Slouch Bag

Sticking with my finishittus theme for Christmas, I finished this slouch bag for my sister Jill. I bought the fabric a few years ago, at my girlfriend's shop on POW island. I bought linining/strap fabric from her new shop in Cooper's Landing. The straps are long enough to wear the bag across your body, or to complement Jill's super tall stature. I added batting between the outer layer and lining and quilted just along the seams. I know people who have made these by the dozen and they seem to get more adventurous with each one, some with intricate quilting. It was a super simple bag to make, I substituted an ultrasuede bottom and made less gathering along the bottom.

Tutu Galore

This year for Christmas I made very few gifts. Unless you count the jam and soap I made months ago. I mean the truly last minute started in December after the semester ended kind of gifts. True to my form, my niece was one of the few. This year I was focusing on cleaning out the stash even more than normal. A few months ago KAES sent me some supplies she wasn't that into after she got it home and the fabric I used as the basis for the tutu. My niece takes ballet lessons.

The fabric is shear with white hearts all over and elastisized along one edge. I first cut the fabric in half, both directions to give myself a total of four layers and an appropriate length for a 6 year old. Then each layer got a different color of shear ribbon to finish the raw edge. I topped it off with three rounds of super cute trim, from Jo Ann's, around the top. Sometimes I truly love make it up as I go, other times I really need a pattern.

Brown Sweater

I realized a couple weeks ago that I finished this sweater months ago and never took any pictures. The pattern is from an autumn edition of Interweave Knits, 2007 I believe. I bought it when I lived on the island because I wanted to make several patterns in it. I finished a white hat first (wearing it in the photos on Mo of my girlfriends visit), now this sweater and I have done several failed gauge swatches for the cabled yoke sweater.

I used Patons classic wool and love how this knit up. I started it during my WFR class in the autumn of 2008 and knit all of the back, one front and most of another front during class. The sleeves were finished during another training class. Instructors love me. This piece is now a staple of my work wardrobe.

Quiviut headband

I had leftovers from the fishbasket hat I made for my friend, Russ, that were begging to be used up. I loved the pattern of the fishbasket so much that I modified it to make a headband for myself. This is still from the Arctic Lace book I bought after moving here. I have no idea where Russ bought the quiviut, but I suspect Yarn Branch here in town as it was one of the shops I told him carried the fiber. I can attest that it is warm and I love it.

Status Check - Carolyn's Quilt

I have been working on a quilt for Smokey's mom for over a year now. He did a lot of the cutting for me and a lot of the removing of paper from the back of 5 of the paper pieced blocks.

I have removed the paper from 1+ blocks so far and totally appreciate his efforts!

All 9 blocks are pieced and each is from a different one of Jim's shirts. The pattern is from a book I love, called Scraps of Time: Quilting with Treasured Fabrics.

Besides removing paper I am starting on stem appliques. Each block gets 3 stems, one for each flower, and two leaves.

Then I get to assemble them on point with setting squares, add borders, and applique more stems and leaves. I'm excited about it and the applique work is easy to do while watching netflix, so I get some done every night. More updates as I get the stems and leaves on so you can watch it grow!

Felted Handbags

One of my girlfriends from my Stitch and Bitch group in Seattle introduced me to an awesome pattern for a simple felted bag, the Pink Lady Bag, many years ago. She then made me one and I love it and always get compliments on it when I use it. Since then I have made many, many bags myself. Below is a smattering of those most recently made and named. It's a great project to introduce knitters to felting and I have had many successes.

Tequila sunrise has been one of my favorites for a while now. It went to a new home this Christmas, my local gal, Fitz, is now loving on it.

Rhubarb pie is not pink. But it is the color of the pie contents I made from the rhubarb in the yard this summer. It even has little orange flecks like the orange peel I put in my pie.

Pond reflection features a yummy color of blue my aunt had in her stash. I made one bag totally from blue and used the leftovers here. The completely blue one is being embellished with ribbon embroidery and beads. It's never leaving my life if I can help it.

Midnight Oil is named after an Australian band. Same yarn as rhubarb pie, peace fleece. It was definately more difficult to felt, but worked out well in the end.

Grape Knee-hi also went to a new home this Christmas, to my girlfriend Lael who often gives me smoked salmon and yummy baked breads. I hope that she will be in my life for a very long time.

Goat Meadows is actually one I knit for my cousin. The button has a super cute goat scene on it and she raises goats and brought them into my life on a more intimate basis than either of us planned, including walking one on a leash down a busy street in Seattle.

Fruit Salad is a cutie pie my girlfriend KAES knit. It always draws people into a table at every craft fair I have sold these at. I love the funky nobbly multi color bracketed by the red, like the red is keeping the wildness in check.

Cherry Jubilee was also made by KAES. I like that the nobbly is out of control here, like it just might seep all the way through. Kind of like my life right now.

Pink Headwear

Last year for Christmas I had a pink theme going for my one of my nieces. I made her a pink leaf hat like the black one for my cousin. It should fit her forever, but may not outlive her pink phase. The fibre is a cotton blend and was fun and fast to knit up on DPNs and finish with a circular after the crown; pattern from knitty.com.

I topped it off with this fun foam tiara embellished with feathers, ribbon, and beads. It's amazing with a hot glue gun will allow you to do. The biggest heart shaped bead is one I made many moons ago in my fimo clay phase. the feathers have a wide ribbon on the inside to keep the quills from poking her in the head. Now I just keep one crafting bag dedicated to all things pink for future projects for pink loving nieces. It currently has an interesting collection of yarn, zippers, and binding tape.