Hog Heaven

The 20th Anniversary issue of Piecework magazine was in  my mailbox this week.  A whole issue devoted to bags.  BAGS!  Well I could hardly get into the house fast enough.  It is no secret around here that I love Piecework and that I love bags.   I could hardly contain myself. 

This issue is loaded with projects; bags to knit, to crochet, to bead crochet, to embroider, to embellish. 

It is like they created it just for me.  Although possibly there are other bag lovers out there.  If you are one then, like I always say, RUN right out and get this issue.  You're gonna love it, too.

Here's a link to the Editor's Letter (and you can see one view of the gorgeous embroidered one there).

My current little tatted bag is stalled for the moment, but this has made me want to get back to it asap.

Marrakesh reticule

I bought new string.  Couldn't help myself.  Besides string is relatively cheap and keeps me entertained for hours. 

 

[I'm using LizBeth thread; size 20, in 671-Christmas Red and 694-Autumn Orange-Med]

I have had an idea to use this tatting pattern for some time.  My copy is from The Complete Encyclopedia of Needlework by Therese de Dillmont but you can view whole ebook thanks to Project Gutenberg here.  Isn't that great!  What a fabulous free resource.  There are even direct links to various sections of this lenghty book.  If you'd like to look at the pattern I selected, scroll done to the Tatting section and click on the link for "Patterns of Scallops and Medallions". 

I had an idea to use this for another tatted reticule.  You can see from that bit at the bottom of the above  photo that I had a bit of a setback but things are going more smoothly now. 

Last summer when I suspended blogging for a bit I was right in the middle of the first tatted reticule.  I did finish it:

It was a very enjoyable project.  Tatting is much more summer-friendly than knitting with wool.  Alas.

Currently my idea for this new bag is to do just a deep edging and then, using the same string (not sure which color yet) to knit a bag and affix the edging at the top.   For my bag last summer I knitted just a shallow bottom which I attached to the bottom tatted edging.  For this one the idea is to have the entire bag in stockinette with a deep edging overlay.

Wholly unnecessary

Once again, not being able to quickly and easily lay my hands on the exact string that I want proves frustrating.

I really want to knit a vintage beaded pineapple bag from the Jan/Feb 2012 issue of Piecework. Have I said lately how much I love Piecework? LOVE it. That issue is the 6th Annual Historical Knitting issue.

I know. You must be shaking your head about now and asking yourself "why, why??". What can I say? It is a bag made of string.

I'd link but there doesn't seem to be a photo of this particular pattern. In fact it doesn't even yet appear in Ravelry. But you can see a photo of one at Two Nerdy History Girls blog and read more about it. There is a link there, too, to a larger photo.

I love working with the Lizbeth threads. There are over 125 colors so I should be able to find the shades I need for the pineapple. It is clear, however, that I'm going to have to order them sight unseen as I cannot rely on the paltry offerings in the Big Box stores around here.

In the meantime, thinking about the bag and dithering over colors, I came across a pattern for a tatted bag. It is made in 12 sections so I thought I could start it and let it be a long-term project, just working on it as and when I had the time and inclination. I'm using color 640: Antique Violet Medium, a lovely dusky color.

Even though it is a fairly straightforward pattern, based on a old edging/insertion, I still managed to mess up when I got to the top and had to CUT a section out, tie on, and resume. It is slow going. Who knows if we'll ever see the finished bag or not.

ETA: Well, I started this post on March 4 and have gotten a bit more done and I am really enjoying this pattern. I just LOVE the number 12. So easy to keep up with my progress. I am on the third section so almost a quarter finished.

Just after starting this post, I saw that Franklin, too, has a knitted pineapple reticule. His post here and pattern at Knitty. Grrr. Blogger doesn't want to let me LINK. But surely you already know both Franklin and Knitty.

http://the-panopticon.blogspot.com/2012/03/how-green-was-my-bottom.html

I love bags

Well that's hardly news!

I finally got a Play Day and I knew just what I wanted to do. Make a bag!

Because I need a bag? No. Because they are FUN to make and it was high time to have a bit of fun.

I used all things I already had to hand. It would have been nice to have had a longer zipper, but foolish to waste time going shopping for one. Must try to remember to pick up some more next time.

I went with a Valentine theme as you see, but tried to pick fabrics that wouldn't look too Valentine-y to use afterwards. Sure that lining is super Valentine-y, but no one but me will be seeing that. [and aren't the sheep cute!]

I cut 2" strips and stitched them down on batting to self-quilt as I went along. The wooden beads and elastic cording for the zipper pull came from a $1 child's necklace kit bought a year or so back.

What you can't tell from this photo is that the first slice is a bit wonky and my side seams don't really match up. Ordinarily this might bother me, but I have to tell you I was so thrilled to have the time and to get to finish it, that I was delighted that it worked out as well as it did.

Right away I hand wound this hank of Madelinetosh Merino Light in the most scrumptious colorway called Cove and plopped it into the bag.

Oh, my is this a JOY to knit! Would love to work only on this, but it is to be my travel/conversation knitting and the pattern has to be something simple. Right now I'm just a few rows in on a top-down stockinette triangle with the idea of it perhaps becoming the Gingko Shawlette.

Learn Something New in 2012

Here it is already past the middle of January. Can you believe it? Only today did I feel I could come up for air. I've been mired in a year-end alphanumeric mess at work, the usual year-end reporting: 940, 941, W-2s, W-3, G-7, G1003, GDOL-4, 1099, 1096, 8855-SSA, 401(k), w/c audit, and more. Seemingly endless and all with different deadlines.


Sadly not a bit of it involves string.

But like a deep sea diver who is gradually surfacing, I can see light up there and I am getting closer.

I have been playing with string and I hope to show you some things soon. I have even managed to make a few pictures and get them up on Ravelry but only by lugging my camera, cord, and projects to work and getting photos during nice light at lunchtime.

Somehow though I'm already feeling behind! Retail is way ahead as usual and the stores are already filled with Valentines. Since I was finishing off my last bag of Christmas M&Ms, I went ahead and brought home the bag of red, pink, and white ones. Regardless of all else swirling around me, I do somehow manage to stay current in the M&M world!

One of the last little things I finished up before Christmas was this small drawstring bag sized to hold just a few teabags. Once again I used the beaded picot cast on from Katharine's Bag [Ravelry link] and again I joined in the round, made an eyelet casing row and straight down to a three-needle bind off at the bottom. Very quick.


I'm still using from a ball of two-color crochet cotton. I couldn't find a link so perhaps it is no longer sold. Pity as I really like the effect it gives.


Today's e-newsletter from Nordic Needle encouraged me to Learn Something New in 2012 and had links to publications on many different techniques.


Really the things one can do with string is endless. Watch the amazing pieces these women in Turkey create using only a needle and thread.

sock sack

Remember me telling you that I made another Sock Sack? Well here it is.

I'm still scratching my head wondering why exactly I chose this particular Halloween fabric, but with one fat quarter it seemed just right to make another handy Sock Sack. Why not have a project bag for every holiday?

Once again I used Terry Atkinson's wonderful tutorial only changing it to add a lining. This makes a very handy small-project bag and I especially like having the outside zippered pocket.

Fussy Cutting

When I went to the quilt show a few weeks ago, I only bought one fat quarter of fabric from the vendors. It was a Halloween print and when I got home I kind of wondered why I had chosen that after all. Quilt fumes, I suppose.

A week or so ago I made a Sock Sack with it. I'll show you that one later. Scraps were still out on the table, [I know! Unbelievable, right!] so last week I quickly made a Little Thread Catcher [pdf link] to take to friend I was meeting for lunch. I even had to piece two scraps to get a block large enough to cut out the triangle.

So I was really, really down to scraps when I ran across this great tutorial for a Fussy Cut Zippered Pouch. In fact, poor Frank here was the only intact character left. I didn't pay too close attention to the sizes because I had to start out with a shorter zipper, but you can really play around with Amy's wonderful idea.

[see an even cuter Fussy Cut Halloween pouch here in the Flickr group]

Exhibit Bag

Whew! August is Over. The start of September brought such welcome relief from the relentless heat. Temperatures are rising back up this week, but at least now the early mornings and late evenings are nicer and one lives in hope of fall.

The one thing September always brings is festivals and exhibits. Every other year there are two in my area that I make plans to see. The first is the East Cobb Quilt Guild Quilt Show. That will be this coming weekend. Later this month I'll head back over for the Magnolia Sampler Guild Exhibit.

Now you don't want to be hindered by lugging around a heavy purse at these things, but you still want to have your camera and a little cash for goodies. To celebrate National Sewing Month - also in September -the Moda Fabrics and their designers are having a Blog Hop and each day, Sept. 6 - Oct. 2, a different designer will have a blog post and project.

To kick off this Blog Hop, Sandy Gervais had a little project for a bag. As she explained, it will hold your digital camera in the center section and has a flap-covered pocket on one side for cash and the other for credit cards.

You know I hopped right on that one! You can find the daily schedule here, or it seems each blogger is also introducing the next one.

I know. You're thinking, "but where do you put your M&Ms?" Granted it won't hold a large bag, but you could combine your cash and plastic and keep a small bag in the other side. That's what I'll be doing.

Certainly Can Can-Can

Well this was FUN, quick, and satisfying.

Bottom is 3"in diameter and it stands about 5" tall. I used size 6 dpns and didn't even finish up that ball you saw yesterday.

Since it is too dang HOT to fill with chocolates -especially as the photo was taken outside - it held a little can of mandarin oranges for the photo, but I think, filled with chocolate truffles, it would make a nice little giftie.

The beaded picot cast on was from the free pattern, Katharine's Bag [Ravelry link].

With that start you wind up with 45 stitches (using 15 beads). As I mentioned yesterday, as soon as I got the cast on completed and read the next part of the pattern, I realized it was not knit in the round so I dropped that pattern like a HOT potato, joined in the round, knit a few rounds and increased 3 stitches to get 48. From that point on I followed the directions from a long ago post of Susan Lawrence. [from the Dec. 2005 archives of her former "I'm Knitting As Fast As I Can" blog].

I've used her directions several times, always with good success, but I have yet to make a felted bag as she shows in these posts. I need to try that sometime. Heck, in this weather I could probably felt it as I knit!

We're having a heat wave, a tropical heat wave

The temperature's rising, it isn't surprising, She certainly can can-can

[Irving Berlin - 1938]

Scattered

My attention span is even more scattered than the thunderstorms that might- or might not - pop up around here.

So scattered that, even though I have just a little bit more left to do on the Hardanger project you saw last post, I just didn't feel like returning to it this evening.

This past weekend I ran across some beads while looking for something else. Isn't that the way it always goes?!

Just inexpensive acrylic beads, but I left them out near the leftover ball of Eco-Cotton Blend from the last bag thinking I might could come up

with some use for the combination of the two.

Ravelry to the rescue.

I just typed in 'beads' and 'bag' into the advanced pattern search field and then narrowed the results to knitted bags. Even then most of the results were not what I was looking for, but it didn't take long to glance over them and find something I liked.

Since I didn't have too many beads, I thought I'd probably have to randomly place them around the bag, but then I happened upon a free pattern for a small bag with a beaded picot cast on. Perfect.

Of course I couldn't be bothered to read ahead, so it was only after I got the cast on complete that I learned the bag wasn't knit in the round, so I abandoned the rest of that pattern. This is as far as I got tonight, but it kept me amused and distracted from the weather!

When will I ever learn?

The Brea Bag is finally finished. I wouldn't call it a success. This is not Norah's fault. Two things might help it a bit. A lining would certainly give it a bit more structure, but at this point I just cannot be bothered. Knitting it a bit tighter gauge might have helped, too.

To recap, I reused Red Heart Eco-Cotton Blend and size 6 bamboo needles, making this really a recycled bag since the yarn, made from remnants from t-shirt manufacturing, had already been knit and frogged from an earlier bag fail.

This took less than 2 balls. Since I originally bought 3 balls, I now still have a ball in search of a project. Not sure what it will become eventually but I do know that it will not have moss stitch! I flubbed and unknit and reknit that moss stitch gusset too many times. I never did figure out how to tell where I was even when I marked one side with a marker! Perhaps I should knit a dunce cap with that 3rd skein!

The shape and cable work is pure genius. Well naturally, it's Norah Gaughan!

One-Skein-Project Bag

A couple of days ago, Dianne sent me a link to a really nice bag. (Wasn't that kind of her! A+ for enabling, Dianne!)

Naturally I kept thinking about that little bag. Dianne wished the blogger had given dimensions.

Knitting has not been very satisfying around the cul-de-sac lately. I'm blaming - can you guess? - the HEAT. Last night, instead of knitting, I pulled out some fabric scraps and cut some 2" squares. I didn't do it long and I didn't plan my fabric scrap choices very deliberately.

I had some scraps of Osnaburg and sort of had the idea of making another of these little baskets, but as I was piecing the squares together my thoughts kept returning to the bag Dianne liked. Who can't use another one-skein-project bag?

I couldn't be bothered to take step-by-step pictures, but I did make notes of the measurements and I took a couple of photos to show the handle placement since I did the handles a bit differently than Sandra did.

The patchwork top border is done exactly as Ayumi did for the basket and each one finishes out at 9-1/2" wide. I stitched my borders to two 9" x 9-1/2" blocks of Osnaburg. Stitch sides together and form the box corners the same way.

Cut two 12" x 9-1/2" rectangles of lining fabric (Osnaburg again for mine) and stitch the same except leave a 3" or so opening on one side for turning later.

I stitched the handle strips just as Ayumi shows using two Osnaburg strips and two lining fabric strips; 2"x 12" for the over-the-wrist handle and 2" x 7" for the closing loop.

I centered the longer wrist loop on one side; centered over the seam between two squares. On the other side, the curved loop fits exactly over the two center squares.

I'm really happy with the way it turned out even though you can't see in these photos that two squares of the same fabric wound up next to each other at one side seam. [I'm blaming the HEAT.]

I didn't use any interfacing but you could if you wanted it a bit sturdier. Mine stands about 9-1/2" tall, so a good bit taller than Sandra's. You could shave an inch or so off the measurements if you prefer a shorter bag. And, of course, you don't have to piece a top border. You could use plain fabric pieces. You know....if it is HOT and you can't be bothered.

Quick and Easy?

Hello. Is it HOT where you are? Sure is here. So ironic that my handwork of choice these days mostly involves working with wool.

I am caught up with knitting the clues of the Summer Mystery Shawlette and look forward to finishing it up when Wendy posts that final clue today. This has been a FUN and enjoyable project.

Tuesday I arrived home from work to see a little treat hanging on my doorknob. This signals that Kay has made a surprise visit. It seems in one of her rounds she ran upon some fabric that screamed my name.

When I first pulled it out, I only saw the skeleton. Since I don't generally sport skeleton themes, I was initially puzzled. But then I unfolded it, had a closer look, and burst into laughter. [Kay has a way of initiating this response. smile]

This is from a now-discontinued Michael Miller line. At this size, you can't read the title of the book dropped from the poor knitter's hand, but it is Quick and Easy Knitting Projects. I think we've all had a couple of those projects that make us wonder if we'll outlast them! There is also a dog chewing up knitting, a cat making free with a skein of yarn, and a sullen child dressed head to toe in handknits. Too, too funny.

Well of course I needed to make it into a bag and the sooner the better. I ended up using this free pattern which turned out to be super fast and requires only a tiny bit of handwork to sew up a few inches of the lining.

This pattern works best with non-directional prints and this was certainly not that so I cut and pieced my rectangle before beginning so that the designs would be correct on both sides. Because of this I also made mine just a tad smaller (15" x 38", I think) and it came out just fine. In fact, I'm not sure I'd like it much bigger.

As soon as I hit publish on this post, I'm plugging the fan in and pointing it right at the sewing machine and starting another.

Hope you have an engaging project you can do inside in the cool.

[oh, and if you do decide to make this yourself, you might watch the video demo which I found very helpful.]

Summer Satchel

Pattern: Summer Satchel

by Leigh Radford in
One More Skein: 30 Quick Projects to Knit

Yarn: Red Heart Eco-Cotton Blend
75% recycled cotton / 25% acrylic
145 yd/85 gr - a tad over 2 balls
color 1340 Almond

Needles: size 7
16" circular and a set of dpns

I just happened upon this book at the library last Friday and brought it home for a browse. Unlike some of the others in the one skein series, you'll notice the MORE in the title of this one. Most of the projects call for two skeins of the specified yarn.

Naturally it was a bag that caught my attention. Just the thing, I thought, to throw over my shoulder when I head to Stitches South this weekend. Fun, as well, I thought for the summer ahead.

I had seen this yarn last summer and thought it would work for a bag but never got around to making one. The cotton component comes from remnants generated in t-shirt manufacturing. I wonder if it is not the same as 2nd Time Cotton? It can be machine washed and dried, too, which will probably come in handy as the summer wears on (and on, and on).

The pattern has you start the full amount of stitches on a provisional cast on at the bottom and knit up through the handles. You then release the provisionally held stitches and decrease the bottom. It really was a quick knit.

Speaking of 2nd Time Cotton, Helene Rush, knitwear designer and owner of the yarn company Knit One Crochet, Too, has a new podcast. Perhaps you recognize her name as she designed the popular free sweater pattern Hey, Teach! from the Summer 2008 Knitty.

Summer 2008! Could that have been three years ago?? As a matter of fact, there's a bag pattern over in that same issue that would work great in this yarn.

A basket case

No doubt you've seen tutorials around to make these little fabric baskets. I first bookmarked this one but all the dimensions are metric. I know, I know. It wouldn't be that hard or time consuming to convert, but I've yet to embrace metric. Old dog, new tricks.

Instead I used this one. It is about 4" x 6" finished. A nice little size for small items. Except for hand stitching the lining opening, it is all done on the machine.

If you've got some red and white prints, it would be quick enough to make one for Valentine's Day. Just the right size for the pound bag of M&Ms.

A nibble of Niebling

Pattern: A Herbert Niebling-Inspired Lace Bag

by Mary Frances Wogec
"Piecework" May/June 2010

Thread: Lizbeth by Handy Hands
Size 20 - 100% Egyptian Cotton 6 ply
Color 684-Leaf Green Lt.
210 yds/25 gr - less than 1 ball

Needles: Size 0 Inox dpns

Size: 5-1/4" x 7"

This, readers, was true stringPLAY. I cannot begin to describe how pleased I am with this bag even though I may never really use it. Since the whole project, not counting the price of the fabulous magazine, came in around $4, I'd say that USE is completely immaterial. JOY is another matter. It brings me joy just to see it when I walk past.

The pattern was a challenge and a delight. It really helped that I had two snow/ice days to stay home with the pattern and thread.

Mary Frances Wogec designed the bag to give knitters practice with many of the stitches used by Herbert Niebling in his designs. Her accompanying article, "Herbert Niebling, Grand Master of Lace Knitting", points out that his most notable designs feature botanically accurate flower and leaf forms worked against a mesh background and resemble true needle and bobbin lace.

She has edited, revised, and provided a full English translation of a book of his designs. A number of his designs were included in Anna magazine, a German publication (also available in English translation). Although I have several issues, I do not have the June 1986 issue that contains the pattern for "Lyra", which is perhaps his most famous design. It has since been republished as a single pattern leaflet available through Lacis and other sellers.

This thread was a dream to use. I have used it for tatting, but this was a first time with knitting. I worked on dpns and there was a break between the center petal on the large flower (same front and back) that showed a bit of laddering as I worked. I soaked it as usual and blocked on a couple of paperback books wrapped in sandwich bags. While wet I just nudged the those stitches into place and the slight laddering completely disappeared.

I don't know that I'm ready for a large full-on Niebling design, but this little nibble was delicious.

Leaf Knot Bag

I forgot to even post the finished Leaf Knot Clutch - or bag as I prefer to call it. To me a clutch means no handle, but who am I to argue with Veronik?

I enjoyed making it even if I did have to do a bit of guesswork while continuing the leaf pattern up the shaped handles.

I haven't used it yet mainly because I've been too busy and/or lazy. [I'm so busy that I regret that I am unable to be lazier!]

I do like it. Don't get me wrong. And I am looking forward to trying another project from that same book. Who knows when?

A Twisted Tote

In need of a little pick-me-up (and with no yarn shop handy), I dashed in to the Red Hen, a quilt shop very near work. They have lots of folded fat quarters so it is easy to pick one or two and walk around looking for another to coordinate, or just to ponder for projects. I am big on pondering.

I'm not even sure how long I stayed, but long enough apparently as I was more relaxed when I left with three fat quarters, two for me and one for Kay.

I've been seeing some zippered triangular bags around blogs and etsy and thought it was time I made myself one, only large enough to hold a small project. I also added a loop for a clip so I can hang it from a belt loop or attach to a bag or purse.

I didn't use these directions, but if you want to make one, here is a pdf from 4-H. [Remember 4-H?] They are quick and fun to make and the size can easily be changed to suit your need - or the length of your zipper.

It would be very simple to make a knitted version of this. In fact the SoH0 Sling from the book, Bags: A Knitter's Dozen is one example. I'm just not sure I'm ready to put a zipper in knitted fabric.

Bag spotting

I almost forgot to show you my little felted entrelac bag once I got it felted.

It's a sweet little thing. I have no idea what I could use it for, but that matters not to me. I didn't have a fabulous handmade bead for the closure like the original and my Noro yarn was a leftover bit and not in such a bright, happy colorway.

The happy spring daffodils brighten it up a bit. These are the only things to ever bloom in our yard. I am not a gardener and these lovelies are only thanks to my Mother who, years ago when we first moved here, dug up some of her own and planted for me. Thanks, Mother!

Speaking of bags, here's a cheerful patchwork one, inspired by the Norwegian Olympic Curling team.

ix-nay the iddly-fay

After this, I'm going to swear off fiddly for awhile.

Back before Christmas I bought the Interweave Knits 2009 Holiday Gifts issue. I had seen the preview and fallen hard for Susan Lawrence's Little Entrelac Bags.

You know me and bags. Doesn't take much.

I had almost a full ball of Noro Kureyon left over from another bag.

Christmas came and went. [At least I think it did. It all seemed to happen so fast.] I never seemed to get the time to try the little bags. Every once in awhile I'd pull out the magazine, glance over the instructions, get scared, and move along to something else. For some reason this weekend I decided to give it a go.

I think I'm about halfway through. I emphasized 'think' because I get so turned around flipping this thing back and forth and wrapping and turning. I've never done entrelac so it is all pretty much guesswork, but I figure it is a really SMALL bag and it is going to be felted. I'm hoping any stringplay irregularities will fade to the background in the felting process.

Speaking of fiddly, I got the Twined Hat finished. It really wasn't fiddly, but it did require a LOT of untangling. I didn't mind. It was loads of FUN to knit. I know I'll make more in the future.

Finished it just in time, too. Temps this weekend were in the 60s! Aw, well. I don't play with string around here to be useful anyway.