bag

It's not often when I do any kind of craft that doesn't include yarn, but the seldom times when it happens, I really like it. This time the final product was successful too!

It's a long time ago when I accidentally felted Nick's sweater, I made a sweater bag out of it - here's the link to the type of sweater bag tutorial I used, I couldn't find the exact one I used.

Anyway, I had this felted tote finished, but it didn't seem sturdy enough to use, so I decide to line it. But: I have no sewing machine nor access to one. As I didn't have any plans for the bag, I took the bag with me to Finland with the plan to line it there. Now, this was LAST SEPTEMBER. I didn't line the bag then, but I left it there to wait for a better time. This time around I had good time and interest to finish the bag, and with my Mum's help it even worked! Just look at the bag!

I'm still working on the Finland pictures, but currently I've just been so busy! The bureaucracy and the thank you cards after the wedding, my acting hobby at the local theatre (premiere next month!) as well as work just seem to take up all my time at the moment. So I'll just need to show you something that's been finished for some weeks already... sorry! But I'm sure you'll like this one too.

Here are the actual specs:

Pattern: until lace egding my own calculation of a basic pinwheel pattern, the lace pattern from Cinnamon Bay (Ravelry link, a pattern from book "Knitting in the Sun")
Needles: 4mm dpns and circular
Yarn: Plaetzsch Nadja cotton 4-ply got got as a present, at least five 50 gram balls.

You know how the scraps and half-balls just seem to become more in the deep corners of the stash closet, and before you know it the rest-bag is full again? I do. Therefore from time to time I have to make some kind of scrap project to clear the bag out.

The Finnish webzine Ullaneule made a special scrap issue in 2008. From there I found this lovely and fun bag project Raisa Raitakassi. Easy enough to take with to the knitting group, creative enough to be interesting: how to make the stripes work, how to change gauge. Here's the info:

My niece, whom I love very much and who is crafty herself, had her 14th birthday on the 16th January. For her I made this little bag.

The bag itself is knit with Novita's Rustika yarn, which is 51% wool and 49% acrylic. It felts a bit, so that's what I did with it - felted it. The pattern is the buttonhole bag from Mason-Dixon knitting. I think I used 10 mm needles and ca. 100 grams of yarn.

The bag came out really ugly, so I decided to felt some flowers to decorate it. I got out my feltmaking gear and made three different colours of felt pieces. From these pieces I cut flower and leaf forms, and then sew them on to the bag. I think they really cheered the bag up.

Hope she likes it!

In all this moving hassle I am really not getting any knitting done. That, and all my yarn is already packed away! One of the last WIPs not in the cartons yet became a FO on Sunday.

This is the smaller version of my Emerald string bag.

Needles: 3,5mm and 15 mm. Yarn: Lidl's Zettl cotton sheen, a basic cotton with some nice glittery sheen! Colour turqoise - it's gorgeous! Started late May, finished 15th June. 

We're moving from Ireland to Germany at the end of June, so my knitting time / passion has been greatly reduced in the last week. All my time seems to go to packing and organising.

I am trying, though! As the Emerald string bag became popular right away (yay!), I decided to do the smaller version too.

I also managed to attach some buttons to the long-since-finished baby cardi, which I plan to give to my cousin's little daughter who will be 1 year old in a week's time.

I've really got interested in designing knitted items! This is the second knitting pattern I publish. I'd appreciate any comments / test knitting reports!

Emerald string bag

A handy bag for groceries, yarn, or to use as a swimgear bag on the beach. The bag comes in two sizes, the bigger one is really big and might not be suitable as a farmers' market bag (if you fill it with frut and veg, it will become really heavy, because the bag is very spacious!). The pictured bag is the bigger one.

The bags are designed to be carried either in the hand, or over the shoulder. See the pattern after the "Tell me more" button. 

Note: I offer this pattern for free for personal use - you may not sell this pattern or the bags you knit using it (ask me about charity). Please consider my stitch markers or Worsted Knitt's Shirts and Bags when planning on getting some knitting gear!

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I've been knitting hard lately, but bigger things (except for the Mouse Mitt ) and haven't had so many FOs to show. Well, I'll show my works in progress then.

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Jokusia neulomuksia työn alla:

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First, my pride and joy; another pattern from me (courtesy of Nick's Cat relaxing motif) , the Cat relaxing bag. Here's the front

It's going to be a big, felted bag. The pattern is all mine, and I am writing it down as I go. Watch this spot, I'll publish it here. Isn't it gorgeous! I'm so proud.

My new job started last tuesday, and now I have to commute at the rush hour. It’s not far, but it’s still a 30 minutes spent in a glorious Dublin Bus. I decided that I need to get my yarn out of the closet and start knitting in public.

I have been very productive this weekend! I finished two projects, the Danica scarf and the String bag, both relatively new projects, meaning they have not waited on the needled months and months. I am pretty proud of myself how they turned out, and that I actually finished (finished! Like darning in the ends and all!) two projects in a weekend. Usually when I finish one thing, I cast on a new thing or two to make up for it. However, here they are.