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.

Ricky's Bag

I used the same pattern for Ricky's purse that I used for Megan's. I used two strands of a varigated yarn I purchased from Knit Picks. The color I used a color called "Dune Twist". It is just a gorgeous purse. Someday I'll make one just like it for myself.

Some New Knitting Books I've Read This Month

I have read this book. I haven't actually tried the technique. When I finish making all of these purses for the women on the staff then I must complete the knitted market bags I have promised to make for the men on the staff.

Then i will try socks. For myself. Somehow making socks for my staff members just doesn't seem proper. My friend Laura took a class on knitting socks on circular needles - which is the secret to the technique in this book. She just made tons of socks for herself and her husband. Socks tend to be expensive because good sock yarn doesn't come cheap. Some day I'll do socks. It is an interesting book.



This one has some wonderful patterns for knits I will actually wear.


Ok, I admit it. This one isn't a knitting book. I love to crochet also.

Megan's Purple Purse

Megan loves all things purple. I knit this purse holding one strand of kid mohair and 2 strands of deep purple wool yarn for felting.

Work was so busy this summer. I did keep up with the birthday purses, but I failed to take pictures of them all. So I'm missing some.

Martha's Fuzzy Purse

I knited this purse with 2 strands of Cascade 220 wool and 1 strand of Moda Dea's Chi Chi. It is really cute and a handy size. The pattern is a free pattern from Interweave Knitting's web page.

Four Versions of the Same Pattern

Here are four versions of a pattern from the book Pursenalities.

I used Cascade 220 yarn and Lion Brand Fancy Fur yarn for the flap and the handle of the purse.

This was made according to the original pattern using two strands of Cascade 220 yarn and adding a strand of silver eyelash yarn for the flap and the handle.

For this version I used 2 strands of Cascade 220 for the body of the purse and added metal beads and a strand of kid mohair for the flap. I used the mohair on the handle also.

I used Patons Classic Merino Wool for this one. I added plastic beads to the flap and the handle. Each brand and color of wool felts in a different way, and this purse came out significantly smaller than the others.

I think they are all really cute. I need to make a purse like these for myself.

A Purse for Julie

This little clutch as made from a pattern in
Pursenality Plus: 20 New Felted Bags by Eva Wiechmann.

I used Cascade 220 Yarn for the solid color accents and Lion Wool Yarn-Flower Garden for the body of the purse. I worked in 40 lavender, pink and clear plastic pony beads. Glass beads won't do for felting projects because they may break in the felting process.

Knitting for the Trees

Here's an unusual story from the Associated Press . Fiber artists are decorating trees in Yellow Springs, Ohio with knitted sweaters. Well, it has been very cold in Ohio this winter.

A Big Tote Bag for My Sister

I gave my sister her birthday present a couple of months early because I couldn't wait for her to see this really big felted bag.

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.