Wine felted bag

Finished finally...I'm meeting Elaine in the morning at the 'Bagel Shop' to exchange gifts so thank goodness I'm done!
Pattern:-Felted "No Rules" Bag by Robin Smith
Yarn:-Araucania Nature wool Chunky. Colours, wine, cranberry, black. I love using chunky it makes a lovely dense fabric.
Needles:-Sz#9.
This bag measures 9"x13." With the handle it measures 15"x13." I added a felted flower.
I do like this bag. I don't know why it took so long to finish. I think I may need to take break from knitting...we'll see how I feel in the new year!
I still have to finish Lou's socks. I have a pair for Cath.. The wee boys are getting no knitted gifts this year and I'm sure they won't mind. I made a bunch of cookies and a pumpkin roll for them so they'll be over the moon!
Happy knitting everyone and I hope you finish all your special projects on time!
Mags.

Crafty coin purses.

My girl friend Elaine is always on the lookout for thickened wool sweaters/cardigans for me since she knows I love to felt and recycle them. I usually save the buttons too. This is a partially felted cardigan she gave me during the summer.
During Thanksgiving my daughter took me to a big Jo~Ann store in her neighbourhood. This store has so much stuff compared to the one I go to in Pennsylvania....I went wild gathering up things I thought I might use.
I spied these little coin purse frames, and bought a couple as I always wanted to try to make a coin purse using felted wool.
I used this tutorial for guidance
http://annekata.blogspot.com/2010/08/tutorial-diy-hand-sewn-coin-purse.html
I used the felted sweater for the outer body of the coin purse and some batik remnants for the lining.
I would have to say the hardest part was attaching the purse frame. I had the sew on type and I used embroidery floss. It was hard to center the frame and I couldn't find much information on how to attach it. Ah...brute force and ignorance wins every time! (Ha ha.)
I love how these little purses look but I'm not sure if I'll ever make any more.
I'll give Sarah (one of my Saturday morning knitting friends) the one with heart...she loves to felt and loves recycled stuff and I'll keep one for myself!
I know you're wondering about my Christmas knitting....well...I'm not making much progress and time is flying...
Happy knitting everyone.
Mags.

Scarf and mitts.

I don't have a lot to show in the Christmas knitting department........I still have to finish Elaine's felted bag and I can't work up the motivation to get it done. I also would like to finish socks for Lou and Cath. Other than these few things I'd be done!!! HELP, where has my knitting enthusiasm gone?????

I knit this wisp of a scarf for Lindsay our little waitress at the coffee shop. Lindsay loves a scarf and wears them all the time. I love her flair and she is so sweet.

I don't really know what colour she likes but I know it will fit!

Yarn:-Socks that Rock 100% Superwash merino. Colourway: Fairgrounds. I used the complete 360yds for the scarf.

Needles:-Sz#7

Pattern:-Sock-it-to-me-Scarf from the book "One-Skein Wonders."

This was a mindless knit and is a chevron and feather pattern. There was one problem. The scarf is knit in 2 halves and then kitchenered/grafted in the center to maintain the wave pattern at the beginning and the end. Now I quite enjoy Kitchener or grafting but did not on this scarf. The graft did seem to pucker, maybe because of the yarn overs...I don't know, but I think I ripped it back quite a few times before I was satisfied. I tried a 3-needle bind off...and wasn't any happier with that either.

I decided to add a 3 st I-cord to the scarf ends instead of the whimsical pom-poms suggested in the pattern.

Being an overachiever I decided to knit Lindsay a pair of matching fingerless mitts. I ordered some yarn from a fellow Raveler. Unfortunately it isn't quite the same colour...now it has the same colour variations just different hues, Oh well!!!!!!!!! A mismatched set!!

I decided to do the cuff in the chevron and feather pattern to match the scarf and the rest of the mitts just plain. I did add the 3 st I-cord at the cuff, fingers and thumb.

I used Sz#2 needles.

I can't imagine either mitts or scarf will provide any warmth....and you know, on second thoughts, I probably should have gotten Lindsay a gift card!!!

Happy knitting everyone.

Mags.

P.S. I did give Lindsay a gift card...I'll give this scarf and mitts to Kelly!

Charlie's coat

Here we are in Maryland for Thanksgiving.
My daughter and her family adopted Charlie in June from the pound. Charlie is a terrier mix and he adores his new family. He's a mangy little dog and his fur is sparse so they wanted me to knit him a sweater! Sooo..here he is.....
Pattern:-The Manwell by Stepanie Michaud. This is from my new book "Sock Yarn One-Skein Wonders." I bought this book at the incredible price of $2.50. I got 2 books plus shipping for $10.80 from Barnes & Noble. Wow, I was thrilled. Who doesn't love a bargain?
Needles:- I used Sz#2 circulars but I should have used Sz#3 or maybe Sz#4. The sweater is a little snug on Charlie, but not too bad. I wish I would have had measurements. It was an easy straightforward pattern. I love the little opening on the neck for his leash and the little pocket that holds a treat...Charlie loves it too!
Yarn:-Patons Kroy Jaquard sock . Colour 'Slate.' I love Kroy yarn, easy care and it has a nice heft.
I really should be focusing on my Christmas knitting...hopefully I'll get it all done on time..but you never know???
Happy knitting everyone and "Happy Thanksgiving."
Mags.

Lesson learned.

One of my knitting friends when she was browsing thru a "knitpicks"catalogue, spotted the "Yvette Entrelac Beret & Mitts" set and asked if I thought she could knit them. I causally responded that I thought she could since we would be meeting every Saturday and I could look over her work and help if necessary.

What a big mistake on my part.

Now, I would consider myself a fairly competent knitter and I have knit a couple of pair of entrelac socks but this pattern is the worst..so confusing!!!

And to think the mittens are supposed to be the simple part of the set! GULP!!!!!!

Pattern:-Yvette Entrelac Beret & Mitts by Knit Picks Design Team.

Yarn:-Knit Picks Andean Silk. Colours; Crimini, Chocolate, Cinnamon and Cream.

Needles:-Sz#7 and Sz#6.

Never advise anyone unless you read the pattern beforehand. If you're anything like me you feel an obligation to just figure everything out and knit it for them! Lesson learned!

Just think I still have to do the beret........"sigh!"

Happy knitting everyone.

Mags.

Little distractions.....

Barbara, one of my friends from our Saturday "Sip & Stitch" group always brings lovely cookies for each of us (for every holiday)...she is such a sweet lady. I can't imagine the time and effort that goes into making these cookies. They are beautiful...all that preparation and with a few bites they are gone....but they are so yummy!

To say thanks I decided I'd make a "cookie" card! My cookie, 'tho not as decorative as Barbara's is completely fat free...hee, hee.

I knit a little circle and with dark brown yarn sewed little brown knots to represent chocolate chips!!! I know she'll love this card!

I don't know why I'm fooling around making cards, I guess it's because I know I have a bunch of Christmas knitting that needs attention and I'm just so distracted....it's probably the pressure. I find when I'm under pressure I put things off...yeah....like that's gonna work! Sigh...I really must stop lolly-gagging!

Happy knitting everyone.

Mags.

Funky Fickle Fingers

Pattern:-Fickle Finger Scarf by Gayle Roehm from Interweave Knits (winter) 2005.

This is a great pattern done in seed stitch and the scarf is reversible. The fingers are made by casting on extra stitches at the end of the row and then promptly casting them off at the beginning of the next row!

The scarf measures about 58" long and about 6.5" wide. Fast, easy and mindless to knit!

Needles:- I used Sz#10 (the pattern calls for Sz#9.)

Yarn:-I used 3 skeins of Noro Bonbori, colour 3, lot#B. I love this yarn...it is full of little nubs but feels soft. I haven't blocked it yet but I know it will bloom.

I'm not sure if I'll keep this scarf for myself....although winter is just around the corner and I have to admit I do love to wear funky scarves!

Happy knitting everyone.

Mags.