Neophyte Knitter

Friday Review - Bag Style

It's another of my intermittent reviews.  I just don't have time to do them regularly any more so now they will be surprises!!

Bag Style from Interweave Knits (September 2007)

Bags!  Oh lordy do I love bags.  Quick, small and eminently fashionable.  I own a lot and have made  few.  In fact one of the first projects I ever knit was a little blue bag.  It now serves as a project bag every once in a while.

This is another great book following the set pattern of the previous Interweave Style Books (Wrap Style, Scarf Style and Lace Style with 20 patterns.  We have small and large, simple and intricate, as well as felted and fair isle.  Practically something for everyone. Patterns are nice with great pictures, clear details and easy to copy pages.

Like always, there are more than a few patterns that I love.  The three below were my favorites.  The carpet bag is so classic from Veronik Avery, the crochet purse from Norah Gaughan and the lace shopping bag that is functional and gorgeous.  But my absolute favorite, heading to the top of my queue, is actually the boot bag on the cover.  I love the mix of felt and knit fabric and the beautiful round shape.  The buttons are just the icing on cake.

Like all the Interweave Style books, the design section in the back is as good as the patterns. It discusses bag shapes, the need to think about a third dimension (they have to hold shit), how to make/sew gussets, different handles and straps, closures and the very important linings.  Everything you need to turn your own vision into a reality!

If you like bags this is a must for your shelf.  Amazing projects from some of best designers in the business and a ton of useful information on how to design and construct your own bag creation.  I love this book like I love the whole series and plan to add it to my collection shortly.

Doldrums

So it's been almost 3-weeks since my last confession....ah I mean post.  During that time I have been in the knitting doldrums.  And it's all because of the damn sock I lost in SF. It threw me into a knitting funk.  After casting around for a new project, I just kept coming back to the remaining Noro.  I really wanted socks in this yarn and the ball looked pretty big still. So I decided to tempt the knitting gods and try to make at least footie socks for my Size 10 feet.   

Since I was still funky, I decided it was the perfect time to actually read some books lest I forget how so I started doing that on my commute instead of knitting.  I didn't realize how much I liked being able to zip through a book in half the time it takes to have it read to me mainly because I skip so much.  I still enjoy the story but I find my eye skips over long narratives.  So being read to is good in some ways. 

Knitting on the Noro socks was relegated to the TV and after 2-weeks in purgatory I have emerged back into the light with these!!! 

Noro Ribbed Socks
Pattern: My Own
Yarn: Noro Kureyon Sock
Needle: Size 1 & O
Knit: Start: January 31, 2008; Complete & Lose Sock1 in SF: February 23, 2008
        Sock 1a: February 27 - March 2, 2008; Sock 2: March 3 -16, 2008

Notes:  I made this up as I went. It’s toe-up, the ribbing is k4,p2 and the heel is modified from Knitty’s Widdershins using the work of k2karen who graciously did the math to apply this to different gauges and sock patterns. I think it came out great and I am loving this heel because you don;t have to pick up stitches!!  I went down to Size 0 for the k2,p1 ribbing at the cuff.  All joins were Russian.

As many people have mentioned, this yarn is a bit crunchy and tends to curl around when you knit with it but the colors are beautiful.  I don't know if these will soften up with washing as they will grace my wall for a few months as art.  That's how it works in my house, these stay up until I knit the next pair to take their place.

And with the socks complete, the curse was broken.  A few hours after these, I finished up the Brea Bag I debuted yesterday that had been lingering for almost 6-weeks just needing a handle.  I also cast-on for a new project, EZ's Baby Surprise jacket in some wool I dyed up with kool-aid ages ago!  I'm back baby!! 

Beannachtaí Lá Fhéile Pádraig Daoibh

Or in English as opposed to Gaelic, Blessings of St. Patrick to You!!  And that's about the extent of my St. Paddy's Day merriment this year.  I just don't feel like getting blitzed on green beer to honor my Irish roots. 

Instead I will show you the vision of green loveliness that I finished last night while watching V:The Miniseries, Beowulf and Dan in Real Life (I sat on my couch all day!)

Brea Bag
Pattern: Free on Berroco's Website
Yarn: Lion Brand Suede and Knit Picks Merino Style
Needle: Size 7's and 5's
Knit: December 23, 2007 - March 16, 2008
Notes:  I made few modifications to accommodate my gauge.  I held the LB Suede single through our with the front pieces on size 7s and  size 5’s for the moss-stitch side panel.  I used some leftover stash  wool to crochet all pieces together (held double stranded), both for the ease and solid joins and the cool contrasting.  I was going to use a leather handle but I didn't like the look so instead I did a length of single crochet with the contrasting color and did some edges on the lower part of the handles to bring it all together.  The button from my stash and with a crochet loop.

Overall I am very pleased with it.  It's unstructured but sturdy.  Soft but strong.  It’s very bohemian and hip.  And it's my token green today.  Sláinte!