Beyond Socks?

I still am mostly knitting socks. I made a wonderful shawl from a sequined metallic yarn, but it took forever to finish. I think shawls take longer to knit than sweaters, but I love them. Next, I plan to work on a lace patterned shawl in red mohair. Before I can start I must finish quilting the Redwork Sunbonnet Sue quilt I'm making for my great-niece Riley.

I Can Knit Socks!

I've completed three pairs now. I started pair number four last night.

Intarsia in the Round

The knitting books will tell you, "You can't do intarsia knitting in the round." Well, I'm always ready to defy authority, so I did this felted tote with intarsia accents in the round.

You can do intarsia in the round. What the knitting experts should tell you is , "You really shouldn't do intarsia in the round." You really shouldn't. It's too hard. However, this tote pattern can easily be done flat and seamed up the side. The strap and flapcan be worked after the seaming is done. There are so many posssibilities for felted intarsia, I'll have to do more.

I will do more, only not in the round.

I really love this tote.

Why I Want to Learn How to Knit Socks

These socks really rock!



Here's the book that has the patterns for the socks in the video.



I think this simpler book is where I need to start.

Same Pattern, Very Different Look

I began knitting Kelly's purse with one strand of Paton's "Regency" and one strand of "That's Pink". Then I switched to one strand of "That's Pink" and one strand of Paton's Pooch "Spring Blush" for the middle section. Then I switched back to "Regency" and "That's Pink". Pooch is a wool, acrylic and nylon blend, so it felts just a bit while Paton's classic wool felts very well. I love texture in yarn. I think I'll have to work some of this Pooch yarn into a sweater vest.

Same Pattern Different Yarn

For this version I used one strand of Paton's Merino Wool "Regency" and one strand of the same brand in "That's Pink". It was very vivid before it was felted, but now it's more muted.

Variations on a Theme

I've been experimenting with combining different yarns. For this purse I used one strand of Bernat's Merino Wool "harvest" and one strand of Lion Wool in "lemongrass". I'm very happy with the results and so is Mary. It was her birthday last week.

A Pink Purse for Marybelle

Marybelle is a faithful volunteer who has volunteered twice weekly for a dozen years. Tomorrow is her eighty-ninth birthday! This is the purse I made for her. She likes it. I used two strands of Paton Classic Merino yarn- one a hot pink and one a varigated pink. It really felts well!

Two More Purses with Lots of Texture

These two purses complete the September birthdays. Now I must begin on the October gifts.

I love them both and so did the two ladies that received them as brithday gifts. When I finish this project I'm going to sit down and make a bunch of these purses for myself. 50 years ago when I was in high school I had a ourse for every outfit. When I got married I had a purse, hat and pair of shoes for every dress or suit I owned - well no hat for the evening gowns. Of course, there were people who had evening hats for evening gowns that were "cocktail length".

Maybe I'll get back to that era by knitting and felting a whole wardrobe of purses for myself.But first I must finish the birthdays this year.

A Wonderful New Toy

I just got a wonderful new toy - the Bond Embellish Knit, a tool for quickly making I-cord, and I just love I-cord. You can buy it at http://www.bond-america.com/products/embellish-knit.html for $14.95 plus shipping. Unfortunately, the instructions that come with the tool are terrible. I wasted almost an hour trying to make sense of the directions. Then I went to Youtube.com and found these great video instructons. I was able to make two yards of I-cord while I watched the video.

I have great plans for this little toy. Take a look at Knitting Over The Edge: Unique Ribs, Cords, Appliques, Colors, Nouveau by Nicky Epstein. There are fantastic uses for I-cord.

There's a hat in Folk Hats: 32 Knitting Patterns & Tales from Around the World (Folk Knitting series) by Vicki Square that is composed of spirals of I-cord.

Now I must return to my new toy.