New FO's to come off the needles ...

this week include:

• A carpet-bag style felted bag that's big enough to carry your knitting, library books or shopping! Done in Dale of Norway's "Heilo" -- with two strands held double throughout -- the bag goes together quickly on size 10s and felts wonderfully. A small pocket is hidden inside and the bottom has a knit-covered cardboard to keep the bottom shaping and allow the bag to "stand up". Really not too hard a project, even beginner knitters could do this one.
• A cozy lap blanket (38x38) and coordinating throw pillow in Coats and Clark's "Red Heart Grande" knits up quickly on 13s and is done in all garter stitch, so even a neophyte could handle this project. The blanket is knit in one piece (I HATE seaming) and the pillow front is knit on the bias with the solid navy blue back knit on as you go. A great first-time project for the daring.

Another capelet ...

... this one for String Bean's First Holy Communion dress. The prettiest dress I could find for our little String Bean was sleeveless -- which will be fine for her cousin's wedding in SC in June -- but not quite appropriate for Mass (especially in April in Colorado!). So I wanted to make her something unique, pretty and that would complement her dress.



Here's what I came up:

And here's a closeup: It turned out exactly as I envisioned -- simple but sophisticated, light and airy while keeping her shoulders/upper arms warm, complementary to the dress (hits just above the attached sash). It's knit with Lion Brand's Babysoft, an acrylic that knits up beautifully and keeps a crispness to the garment (and it's machine washable -- really important around here).

Another just finished project ...

I have a real thing for the new look of shrugs/capelets/partial ponchos .... whatever you want to call them. They look so chic and sophisticated! Here's one I just finished -- this one is going to be donated to the Spring Event fund-raiser at Bishop Machebeuf High School.

Here's a close-up of the really easy eyelet pattern on the bodice -- the edges are a simple eyelet rib. This capelet/shrug is knit from the neck down, so it goes quite quickly.

What I've been working on

I haven't posted any of my own designs in awhile, so I thought I'd show you what I've done lately. I'm working on a new project and these are the first two designs -- a stuffed (with pellets from the neck down, fiberfill for the neck up) varied striped snake (complete with I-cord forked tongue) and a silly cap. Cool huh?

I'm a nut ...

... a nut for history of knitting type books and a nut for ethnic knitting books. Books like Sheila McGregor's Traditional Fair Isle Knitting and Traditional Scandinavian Knitting, Nancy Bush's Folk Knitting in Estonia, Marcia Lewandowski's Andean Folk Knits, as well as the Folk Knit series from Interweave that includes: Folk Shawls, Folk Socks, Folk Vests, and Folk Mittens are all well-thumbed books on my design shelf. I get lots of inspiration and great ideas from these as well as feeding my fascination with knitting old and new. I love reading these books, over and over again; each time I read them I get new ideas or learn an ancient technique that I never knew ... and my knitting is better because of these kind of books.

I just found out that a new book is coming in April -- I've actually pre-ordered it -- written by a fellow Association of Knitwear Designers member. Terri Shea has been working on a certification for museum studies and began her research on the Selbu knitting tradition in Norway. Her new book, Selbuvotter: Biography of a Knitting Tradition, contains the history of this unique cottage industry (that began with one young shepherdess tending her flock) and contains 30(!) patterns for mittens and gloves using the traditional designs of the Selbu. If you click on the link above, you can see sample pages of this fascinating work.

Go ahead (you know you want to) and pre-order this book -- should be here sometime around Easter so you can always say the Easter Bunny brought it!

Now, this is right up my alley ...

I love when books and knitting combine to keep me busy. Thanks to a mention on the Knit the Classics blog, seems there is a British group out there that's got a contest going: what would your favorite storybook heroine knit? Designs (not even the finished project, just the idea) are due April 15th and the prize includes the yarn to make the design!

HOW COOL IS THAT?????? I've always thought there should be more knitting in books; and in some books, I KNOW there is subliminal knitting -- I just know it.....

Off for some thinkin' and designin'