Madame LaFarge July 14, 2009

Madame La Farge Knitting Bag

I left out a most important part the bag says “so much yarn so little time” and then “knit 2 purl 2″ twice around the bottom.

I designed this purse myself.  I finally finished it and lined it two days ago.  On the good side of this day I have completed the linen sweater, and am on the short tiny sleeves of a baby sweater for the Plowshares show in December.  The purse above, named after a character in a Charles Dickens novel who sat and knit the names of everyone who stepped up to meet their maker at the guillotine.  It sounds grotesque in this context, but the lovely gentleman who first brought it to my attention left a warm place in my heart.  He tried desperately to get his wife to buy one of our bags and she just wouldn’t.  I used Cascade yarns,  a wonderful array of colors and you could make this bag in any colors.  I choose a whimsical skull and cross bones fabric, where the crossbones are knitting needles and the eyes, nose and mouth look sort of like balls of yarn.  I think this bag is for me, but I haven’t decided yet.

Plowshares Craft show a resounding success December 10, 2008

Sonya bag finished

Bramble stitch bag with Bartlett yarn

Aspen bag with Lion Brand Chunky

Two reclaimed yarn bags with linings

Bags made for show by my Mom

Wheat colored Bartlett yarn with embroidered and embellished detail

Reclaimed yarn external view

Michelle and I thought we did great on Saturday and decided we only needed to sell one more bag each and the show would be a success for us.  In the end we sold almost half of our stock and were both very happy with the ending proceeds.  Today I sold two more bags at work too.  Many of the bags pictured here were sold at the fair but a  couple still remain.  Wahoo, the Breezy Day Women are off to a great start!

Westcott Street Fair Part 2 September 22, 2008

It was a very grey day and it misted and was pretty cold most of the day.  We were lucky to be right near Karen and Dick’s house so we had access to a bathroom that wasn’t a portapotty, Karen also provided us with wool sweaters and a wool wrap that helped with the damp.  I went for a walk towards the end of the day and signed up to volunteer at the Peace Council and ate a delicious coconut macaroon.  It was a good place to people watch too, a lot of fun and interesting people.  We had lots of lookers and a few buyers.  We made up the cost of the fair and then some each I made enough money to buy groceries and gas this week which it was looking like I might not be able to (boy is money tight right now) and we also both noted which bags seemed over priced and which bags most people were drawn to.  We figure that at the Plowshares event this year we will definately make money.  We are also thinking about a spring craftshow and perhaps a mid summer one too.  Plenty of friends stopped by our booth and all in all it was a great day, even though my poor toes were grape popsicles by the time I got home.

Three new bags August 27, 2008

 

 

 

 

Berroco yarn purses

I had this intention to get these bags lined before school started, I guess I know how I will spend the afternoon…cause I only have a couple more days.  The top two bags are two gorgeous variegated yarns called Jasper by Berroco, with fabric that I will have featured in the “Sonya” bag (named for my cousin) in neutrals.  The lovely fabric has irridescent circles in regular rows and patterns, the blue bag it is hard to see the color of the lining because of the reflection but is a pale turquoise, I think Michelle had picked out another color and I have to check with her, but our official style consultant said the pale turquoise was best.

Noro yarn purse

The third bag is another yarn by Noro, it seems to be a 100% wool kind but I lost the tag and cannot remember I just know it is different from the one I knitted a couple weeks ago.  One similarity is that it is so thick and dense it needs no lining.  I actually really like this bag alot and if it doesn’t sell I may have to confiscate it…for the uh…flaws… I just love the variegated yarns when knitting and when looking, I like to watch the colors arrive in their time and then move on to the next row to see what wonderfully rich thing will come next.  And then when you are done the colors never disappoint. 

The completed Noro yarn Transitions Purse August 6, 2008

In the previous post I showed all the wrong things with this purse and here it is completed.

Transitions Yarn Round purse

Tapa Tote August 6, 2008

I literally spent the entire day yesterday knitting, my hands ache today from the long day.  I worked on another Tapa patterned purse.  This time it will be a tote with two sides a front and back and a bottom.  I had planned on making it a little bigger but am really happy with how it turned out.  I counted stitches and it should be 12 inches across but is only ten.  I guess that the tension that I create when making patterns is obvious.  This tote is made from Lamb’s Pride by Brown Sheep, wool and mohair blend.  I will line it in unbleached muslin and the fastener will be a nice wooden button that I have.  I also worked all day on a round purse using Noro yarn, Transitions, a cashmere, silk, wool, angora and camel blend.  It looks like a hat!  I know!  I even tried it on and it fits….after I took this photo I tore it out and instead of a gradual decrease I did two k2tgr rounds and bound it off on the inside using a three needle bind off method that Michelle taught me and I have since taught to my Mom.  I also made the handles as the closure and wove two through the top so it looks like a basket weave at the top.  It is nice and thick and does not need a lining so I also knit an inside pocket by picking up stitches inside and knitting up.  It is really cute.

Tapa patterned tote

 

Noro yarn hat/purse?

New Purses July 29, 2008

Crazy Patch and Wool Lotus Purse

Okay well the summer is passing quickly and I have about 10 purses to line or sew together.  Much to be done.  These are two of the ones I need to finish up.

Cotton Purse July 1, 2008

So my Mom is visiting and we went to Patchwork Plus yesterday.  I purchased three skeins of a silk and viscose yarn, two are wheat colored and the third a lovely creamy color, for making another purse.  They were on discount and I got the skeins quite inexpensively.  I also purchased some fabric for a lime green and navy crazy quilted purse and this wonderful anchor fabric for lining the sailor purse.  My daughter, whom Michelle says should be our style consultant in all matters, thinks we should be able to sell this purse easily, in fact that I will have to hide it from her.  The hubby is in Burlington and promises to find some interesting yarn to bring home too.  Can’t wait to see what he has chosen!! 

My forsythia art quilt.  Not yet bound or finished….

New Cotton Purse June 22, 2008

This purse was made using Araucania Nature Cotton http://www.araucaniayarns.com.  It is a yummy soft yarn with bumplees (I know this isn’t a word but it has thicks and thins and it creates a texture that is bumpy but not big bumps, thus bumplees.  I am making a second purse using the light color which is not a describable color (it isn’t grey, it isn’t soft pink, but almost a pinkish hue in the light, but maybe it is pale blue) As the background with blue anchors.  Will post when it is done which will be very soon.  I have set asside some of my purse making to make a sweater that has been a UFO since last summer.  This sweater is knitted from the top down with a raglan sleeve using Louet’s Euroflaxn yarn http://www.louet.com/yarns/euroflax.shtml.  It is beautiful to knit on which is wonderful because it is a very fine knit using a size 4 needle.  Love the texture of this flax yarn, but I understand that once washed the texture is to die for.  Cannot wait to see what it looks like when it is done.

Two new bags June 15, 2008

These are the two purses using the Debbie Bliss cotton yarn.  They still need to be lined and finished.  Don’t you just love the little pink skulls?  My friend and fellow purse knitter, Michelle called the larger bag “Cupid” because of the scrolling pink hearts.  They are not lined in this photo and are much sharper now…