Two More Felted Purses

I made this little purple purse twice, once for my daughter and once for a friend at work. The drawstring pulls up tight. It's a nice little purse when you don't want to carry anything too big.

This is the big purse I made for myself. I carry it every day and get compliments on it almost every day. I love it.

Lots of Felt Purses

Since I finished "The Scarf Project" I've been busy with other projects. I've made two sweater vest for myself and many cotton towels for my kitchen. Since November I've been working my way through the book Pursenalities: 20 Great Knitted And Felted Bags.

I've made five purses so far. Here's one I finished Sunday. It was a birthday gift for a colleague.

The projects in this book are so great that I plan to make them all - some for myself and some as gifts. They actually look odd before they are felted because they're so much bigger than the finished product.

I highly recommend this book.

A Scarf for My Sister

This is a fan and feather pattern. The wool yarn is Andes yarn from Chile. This brand comes in variegated two color. I used this yarn in my sweater vest. I used size eight needles. The scarf took one and half skeins.

Cast on 29 stitches.
Row 1: K2, yarn forward, K 4 (K2tog) twice. K4. yarn forward. K1 yarn forward. K4 (K2tog) twice. K4, yarn forward. K2.
Row 2: K2. Purl to last 2 sticthes. K2.

Row 3: Knit

Rows 4-6 : Repeat rows 1-3
Repeat these six rows until the scarf is the desired length. End with rows 1 and 2. Bind off.

I also used this pattern repeated twice (cast on 58 stitches) using Lily Sugar'n Cream Cotton Yarn to make some handtowels. The towel in the middle and the one on the right are knit in this pattern. Each of these towels required two balls of Sugar'n Cream Cotton Yarn.


The towel on the left is in the same pattern stitch I used on my sweater vest - which is almost finished except for a neckband.

Multiple of 5 + 7

Row 1 : (WS) K3, sl1 wyif, (K4, sl 1 wyif) to last 3 stitches, end K3.

Row 2: (RS) Knit

Repeat rows 1 and 2.

I'm Knitting More than Scarves Now

I haven't been posting much recently because I've been busy knitting more complicated items. I'm almost finished with a ruana. The pattern came from a great book that helps you use up the yarns you have in your stash. It's called The Yarn Stash Workbook: Great Ideas And Dozens of Projects by Laura Militzer Bryant.

I finished this and actually got the sides sewn up and found that I hadn't measured accurately. So I have to add about three inches on one side. It will be gorgeous. I'll probably wear it as a coat in the early fall.

Pom-Poms and Ribbons for Cindy

Mary is modeling Cindy's birthday scarf (only ten days late!).

I used one ball of
Lion Brand(R) Incredible Yarn in the color "Copper Pennies" and two skeins of Patons Ci Ci Yarn - Carnival in the color "Carnival". I used size 13 circular needles.

I cast on 15 stitches in Ci-Ci yarn and knit two rows. Then I simply alternated yarns and did a knit stitch. The reason I used circular needles is that I was able to slip the knitting back and forth to start each row with a different yarn. If I had used straight needles I would have had to knit two rows in one yarn before I came back to the other yarn.

The Incredible Yarn is a ribbon tape yarn and a little bit tricky to knit with, but with a little practice I got it to lay flat and not get twisted.

Here's another little trick I learned. I took a sandwich sized Ziploc bag and cut a slit at the bottom big enough to slip the tape yarn through, put the ball of yarn in the bag and closed it. This kept the tape from twisting as it came off of the ball. I have also learned to use snack size Ziploc bags for intarsia knitting.

Ed's "Broken Rib"

Lou is wearing Ed's scarf that I knit using Lion Brand Wool-Ease Chunky Yarns in "Spice" and size 10 /2 needles.

It's a knit 4, purl 2 rib that is broken every fourth row with 2 rows of garter stitch. It looks great.

George's Scarf

I'm modeling George's scarf because he wouldn't. He was annoyed that I didn't get it done in October, but I made it with a cable stitch which took a long time. The scarves I make for men always take a long time to make.
I used 2 skeins of Lion Brand(R) Wool-Ease Yarns and size 8 needles. It's a simple four by four cable, but it took me a long time to figure out what I was doing. This was my first cable knitting in over 40 years.

I enjoyed doing it and plan to do more.

Fancy Fur for Wini

Megan is modeling Wini's scarf - finished only a week late for her birthday.

It's a simple garter stitch knit that alternates Lion Brand(R) Fancy Fur Yarn in "Tropical Turquoise" and Moda-Dea(TM) Gleam Yarn in "Blue Topaz".

I used size 12 neeedles, a bit small for the Fancy Fur and a bit large for the Gleam, but it worked.

Sandi's Very Green Scarf

I knit this scarf in garter stitch on size 13 needles with three yarns:
Lion Brand(R) Fancy Fur Yarn - "Spring Garden"

Moda-Dea(TM) Kickx Yarn from Moda Dea in "Swish"

and Lion Brand(R) Fun Fur Yarns - New Colors in "Lime".

A three yarn stripe is easy as pie : Cast on with the first yarn. Knit one row with the second yarn. Knit second row with third yarn. Continue to alternate until the scarf is completed.

We are all pleased with the results.

Learning Intarsia

This scarf is knit in stockinette stitch on size 10 1/2 needles. I used one skein of Lion Brand Wool-Ease Chunky Yarns and small quantities of various fancy yarns that I've used in other projects. Lynn really likes her scarf.

I didn't have any yarn bobbins, and it was really difficult keeping my yarns untangled. Since I've finished this I've learned a little trick. Use zip lock bags for the small balls of yarn. Cut a hole just large ebough for the yarn to go through and keep the bag closed. Bobbins are probably better, but this helps a lot. There is a snack sized bag that is perfect for a small amount of yarn.


This is the chart I used from The Knitting Stitch Bible by Maria Parry-Jones . It's based on 16 stitches. I doubled it.

Mary's Shawl

This is so easy. I used size 10.5 needles and four skeins of Lion Brand(R) Homespun Yarns. The color is Colonial Blue.

Cast on 2 stitches.
Knit first row.
YO at the beginning of every row.
Knit every row until three skeins are used up. Bind off.

You will have a large triangle with lacey holes on the edge.

Use the fourth skein to preapre fringe. Fringe is attached to the lacey holes on the edge.

Raspberry Fizz for Katherine

This was another easy one. I used three balls of Lion Brand Fun Fur and size 11 needles. I cast on 22 stitches and knit every row. EXCEPT on this scarf I slipped the first stitch of each row, knit-wise. It makes a very smooth edge.

Patsy's Extra Fancy Fur

I made this really fun scarf using three balls of Lion Brand Fancy Fur. I used size 13 needles.

I knit every row. I randomly knit in some subtle stripes by adding a strand of additional yarn in coordinating colors for a row or two every dozen or so rows.

Sue's Fuzzy Lace

I made Sue's scarf back in April before I started blogging about them. She wore it to work last week because it's gotten cold here.
I made this out of a fuzzy yarn I got on sale. I don't remember exactly what brand it was, but I think it was Bernat Frenzy. If that's not it I know that it's the same weight an feel as Frenzy.

The lace is very basic : knit one, *yarn over, knit two together, repeat from *, ending with knit one. Even numbered rows are knit across.

Pale Blue for Cindy

I started working this only in Moda-Dea's Chi Chi yarn, but I wanted something more. So, I added a sport weight yarn. Using one strand of each yarn I cast on 16 stitches and used size 11 needles. I knit the first two rows with both yarns. Then I knit the next two rows using only the Chi Chi yarn. I kept alternating until the scarf was 60 inches long, ending with two rows using both yarns.

Fancy Fur for Marie

This was so easy. I used three balls of Lion Brand Fancy Fur and size 13 needles.
I cast on 16 stitches and worked the whole thing in garter stitch EXCEPT
every sixth row I worked another color and type of yarn across. I alternated a fuchsia mohair, a turquoise fun fur yarn, a lavender Chi Chi yarn, a jade Chi Chi and a purple mohair. The stripes are very subtle and make a nice effect.

Lavender Fluff

Megan gets to model her own birthday scarf. And it was only four months late!
Actually, I only have three more scarves to do before I get caught up to the three October birthdays. I really think I'll be on time for some of the November birthdays.

Bright Red Fun Fur for Anne

This is so easy. I used three balls of Lion brand Fun Fur and size 13 needles.

cast on two stitches.
Row 1 -Knit front and back of each stitch.
Row 2 - Knit
Row 3 - Knit front and back of first stitch, knit 2, knit front and back of last stitch.
Row 4 Knit across
continue increasing at beginning and end of odd number rows until you have 16 stitches. Knit the even numbered rows.

Knit all rows until scarf is 60 inches long. Begin decreasing by knitting two together on the first two and last two stitches of every other orw until you only have two stitches. Bind off.

Purple for Mary Belle

Kim is modeling Mary Belle's birthday shawl. I knit it in a three yarn stripe using Moda-Dea(TM) Aerie Yarn, Moda-Dea(TM) Prima Yarn and Moda-Dea(TM) Ticker Tape Yarn . That Ticker Tape yarn is hard to work with. I truly love making three yarn stripe scarves.

Mary Belle is a faithful volunteer who is 85 years young, and I do mean young. I don't know what we 'll do if she ever decides she doesn't want to keep volunteering.

Fuzzy Pink for Kelly

This is super easy. Use size 13 needles and 3 balls of Moda-Dea's Prima yarn.
Cast on 15 stitches and knit every row until scarf is about 64 inches long. cast off.

It's not a one-hour scarf, but I did finish it in less than three hours.