First ever .... sock knitting ....!

I made a very airy-fairy list of things I wanted to do this year.  Airy-fairy in that I didn't really write them down - so actually in my (Gemini) way of thinking - if I didn't write it down - I wasn't committed - therefore if I didn't manage it - I hadn't failed!  I know, quite an obscure way of thinking - but that's me!

Anyway - setting up a blog was one of the them ... and that I have achieved as here I am blogging to the world at large with no idea who it is reaching and who is reading my ramblings!

The second to-do was to knit a pair of socks!  Aaaah!  Why did I feel the need to achieve this?  I really don't know!  There has just been something in the background of my crafty head saying that I needed to do this.  So, anyway, back in March I cast on!  I decided to go with one of my favourite forums on Ravelry and do the knit-along with them.  Two patterns had been chosen - an easy and a not-so-easy lacy pair.  Of course, my heart says way-hey lets go for the lacy ones and then my head says uh-oh ... you need to think about this sensibly and go for the pattern that you are more likely to achieve the first time round.

I do have this habit of either choosing something perhaps a little beyond my capabilities or - like the previous post - making two things at the same time! 

Anyway - this is my progess so far ....

I'm still working on sock number one.

I have, as always, been working on other projects as well.  So this isn't bad progress really for me.  I did have a little panic as I had one 100g skein of yarn and it seemed to be going down pretty rapidly.  So I had to find where it had come from (it has been part of a birthday swap I took part in last year from a lovely lady called Jenny in Colorado Springs) and then order another skein in.  It was purchased from an etsy shop called A Hundred Ravens (http://www.etsy.com/shop/ahundredravens).  A lovely 100% Merino wool called Iachos : Tardis - an apt shade for a Doctor Who fan like me!

So I have now definitely got enough yarn to finish both socks. 

I have also totally committed myself by having it down as a project on my Ravelry page! http://www.ravelry.com/projects/LucyMc96/basic-ribbed-socks

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Knitting Sheep for Hannah

Do you remember when I posted about the two bags I was making and that I could unfortunately not show you any photos as they were being made for a swap I was taking part in.

Well I can now safely show you the bags as the lovely lady I was making them for has received them - so there are now no surprises to spoil!

Hannah rather likes sheep so when I saw this particular fabric it was a no-brainer - it had to be used in some way for her bags.  She also lists her favourite colours as green, red, black and grey.  So I searched through my stash for the right shades of red and green to use along side the knitting sheep fabric.

 So here are the fabrics I decided on.  Nice and bright to stand out against the black background of the knitting sheep fabric.

I decided to make Hannah a Knot Bag as well as a bigger tote bag.  I did think I'd follow a pattern in a book on bags for the tote, but once I started playing around with the fabric I decided to go my own way!  Typical of the Gemini in me - not content with just one bag, and with following the pattern!

 

I wanted to have prairie points on both bags to link them along with matching fabric. 

The Knot Bag had one prairie point to bring out the green inside.

 

My label sewn into the round base.

 

I ran the sewing machine round the edges to give it a more finished look.

And it is fully reversible too!

So there we have it - the finished Knot Bag.

At this point I realised I didn't have enough of the knitting sheep fabric as I hadn't taken into account lining it!  So I had to make a mad dash down to Yandles (our local craft shop) for some more!

Here is the back

 

And showing the top of the front

I made a pocket for the front with the prairie points across that.

 

 

I padded it with a layer of felt in-between to give the bag a nice quilted and squishy feel.

And here they are, along with the other goodies I sent.  She loved them, by the way!

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Woo hoo!

I was sitting in the front of the tv two nights ago, browsing through my messages on my tablet, before carrying on with my first ever pair of socks that I'm knitting...

 

when

 

I

 

discover

 

I have

 

made

 

my first ever

 

sale on my Etsy site!

 

:•:♥:•:Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ:•:♥:•::•:♥:•:Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ:•:♥:•:

 

Followed very closely by a second sale!

 

I'm in business!

 

:•:♥:•:Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ:•:♥:•::•:♥:•:Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ:•:♥:•:

No photographs please ....

Today I am bag-making!

I'm a little behind schedule this month.  Why is it that time just flies by when you have so many things you want to do?

Anyway, as per usual I'm not doing things the easiest way - I'm in the process of making two bags for a swap on Ravelry.  And because they are for someone else I daren't post any photographs for fear that she may see it!

So hold your breath and as soon as they are finished and she's received them I will post photos for you to see.

A little teaser until then ... she likes sheep!

The REAL Knot Bag ...

I can finally put the photos up of the final Knot Bag I made and sent as it has been received now!

I chose two Japanese-style fabrics that were of the same print but different colour-ways as I wanted to make the bag reversible.  All the recipient had requested was browny pinky shades.

So here are the pictures ...

 

Complete with my little label - which I think gives it more of a professional look

and also says it's ME who made it!

 

 



 

Peeking inside

 

And as it's reversible - the other colour-way ....

 

Which colour-way do you prefer?

 

And inside this way round ...

 

And the bottom! 

I top-stitched all round it and the handles to give it more of a polished finish. 

I am rather pleased with the finished product  

 

And even better - the lady in Canada who received it - said it was perfect!

 

Woo hoo!

 

*     *     *

A Trial Knot Bag Run ....

In one of the swaps I have taken part in someone asked for a Knot Bag. 

So as I love bags and making them I offered to make one.  (I did google quite a bit before offering!)

Anyway I thought the best way would be to make my own pattern and make a trial run - just to make sure I got it right.

And here is my trial run - modelled very nicely for me by Adam ....

In Color Order: Lined Drawstring Bag Tutorial

If you're anything like me - you'll love bags!



I'm signing up for a swap in March to make a project bag and this was one of the links.  I may well be using this as inspiration ...



In Color Order: Lined Drawstring Bag Tutorial: Lined Drawstring Bag Tutorial , a photo by jenib320 on Flickr. I love making bags! In my opinion, you can never have too many. Especial...