The Making of a Carpet Bag

After just admiring the fabric for a few days, I finally decided to make something that I could use nearly everyday that allowed me to appreciate the fabric. I could have made a costume.

My DH actually suggested as such, but I found the paisley pattern just a little too big (and I am rather petite), plus I wouldn't be able to enjoy it on a regular basis.

So, I decided to make myself a carpet bag, but not just any carpet bag. I wanted one that would fit all my daily gear AND any and all knitting that I wanted to carry -- including sweater size knitting.

I had made a purse-like carpet bag before, and while it was useful, it had flaws. I looked through one of my bag-making books that I had used previously to make other bags, but nothing that really fit.

I decided to make my own pattern....and I'd make it on the fly. Of course, I know many that would stop and say, WTH? Really? This beautiful fabric and you're going to make this on the fly?

Sure why not? I've made bags before, and getting "fit" or "gauge" is not necessarily important here. I knew what I wanted and was expanding on things I had already created.

I had all of the necessary fabric (fashion & lining) and I could probably find other things that would match if I didn't.

For the pattern, I took an existing bag that I had (that was a bit smaller than what I wanted), and more or less copied the shaping. To make the bag sturdier, I added some buckram as a stiffer interface to the fashion fabric so that the sides wouldn't fall in on itself.

I made a small mistake in making the side panels (in that I had too much fabric at the top), so that it looked more duffle-like. However, some pleating easily took care of that mistake and made it look nicer.

For the lining, I bought some matching apple-green fabric from JoAnn's at the same time. It was about yard. I also took some of the leftover "cuttings" from the Carnivale fabric to make internal side pockets and sewed it to the lining.

These internal pockets (which I don't have photos for) are sized for all of the things I need on a somewhat fairly regular basis: my purse/wallet, phone, tablet, knitting kit (stitch markers, crochet hook, etc), pen, keys, etc.

And there's a huge internal compartment for my knitting.

I had nearly all of the hardware, but I did pick up "purse feet" for the bottom of the purse so that the fabric wouldn't be wholly sitting on the ground. They were very easy to install.

It just took a simple awl to make a non-invasive hole. An awl lets you make a hole without punching it out, but rather by "parting" the fabric. If you were to pull the awl out, the fabric would (more or less) come back together. Once I had my opening, I simply slid in the feet and opened up the prongs. My set had a nice solid backing in addition to the prongs.

However, as I neared completion, I realized I didn't have the correct sized buckles for it. I had been trying out different sized leather straps to see what was best proportionally -- 3/4" (too small), 1" (too small), 2" (too big).

I pretty much determined I needed 1.5" straps, but the only buckles that I had available were 3/4", 1", and 2". Bugger.

So, for now, my poor bag is in a holding phase until I can get to Tandy Leather on the weekend to purchase the correct size buckles. At that point, I can add the straps and buckles, then attach the lining, and finish the edges.

The finished size? 18" length x 10-12" high x 10-12" wide

Love at First Sight

I'm in love with some fabric.

It was love at first sight. Although, I wasn't intending on falling in love. I had simply walked into JoAnn's to buy buttons for my niece's owl hat. (See, super cute.)

And, as I walked past the cutting table, I saw it. The roll was simply standing there, all alone. I felt my heart skip a beat. The vibrant colors, the pattern...and, oh, the paisleys!!! And, it was oh-so-soft. It was 60" wide...and 60% off. And when I went to look at the name of the fabric, it was called "Carnivale"....everything was just perfect.

Seriously, how could I not? I had no idea what to make with it. In fact, I'm supposed to be on a fabric diet. But..oh, my! I couldn't help it. I had to have a little bit of it. So, I got 1/2 a yard.

Here's an photo that shows the scale of the pattern. (My glove measurements are Small-Medium).

I'm currently considering what to make. So far, I am debating making myself either a carpet bag or a Steampunk apron (like the one I made for my SIL).

I also realized that I didn't get enough. So, I went back...and got 2 yards of it.

Seriously...in love.....

Figures

It's funny. The day I cured my "Start-itis", I went over to my LYS for knit-night, and the girls said that the book I had ordered had arrived. (Actually, they couldn't remember who had ordered it, and was mentioning the book to me when I said, "Ooh! It came in!")

Figures doesn't it? Now, I have the pattern and the yarn, but I can't work on it until I finish up the sweater I just started, which is fine. I'm not in a 100% rush. Plus the yarn for the sweater is bulky, so it should be (theoretically) a fast knit.

And, the sweater I want to knit? St. Brigid's pullover that I'll be modifying into a cardigan. Here's one Raveler's version of it.

©chaika6

Oh, and my Sweater Itch seems to be cured.

Start-itis Cured?

I've been infected by that dreaded knitter/crocheter disease...."start-itis". For some fiber artists out there, the disease is primarily a need to start a new project without the desire to finish it...or just to have something "new". Sometimes, the disease manifests itself and the affected person ends up starting multiple projects.

In my case, my disease is primarily because I have this ITCH to start a new sweater, but I didn't have  the appropriate yarn for what I wanted to do, I had to special order the book from my LYS (and not yet received it), plus not the money to purchase said yarn quite yet. Consequently, my Sweater Itch manifested itself as Start-itis.

(Also, since I was caring for Blue, I wanted something small that I could put down with ease. So, I thought I could suppress the Sweater Itch by just doing small projects).

I found myself wandering the depths of my Stash and, looking at all of the different yarns I have and not necessarily being particularly being inspired BUT wanting to knit. I surfed Ravelry looking at different patterns looking for inspiration.

Consequently, I started a two small projects to try and satisfy the Startisis from Sweater Itch, but to absolutely no avail. I started and finished two hats --- one for me, one for my Eldest Niece. (She has a thing for owls)

Oh, and then, because I've always wanted one, I started a crocheted ripple blanket, which I know is going to take me forever to finish, because I'm using left over worsted weight yarns from previous projects...and I have to stop frequently because crochet'ing for long periods of time hurts my hands.

And you know what? It still hasn't satiated my Sweater Itch.

 

The only thing that will satiate a Sweater Itch? Realizing that you actually DO have enough yarn for a sweater...just not the sweater you want....and starting your gauge swatch....

 

 

(Oh, and realizing that this very sweater was already in your Ravelry queue...and the stash yarn earmarked for this sweater....DOH!)

Blue's Roses

This is my cat, Blue. I took this photo back in 2006.

   

Ain't she pretty?

About 1.5 years ago, she was diagnosed with kidney issues, and the vets warned me that she would eventually suffer renal failure, but they couldn't tell me when. This past week, DH & I have been back & forth to the vet office & home with Blue, who went on an IV regiment. She had stopped eating, and her kidney values were off-the-scale.

She'd stay at the vets during the day, then come home at night. She showed a tiny bit of improvement. While she rested, I fretted, and did what every knitter would do....knit. So with needles in hand, I knit while watching her sleep, in between giving her food with a syringe, and subQ fluids.

Unfortunately, none of our care helped. We took her home for the weekend for hospice care. If she made it to Monday, we would do one final call to the vet. In the meantime, she got plenty of pets, loving, and we kept her as comfortable as possible.

She never made it to Monday. She passed on Sunday @ 5pm. She was 19 years old.

An hour before she passed, I finished the last touches on the hat I was making. I've named it after her. It's the Lucy Hat from Knitscene, but in Blue's honor, I've named it "Blue's Roses"

 

I used the following crochet patterns:

• Croco Flowers 
• May Roses

and a green button for the red rose.

On Again. Off Again. My Relationship with Crochet

I have a love-hate relationship with crochet. I've been crocheting on & off since I was a small child. My grandmother taught me to crochet at a very early age, and I was surrounded by many brightly colored crocheted blankets and blankets. They were on the sofa, bedspread, and other places where you could cozy up. All my aunts (my grandmother's daughters) crocheted, and it was a way to pass the time while watching t.v. on the couch.

For myself, I didn't really crochet until I was in college, and I made friends with an artist & a crafter. We crocheted small bags, and I even crocheted a cloak for myself. However, it wasn't something I did all the time, but merely something in the arsenal of crafting skills.

It wasn't until 2007 that I discovered amigurumi -- the Japanese art of crocheting stuffed animals. And I fell in love. I started crocheting small stuffed animals for myself and for my neices and nephews. I was buying acrylic yarn (from Big Box Craft Stores) to make them (I didn't know any better yarns...)

The smaller animals took a mere few hours to complete. It made my heart sing to finish these up quickly. I made pigs, frogs, foxes,...even dead rabbits.

I couldn't get enough of my amigurumi animals.

As I delved into amigurumi, I found wonderous Japanese crochet patterns that made crochet less 70s-kitsch and a bit more fashionably. I even made a granny hexagon afghan (from some very nice yarn...)

As time wore on, I started to realize the crocheting made my hands hurt, especially if I was crochet'ing for long periods of time. I already have nerve damage in my hooky hand, and I don't want to damage it even further. So I would back off crochet'ing (and started to learn how to knit, which didn't hurt my hands). And occassionly do another amigurumi animal or maybe a granny square as they were small projects that could be quickly finished.

And admittedly, I love projects that are quick to make.

However, I find myself longing for those large ripple blankets and colorful pillow cases that my aunts and grandmother used to crochet. You just can't get that look from knitting. It also doesn't help that I've been reading the blog, Attic24, for quite some time (which everyone should read if you love crochet). I very much want Lucy's house with all of it's crochet-loveliness and goodies. It makes me want to pick up my hook and crochet all of those wonderful things....except that it hurts my hands.

Why love-hate relationship?
Well, I love crochet. I hate that it hurts to do it for long periods of time. So, for now, it's on & off again relationship, and I'll just pine for all that crocheted lovely goodness.

First Project for 2013

Every year, I look forward to the first project of the year. (I've already finished one small sock project, but I started it in 2012, so it doesn't really count.)

Last year, I started a sweater for the first project, but this year, I'm starting small and began a fingerless glove project. The first glove took only about a day to finish because I wasn't sure how I wanted to do the stripes.

I'm using Frog Tree, Pediboo (sport weight), which I am LOVING. It's soft, squisy, and makes a very nice fabric. I've had this in my stash for a while. I was originally planning on using it for a hat, but had to frog it because the pattern wasn't working out as I had hoped. But, it's an awesome yarn, and I'm thinking that this would make for a really nice sweater. :-)

For the pattern, I'm using my vanilla-fingerless glove pattern (I make fingerless gloves like people make vanilla socks). My hands are always cold, so this is a nice stylish way to keep them warm.

The stripe pattern is as follows:

• Ribbing for 1.25 inches in Color A
• The first stripe: 7 rows of Color B
• 2nd stripe: 7 rows of Color A
• 3rd-4the stripes: 5 rows each of Color A/B
• 5th-16th stripes: 3 rows of Color A/B
• 17th-18th stripes: 2 rows of Color A/B
• Final ribbing for 1.25 inches in Color B

My next project? Definitely a sweater. I'm currently jonesing for one on the needles.

Finished Objects: Part 3: Weaving

2012 was the year I started weaving very simple projects (mostly scarves & bags), but it was definitnely something I wanted to learn

My First Weaving Project. The warp & weft are exactly the same

This piece was an experiment in trying a tartan, and was turned into a "bag" for my shuttles & dents

This one was turned into a purse, and made into leftovers from other projects.

My first houndstooth

A Hawaiian Tartan using Cascade 220. It's a bit too wide for a scarf and is more of a "sash".

This one I wove with handspun & some matching commercial yarn, and it turned out lovely.

Finished Objects Roundup: Part 2

Here's some of the "smaller" things I've knitted up in the past year. I think I'm missing a few items --- mostly gifts that I forgot to take photos before giving it to the recipients. Also, this year, I finished up several projects that had been in the UFO bin for quite some time.

Toys

I made a few prototypes before getting the final pattern down.

Gloves

Hats

Neck Objects

Blanket

This one had been hibernating for nearly 3 years, and I got it done this year!

Finished Object Round Up: Part 1 - Sweaters

So, this year, I knitted 8 sweaters in 12 months, which isn't too bad. I'm averaging about 1 sweater every 1.5 months.


January - February
a pullover sweater out of 60% Alpaca, 30% Merino, 10% Cashmere

October 2011 - March
A garter stitch sweater knit out of my handspun, Frank.

March - April
A sweater vest from the Abalone pattern

April - June:
A simple Chic Knits hoodie using Cascade 2201

July:
This is a salvaged sweater. The pieces didn't quite seam right, so I ignored the sleeves and turned it into a vest

July - September:
An alpaca & merino sweater that took FOREVER to knit because of all of the cables.

September-Nov:
The Adam's Rib Hoodie. I love this one.

December:
The last sweater out of the year made out of handspun