Monday, December 11, 2006

I have been knitting...REALLY!
As my last post said, I have been having some computer problems. Then after I got things up and running, I loaded the wrong program to save and post my photos with and never knew why things wouldn't load. Hubby and I finally figured out I needed to load a different program and now things are back to where they were. Thank goodness.

While I have not been posting, I have been knitting. I am not fast but I am steady knitting every day. Some days it's 5 rows some days it's a total of 5 or 6 hours while doing laundry, simmering dinner and watching TV. Yesterday was one of those days.


I finally finished "the nephew's" sweater and matching hat. I did have a bit of a mishap with the hat and will have to re-knit it. But it did not go to waste. It was taken The Knitting Corner and given as a donation to the homeless shelter that Susan takes things to. It fit my head! Way to large for a 6 month old baby, even if they say he has a large head. So a second hat will have to be knitted and shipped out later. I steamed the sweater to block it and it got a little larger but it looked great. I can't say that about the hat. It got so large...well you already know the outcome. There will be no blocking of the second hat.


Above is the project that I have been most stressed out about. I saw a fellow knitting guilder's felted bag and fell in love with it. I had to have one to store and carry my knitting, well...unfinished knitting projects in. She was kind enough to tell me the pattern that she purchased from The Knitting Corner and I headed right down there and spent my birthday money and then some on the yarn and pattern for the bag. I of course, never do things that are small. I made the largest bag in the series.

I have never felted anything in my life so this was an expensive way to start, but thankfully with all the coaching from the ladies at the shop, I love my new bag. It turned out well and I am so excited. The first time I felted the bag, it was beyond huge! On the ladie's urging, I felted it again yesterday and today it's over a heating vent drying out a second time. Takes a while but it's so worth it. I am going to felt myself a Noni oblong purse without the straps to use as a needle case. I will have to find and pay someone to put a zipper in it, but I think it will be worth it.

The felted bag pattern is by Fiber Trends-Fabulous Felt Totes. I used 7 skeins of Donegal Tweed homespun. That was $10.99 a skein. Then I used a novelty yarn and didn't save the label. The novelty yarn was the knitted in with the other two strands of Tweed. It looks great at the top of the bag.

I have more but can't get the pictures to post. Blogger must really be busy this time of the day. But hopefully in a few days I can post more of the things I have been doing!

Thanks to everyone who has been coming by to see if I am still alive.

I know my mother-in-law is a lurker. Hi Joan!! Are you shocked??

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Cute sweater set, even if the hat is too big.

I've always had good luck with felting. The tote bag you made turned out nice. I know you'll enjoy using it.

vlb5757 said...

I have no idea why the hat went nuts and grew twice it's size. That's the first time that's ever happened.

Felting is fun! I felted the bag a second time and it got a bit smaller but I think it's the right size now.

I am going to have to felt something else another time. Stay tuned!