Sunday, April 29, 2012

Market bag update

Success!!!

Market Bag, version 2

Pattern: Linen Market Bag (ravelry project page)
Yarn: Elsebeth Lavold Hempathy
Needle: US5

I ripped back the ridiculously long market bag and modified the finishing. I made some little handles perfect for carrying my loot, and one strap long enough to sling the bag over my shoulder. For the shoulder strap, I held the yarn double for less stretch and more stability. Now I'm ready for the farmers market/library/yarn shop. :) This type of bag would also make for a great beach bag--all the sand would fall through the holes!

This was my first time using Hempathy. It was a great yarn to knit with, though I'm not sure what other projects I would use it for besides this kind of bag... maybe a summer cardigan?

Saturday, April 28, 2012

Quilting practice

Melisa's Winter Table-Runner

Despite having learned to quilt at the wee age of 8, I still feel like a total novice when it comes to machine quilting. I've done some walking-foot quilting, and a smidgen of (awful) free motion quilting, but this is remains a skill-set that I need to develop. When I was helping my sister pack for her cross-country move last summer, we came across a table runner project that she'd stalled out on after piecing the top. I saw this opportunity to practice my machine quilting and volunteered to finish the table runner for her.

Melisa's Winter Table-Runner

I considered doing some free-motion quilting in this project, but in the end I chose the easier option--straight lines. It's fun to practice on projects that you plan to give away.... so that you won't be looking at the mistakes for the rest of your life. :)

I still need to practice free-motion quilting, but no plans for that right now.

Friday, April 27, 2012

Trying to turn a frown upside down

A couple of weeks ago I was bitten by the summer knitting bug and thought I'd made a couple of knitted market bags. My enthusiasm sped me through the knitting of this one, but my disappointment with the outcome has put the breaks on this little knitting jog. Here's the picture of the bag with my library loot from last weekend:

Market Bag, version 1

It's just too stretchy to be practical. I basically had to grab hold of it just above the level of my library stuff because holding the handles would have had it banging against my knee or the ground. But I want to salvage this project, and I have a plan! I'm going to rip back almost half of the mesh, and change the handle design from two long handles to one long handle (for shoulder hanging) and two very-short handles for hand holding. Cross your fingers!!

Friday, April 20, 2012

Two winter projects

We're well into spring (thank goodness!), but I've just gotten around to loading pics of some of my winter projects. First, a crochet cowl:

Eco + Cowl

This pattern (a Lion Brand freebie) was pretty quick and easy. I'm definitley a novice crocheter, though, and I have trouble keeping track of written instructions, so I charted out the pattern (you can see that on my Ravelry project page). My problem with this project is yarn choice. The Cascade Eco + I used is much to itchy, even after a nice soak in WoolWash for my neck. What a bummer. Also, if I make this again, I would add one more pattern repeat to make it slightly looser. Or maybe many more pattern repeats to make it more of an infinity scarf style. But it's still pretty to look at. :)

Eco + Cowl

Next, a scarf for Raj. This was SUPER easy, just a bunch of garter stitch. The pattern, from LMKG, recommends choosing a few different colors to make a stripe pattern, but instead I chose a subtly self-striping yarn by Noro (I love Noro!). The yarn is a tad luxurious--it's a blend of wool, mohair, silk and angora--but it's a nice manly colorway, and it's super soft on the neck.

Rustic Manly Scarf

Raj has gotten quite a bit of use out of it. I like to joke that it matches the majority of his wardrobe (blacks and browns).

Rustic Manly Scarf