bag lady

About two weeks ago I showed you my bag-in-progress.

And this is what it looks like now

… all finished!
There is no shortage of places to store things in this bag – the front, the back and both sides have pockets as you can see, but this is the inside:

and there’s even this little zipper pocket!

I’m now hooked on bags (hence the title of this post). I'm on a mission now to turn this completed embroidery (which I have forgotten to show you since I finished it) into a bag to carry my supplies to and from embroidery classes.

The purple fabric is for the outer part of the bag and the “cross stitch” fabric is the lining.
And the bag making doesn't stop there. After thinking, “I’ll never make hexagons, I don't like them”, I am planning to make a sock-knitting project bag in hexagons! I've decided to use bright fabrics and these are the fabrics I have pulled from my small stash so far. I only need a small piece to cut 1.5” hexagons and I may not use them all. One of them will be used for the lining of the bag.

What do you think?

scrappy Sunday

The colours for this month in the Rainbow Scrap Challenge over at SoScrappy are the blues at the green end of the spectrum (or is it the greens at the blue end of the spectrum? LOL)

Anyway, whether you believe them to be blue or whether you believe them to be green, I give you my scraps of aqua, teal and turquoise (and related colours).

3 x Four patch (6.5” unfinished)

2 x String (6.5” unfinished)

These are closest to the actual colours.

11 x Improv (6.5” unfinished)

 
joining The Rainbow Scrap Challenge linky party

What have you read lately?

In between baby sitting and knitting, I have finally caught up with all 113 blogs that I follow. That is probably a bit misleading -- there are blogs on my reading list that have not had posts published to them for months. But there were also blogs on my reading list that I have since deleted -- I found I wasn't really reading their posts, just skimming to see if there was anything interesting, then moving on without commenting. It was time for those blogs to go! It's hard enough to keep up with the blogs that really interest me and still find time for my other hobbies!


I have discovered a site called librarything.com where I can record what books I am reading and get recommendations for further books based on the books I read. Of course, the site can do other things too, but at the moment I use it as a database of what I'm reading and have read.

I have finished The Distant Hours by Australian author, Kate Morton. This is probably the best piece of fiction that I have read in a very long time. If you haven't read it, and you like mystery/suspense (it's not a detective story nor is a "horror" story), then I can highly recommend this. I certainly look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

Since then, I have read several ebooks which I have borrowed from my local library and read on my iPad.  The rest of this post is taken up with a  list of books I have read and my 'review' of them.

Feels Like Home by Maggie Shayne was listed as a "Silhouette Sensation" which meant nothing to me -- but I soon discovered it meant the author was a bit more detailed in descibing the couple's intimate moments than I feel is necessary. One particular scene could easily have been omitted and the main story would not have lost anything. Obviously, this is why the book is called "sensational"! The basic story line (romance/thriller) had me reading as fast as I could to the last page to find out how the story worked out. Of course I knew it would but just how was what kept me reading! Even though I enjoyed the plot, I will not be in a hurry to read a book by this author or from the "Silhouette Sensations" collection again!

Then for a change of pace I read Anh Do's biography, The Happiest Refugee. Ahn Do is an Australian comedian of Vietnamese descent. The book was his life story from his birth in Vietnam, through coming to Australia as one of the "boat people", to his childhood and teenage years in Sydney and finally to his successful career as a stand-up comedian. The book was always positive and upbeat, despite including some tragic stories; a light-hearted read that I easily finished in less than twenty-four hours.

After that, I read a detective story, Gently by the Shore, by Alan Hunter. This series of books has been made into a television series, starring Martin Shaw as Inspector George Gently. I quite like the TV series but I think the books are more rounded and bring more depth to the character. In this particular story, Gently's assistant isn't anything like the character we see on television. Nor is the story set in the north of England as the television series suggests. I enjoyed reading as Inspector Gently did his own thing, quietly and methodically collecting clues, following leads and finally, of course, catching the killer. I plan to read more of this series.

Not being one to stick to one genre of book, I then went on to read the novel, The Help, by Kathryn Stockett. For some reason, I had thought that this was a light-hearted book, but it was soon apparent that this was not the case. It had me riveted to the storyline and I couldn't wait to read what happened next. I can see why it was turned into a movie but I don't think I'll ever see it -- movies of books I have enjoyed rarely turn out to do the book justice!

And finally, last Wednesday I finished an autobiography, Choosing to SEE: a journey of Struggle and Hope by Mary Beth Chapman, wife of Christian singer/songwriter, Steven Curtis Chapman. It is her life story but is centred around the loss of their five-year-old daughter through a terrible accident. I found it hard to put this book down. It has very short chapters and I would tell myself: "just one more chapter then bed". But I just couldn't stop reading -- and I finally went to bed at three in the morning!  I cried and cried while I read the second half of this book; real, heavy, sobbing tears. But that was okay, I had stuff I needed to deal with myself that I hadn't cried about -- so it was good to finally let go. The book is sad but it is, as the title suggests, a book about hope -- hope of eternal life and seeing their little girl again one day.
 
On Thursday evening  I downloaded Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. It's hard to believe that it's six years since this book was published -- but perhaps it only became popular after the movie came out in 2010. I haven't started reading this yet therefore I can't make any comment. I guess it will be a little like Under the Tuscan Sun; I found the movie a bit disappointing after all its hype so never read the book.

Well, that's what I've been reading -- what about you?

a finish and two WIPs – all knitting

I mentioned in my last post that I had started a new project, even though I had determined back at the beginning of July that there were to be no more new projects until I turned some of my WIPS into FOs. But I needed to purchase some yarn (as mentioned in my last post) to keep working on my Intarsia Blanket. My other UFOs involved stranded colourwork techniques, or working with sock yarn and small needles, neither of which I felt like doing. So I cast on a simple garter stitch shawl in 10ply (worsted weight) bouclé acrylic yarn on 5mm (US 8) needles. This was my progress on Wednesday afternoon.

As for the Finished Object -- I showed this cowl at the Knitters’ Guild meeting on Saturday. I actually finished knitting it on 24 July but the cast off was too tight so I unpicked it and redid it (a few days later). I finally got around to sewing the ends in at The Guild meeting, just before Show and Tell (one of my favourite parts of the meeting). The photo on the right, which shows the detail of the stitching, is more like the real colour.

The pattern is Cowl de Printemps by Jeni Chase (Ravelry link). The yarn is a sadly discontinued tencel/acrylic blend which is oh-so-soft, perfect for items that will be worn around the neck.

During the Guild meeting, I worked on the Never-ending Intarsia Blanket I started in November last year. It has been knitted on and off, depending on the weather and my mood – each row takes me twenty minutes to knit, that’s an average of just eleven stitches a minute, which is slow for me, but I have to stop to add a new colour at least once (and usually more) each row, plus weave the ends in. Some rows are faster than others, but twenty minutes is average!

When I last showed you the blanket at the beginning of July, it looked like this.

I had added another fifteen rows after this photo was taken but hadn’t taken another photo. Since writing that report on 7th July, I have added a further 206 rows (41,200 stitches) for a total of 414 rows; only 286 rows (or 57,200 stitches) for my target of 700 rows.

Anyway, enough of the statistics, the blanket now looks like this:

As you can see, I really did need to get some more red in there!

It’s the kind of knitting that gets people’s attention, even at a Guild meeting!

some yarn purchased and a new tool

I have passed the halfway mark with my intarsia blanket (more on that in a forthcoming post). Unfortunately, although I planned to use up odds and ends of acrylic yarn accumulated from other projects, I have found that I need to keep buying acrylic yarn.

I have discovered that I would rather not knit with acrylic so I am hoping to my diminish my supply rather than keep adding to it!

Anyway, back in March I purchased 5 balls and hoped that would be enough.


But I’m a bit of Kaffe Fassett fan: “if in doubt, add more colour”. As my scraps have run out, I have been “forced” to buy more yarn. in the last few weeks I have added these yarns to my stash. They are all acrylic; the Needles brand (the first five skeins) is softer and cheaper than the Thorobred but I couldn't get all the colours I needed in the Needles brand.


This has not affected my stash-busting policy for this year; because there was always a “get out of jail free” card –> “No yarn (or fabric) is to be purchased and added to the stash in 2012, unless it is needed for a specific project”.

All, except the last three of these yarns are already in use in the intarsia blanket. I stopped knitting yesterday and started another project (oh no!*) because I really wanted to put red where I needed a new colour. the blue and the green will also be used in the next row or two so they were bought specifically for this project.

While I was in the Big Box Store this morning, I also bought myself one of these:

I hope it helps me see the placement of the cream stitches on the white Aida 14 count cloth!

*I had decided I wasn't starting any new projects until I finished some UFOs but I was only in the mood for garter stitch, so a new project was started.

still not blogging regularly

I have finished the course that kept me away from blogs and crafting for three and a half weeks. I know many of you out there won't believe me, but the course was life-changing and I will never be the same!

Now my DD has started the course, so for the next three weeks, except on weekends, I will be looking after my two grandsons while she has her life changed! Consequently, there may not be much time for blogging or crafting in the next twenty four days or so.

In between my course finishing on Tuesday and her course starting yesterday, I have managed to read all the blogs I follow – up to their posts of 3 August. Some blogs I have read beyond that but I am working through them slowly and systematically and, thanks to that wonder called iPad, I will get there eventually. 

I don't want to disappoint the followers of this blog. It's a craft blog and you come here to see some stitching - right? So stitching you shall see…

During the period of the Olympic Games I did manage to frog two items for the Ravellenic Games. However, I never got around to adding them to Ravelry, and it's too late now so I didn’t qualify for any medals.

Nevertheless, here are the before and after photos of the Infinity scarf which I frogged because I thought the yarn was too dark to show the lace pattern well and, being pure wool, it was a bit to scratchy for being worn around the neck. The picture on the left is the true colour.
 
And here are the before and after photos of the pilchers I knitted when DD was pregnant with Older Grandson (who is two and a half today -- where does time go?). She was sure that she would be using cloth nappies but convenience won in the end and she used, and still uses, disposables. Neither of my grandsons would have got their thighs into that tiny leg hole, now I think about it! The pilchers were frogged and the yarn will be dyed and made into something else –– some day. The picture on the right is a truer colour.
 
The eight pieces that were my bag are now just three pieces. I have to bind the corners and base of the bag (the hardest part of the job I believe), then I can sew on the last two pockets, one on each side and the bag will be done. Hopefully I will have it finished by the end of the month since I only ever seem to work on it in class.

Speaking of classes, last month I teased you with this and asked you to guess what it would become.

Here is the finished article. I love those little colonial knots!

It is part of a triptych. The second one was started last week. (I know it needs ironing but I don’t want to set that wash out pen!)
 
I'm sure I’ll have all three finished and bound in time to decorate our house this December. (What’s that? Christmas is less than nineteen weeks away? Get outta here!)

I’m off to prepare for the arrival of my grandsons (yes, I did remember to move that glass-topped coffee table out of the living room).

Catch you soon!

Still here, still busy not blogging!

Hi all

Just to let you know I haven't forgotten you or your blogs. The ministry course I have been doing has been wonderful. It finishes on August 14 so I should get back to reading your blogs after that.


It was a bit of a shame that the course coincided with the Ravellenic Games but I have managed to finish two of my frogging projects - I just haven't entered them on Ravelry as completed yet. I have done some knitting on my intarsia blanket although it is not one of my Games projects - my mind is completely full from the course and I don't want to focus on complicated knitting patterns like the colour-work mittens I was supposed to be finishing for the Games!


My quilted bag is now in its final stages, I attached one of the handles in class today and hope to get the other attached before next week's class. I even managed to successful attach an inside pocket with a zip! First zipper I've sewn in with a machine in over 30 years! It's not straight but it's secure!


Congratulations to Andy Murray winning the gold medal in tennis - what a buzz for him, winning on his court of choice!


I leave you with a video of a song I heard for the first time yesterday. The words mean a lot to me at this time, so I hope it blesses you all too. Be warned, my non-Christian friends -- this is a very Jesus-centred song and you may not want to listen!