My Merino Mantra

Eye Candy Friday 4/11/08

Eye Candy Friday 3/28/08

Lamb's Pride and Paton's SWS Bag

Here is the Vintage Bubble Bag, from Pursenalities by Eva Wiechmann.  What's this, you say?  It doesn't look like the Vintage Bubble Bag?  Right you are!  I added some length to the bag, but otherwise, I really don't remember changing the pattern that much.  This is just how it turned out after felting. 

This is the prefelted bag, taken while I was still knitting the bag.  Love the look of that fabric, both the pre- and the post-felted versions.  I'm usually meticulous with details, but I don't have the amount of yarn used, or the dimensions before felting. 

I used a Bag-E-Bottoms acrylic piece for stability at the bottom of the bag, along with faux crocodile vinyl handles, both from Whitmore Lake Yarn.

Yarn:  One strand each of Lamb's Pride Worsted (some ivory color) and Paton's SWS (Natural Earth)

Needles:  Addi Turbo size 15 circular

Amount:  I can't remember!  Maybe 1.5 skeins of Lamb's Pride, and perhaps 2-3 skeins of SWS.

Both Meeka and Pasha think they could easily fit inside this bag, and have, in fact. 

I wanted the bag to have a fold to it, so I could enlarge it according to whatever projects I stuff it with.  With the top folded up, the bag measures 13.5" x 17".

To attach the handles, I simply stitched around the rings using the SWS.  Even as I was stitching through the felted bag, the yarn strand itself began to felt.  I was easily able to spit splice both the Lamb's Pride and the SWS while I knitted.

The felted fabric is nice and thick, but not stiff.  Both the Lamb's Pride and the Paton's SWS are soft, and together would make a nice, knitted bulky sweater.  I'd like to use both yarns in other colors for the Weekend Jacket #234 from Knitting Pure and Simple.

Le' Slouch, Magnifique!

Wendy from Knit and Tonic, has done it again.  She has created another winner of a pattern, this time in slouchy hat form, called Le' Slouch.  Too lazy to create my own, I have been looking for a pattern for just this type of hat for awhile now.  I had many hats like this in the past, and they were always my favorites.  I can whip up a crocheted version before three cups of coffee are gone, but I wanted a knitted hat.

I used 80 grams (or 146 yards, 2-3/4 ounces, one and a half balls) of Elann's Peruvian Collection Sierra Aran, in my favorite color, purple, with size 9 needles.  My gauge was about 4.25 stitches per inch, slightly less than Wendy's, so I added about one inch to the slouch, or length.  Love, love, love it!

I was on another high creative streak last night, thinking about all of the possibilities for this hat, which are endless.  Before I knew it, it was 2:30 AM.  I personally like the seed stitch, although making decreases appear uniform and in pattern takes a bit of tweaking.  I see a beautiful angora version next, and how about a nice tweed, or in Muench Touch Me; I can't stop.  I'll make one in all of my favorite colors!  Hurray!  Thanks for the great pattern, Wendy!

                                (Mom, you have something on your head)--->

A Life of Leisure

Pasha is most certainly a big cupcake, with a sweet disposition.  He loves to be held on my shoulder, just so, and purr into my ear, and kiss my face ever so gently.    He was the first to fetch, hogging all the toys while his sister watched, soaking it all in for her great move.  He is mostly a very good boy, and helps me at the computer, and with everything else, as well.  He follows me everywhere, and I love it.

Meeka might looks like she is an angel, but that is far from the truth, for she is, in reality, a Great Huntress, fearless to the core.  She leads her brother into all kinds of trouble.  Dare you to leave a loaf of bread on the counter, unattended?  Please do not.  She will attack and eat it with a great vengeance, after dragging it to her lair.  She bites, but they are love bites, and they are only for Mommy, because I taste better than the rest of the family.  She also follows me everywhere.  The big secret:  She doesn't want you to know that she is a Mommy's Girl. 

Market Squares Bag Done!

I have finally completed the Market Squares Bag, designed by Linda Cyr, from the book, Bags: A Knitter's Dozen. I love it!  I used Lamb's Pride Worsted, single stranded, and size 8 US Crystal Palace bamboo needles. 

The bag is worked from the top down.  I love the star pattern which occurs on the bottom of the bag upon closing.                      

Quite honestly, this was not the most fun knit I have ever done, but conversely, it was not difficult at all.  I had to use my bamboo needles, as all of my other size 8's were in use (pre-KnitPicks Options, as you can see).  Sometimes I am too lazy to put projects on stitch holders.

Pre-felted, the bag measured 21.5" wide, by 20" in length.  Post-felting, the bag measured 18.5" wide, by 16.5" in length. 

                                          

                                                      

                                                                   Pasha loves to help mom knit, and do everything else.

Lady Eleanor is Calling Me

While working on my Market Squares Bag, it occurred to me that I really do like the look of entrelac.  Although the actual knitting of it brings me no great pleasure, I love the outcome.  I haven't gotten very far along on the bag; I'm still on Tier 5 (out of 15 tiers).

I remembered an entrelac scarf/stole I saw in Scarf Style by Pam Allen.  My, my, wouldn't Noro's Silk Garden show off the entrelac to it's greatest potential, I thought to myself.  Yes, yes, and yes, I answered.  Suddenly, I heard the voice of Lady Eleanor, and I was smitten. 

I do believe I have committed myself, either to another project, or to the Land of the Endless Possibilities for Yarn. 

(Goodness me, check out sknitty's Lady Eleanor)

Too Tired to Play

Mom Went Crazy With the Bleach Again

I really should have been finishing the neck on my Tina top. . .

(Poor Meeka has a "What the...?" look on her face!)

 

. . . but instead, I decided to make Boy Wonder some shirts! 

DH:  "You're really going to make him wear that to school?  In public?"

Me:  "Wear them?  Nooo, I enjoy the smell of bleach fumes so well, I thought I would go berserk on these shirts, and then cough and become intoxicated before dinner, because it's fun making fancy dustcloths!  Then, I thought I would start on your shirts, and then, the shirts of our relatives, and then, I thought I would finish off with all the shirts from everyone in the world!  But not to wear!  Oh no!  Any more brilliant questions?"

DH:  Silence.  "Do people still wear that stuff, anymore?"

Me:  "Everyone wears it, but YOU, and YOU aren't the boss of my world, so SHUT UP AND...........!!!!!  Oh, uh, sorry, I momentarily lost my head.  I was on a roll.  I think I need some oxygen" 

DH:  "Well, dear, they're really nice.  Hon, are you having a 70's flashback?"

Perhaps Mom had too much caffeine today.  Or, perhaps I exemplified the state of my brain into the shirts.

Or, something like that.