Another Felted Bag

WooHooo! I have another handbag...cannot have too many of them right? Come on now everyone must have several felted bags in their closets. No? Is it just me? Mmmm...that may be a true statement. Anyway, I now have a brown bag with a bit of maroon, a flap and button closure. Love it!

After finishing up my CPH way back in August I cast on for this bag with the left over Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride in Cafe-Au-Lait. After knitting a bit it looked as if I may run low on yarn so I added some Malabrigo Stonechat from the stash. I last used the Stonechat on the Arrowhead Shawl I completed last fall as a test knit. I love these two colors mixed together...the brown tones are so warm all mixed together with the maroons/greens & browns from the Stonechat. After a wash in some hot water and a week to dry I got out my eyelet tool and wacked away. Both on the handbag and my fingers...my middle & thumb got in the way of my hammer. Good news- I can still knit. Bad news- the fingers really hurt...just not enough to stop me from knitting. Anyway, I got the eyelets in all four corners, threaded the icord handle through & presto another bag. One that is the perfect size for my wallet and a few accessories...which is just the way I like it.

Details:
Yarn:Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride, Cafe-Au-Lait, 85 % wool, 15 % mohair, 190 yds/113 grams , about 1 1/2 skeins and Malabrigo Stonechat, 100% merino wool, 216 yds/3.5 oz., about 1/2 skein.

Pattern: Modified version of the Coco Bag by Diane Sutliff at feltedhandbagworkshop . I added an icord bind off at the top on three sides, then picked up stitches on the last side and knit a trianular flap to cover the top. I made sure that I created a button hole for my handmade button...after felting it's a wee bit tight, but should loosen up with use.

Needles:Knit Picks Harmony Options, size 13, 24" cable

Gauge: Didn't matter so I didn't measure it.

Size: Oops forgot to measure before felting. Post felting: width= 11"; height= 9".

One last thought about the Lamb's Pride is about it's feltability which was terrific. I am amazed at it's thickness after felting. I did use this double stranded so that was part of it, but compared to Patton's Classic Wool this is so much denser. Come to think of it this denseness is probably why I had so much trouble getting those eyelets beat into submission. It's going to really help this bag hold it's shape even better over the long haul. I'm off to wind up some Malabrigo Azul Profundo and LP's black for another bag...yep now I need one to go with my Mermaid.

WhooHoo I'm Done!

I have finished the lace test knit for Laura at Dragonwing Arts. She is calling her design Summer Radiance which is fitting since it has a few nature inspired elements...fern leaves is the first element to be knitted. The ferns plus a little "vine" started basically from the tip upwards through the first 9 charts. The section definitely reminds me of a maiden hair fern leaf.

My favorite section was towards the end (charts 12 through 14)...not because it was almost done, but I loved what appeared to be leaves marching two by two upwards. Those charts were very easily memorized and any error was quickly noticed...I loved that part. NO TINKING of frogging back to the life line for the entire 3 chart sequence...a first for me.

The worst section for me to knit was the last chart, but I think that my brain was still on sick leave and wasn't as focused as I could have been. It was this area where I made an error by forgetting to YO and I didn't catch on that the patterning on that particular element was a wee bit off. My decision to not rip back 3 rows is something I can live with...although I may try to correct it with some creative manipulation if it starts to bother me. Can anyone see the error?

Overall I thoughly enjoyed knitting lace...my first big lace project. Everything else has had small bits of lace thrown into the mix. Must have liked (loved) it since nothing else really was knitted on while this was underway.

Details:
Pattern: Summer Radiance Shawl designed by Laura of Dragonwing Arts

Yarn: Malabrigo Lace in Indigo

Needles: Addi Lace size 5 on a 60" cable

Size: Unblocked- Top 64" Sides 62" Blocked- Top 64" Sides 62"


Once the sun comes back out...if it ever does I hope to do the shawl justice with a great photo of the blocked rendition.

A Do Nothing Day

Today is one of the rare "do nothing" kind of days. With the light coat of ice & dreary day predicted I decided to get all my work done early so I could knit ALL DAY. I have actually done a small bit of tidying & laundry...there's always laundry.

I am knitting on a lace test pattern for Laura at Dragonwingarts. So far I am enjoying the heck out of the project. Lace knitting projects have been few for me so as part of the Knitting Fearlessly I decided I really need to do more "difficult" or intense projects. I don't find this one difficult, but I do need to pay close attention to my "psso" areas of the chart. I have missed a couple of these and of course I don't realize this until I'm on the purl row. Which is a bit annoying , but it is knitting...even if it is backwards!

I'm using a yarn, Malabrigo Lace in Indigo, that I have not used before. It's a wonderful blue colorway that has some lights & dark playing off one another. I think it's going to show off Laura's pattern well. I'll post pictures once I'm done with the knitting & Laura says it's okay to do. I must get back to the lace...it's gotten into my brain some kind of bad. I reckon that's a good sign, right?

Here, There & Everywhere Cables

Wow was this scarf fun to knit up. The pattern is so simple, but looks way more complicated with the way the cables run on both sides. I love that the most...no matter how you put the scarf around your neck the cables are right there showing off with no "right side" or "wrong side".


The yarn is fantastic...super soft and feels so nice & warm as you knit it up. I wish we'd get some more cold weather around here so I can truly enjoy the scarf this season. I know it will be a much worn scarf during the next football season. I'm thinking a set of mittens to go with the scarf could make great use of the last skein in the stash...maybe I can score some Hokie Orange malabrigo to go with the red mahognay. My DH likes to claim it's purple which it is not...definitely maroon which is why I chose this colorway.


The details of this project:
Pattern: Here & There Cabled Scarf by Nora Gaughan as found in Scarf Style

Yarn: Malabrigo, colorway red mahogany, 2 3/4 skeins

Needles: 24 inch Knit Picks Options, size 7

Finished size: Length 75 inches with a width of 5 1/2 inches

Modifications to original: CO 54 stitches for a narrower scarf. The original stitch pattern was kept the same & continued until I felt the length was long enough. I did block the scarf using my current favorite wash, Soak, as suggestioned to open up the interplay of the cables. I'm happy with the results.