WAY gone, and I am crusing along on my plan (many of the objectives were accomplished in a single pair of socks).

to Knit a pair of matching socks - Check
to knit a pair of matching socks that fit - Check (they even fit both her and me)
to knit both top down and toe up - Check (although the top down ones were too big and were given to S. as a prezzie)
to knit a matching pair with more than one color - Check
to knit a matching pair with more than one color on the same row
to knit a matching pair with a series of different two-color patterns in the same sock

I have definitly decided that except for starting the toe, I like knitting them toe-up, especially for the fit factor. I am currently experimenting with a few different toe-up starts, right now I am leaning towards a fusion of Queen Kahuna cast on, and Merike’s increases.

I have already cast on my next pair, which don’t get me much of anywhere on the sock progression plan, except for knitting with the yarn I think I will knit mom’s socks in. I definlty like doing as much as i can with both socks on a single circular needle. I haven’t tried starting the toes or turning the heels that way. I suspect I’ll move to DPNs for that part.

I have definitely had the crafty horn of plenty visit for the last 2 weekends. I feel very full up of crafty-goodness, and still very inspired to keep going.

Weekend before last, S. and A. and I took off for the wilds of Marengo, IL. to visit The Fold. Toni who owns The Fold has created an excellent store chock-full of all of those things fibery folks like most. Our “purpose” for driving out there was to let A. play with as many spinning wheels as possible for research. This was theoretically a research trip not a “purchasing” trip. S. and I were along for the ride as encouragement and enablers. Plus I am never going to turn down a trip to The Fold (just too many things to touch, covet, and dream about). Actually I had emailed a bit with Toni and she was going to give my sample 4ply a look-see and give me some spinning advice.

When we got there the store was a mad-house, we got comfortable poking around the store looking for just the perfect yarn for S.’s upcoming baby blanket project. A. also started ogling the fiber, she has some very specific projects in mind, and we were looking for just the right stuff for the projects. Once the store cleared out we started putting wheels in front of A. I am pretty sure she tried almost every one in the store, while having a good run at the fiber selection, trying out all kinds of different kinds soft fluff. She clearly felt right at home on the ashford traveler, and had a few that were far from fun. As the day wended on, S. and I just sat down with our knitting and we ended up in kind of a little craft klatch, knitting, spinning, chatting and snacking. Toni approved of my 4ply and didn’t have any suggestions, which made me feel pretty good. And when all was said and done, A. couldn’t leave the little ashford traveler at the store, and so she took it home with her.

The here is some yarn pr0n of my 4ply which I spun up from my hand-dyed fiber :

Single Strand

Swatch made with yarn