Diaper Bag Finished!!

Here it is. It is finished! It is felted and their name is needle felted on it. This is the first time I have ever needle felted so I am not exactly happy with that part of it. What I had in my mind was quite different than how it turned out.

The Malabrigo felted up so nice and it went so quick. It took maybe 5 minutes to get it completely felted. That is the fastest I have ever felted anything before. It came out a really nice and soft fabric. It is thick enough for what it is meant for and the feel is just wonderful.




In addition to the bad I bought a few things for the new baby as well. It just isn't right to give an empty diaper bag. :)



Here we have the back of the bag. It looks the same as the front, but without the name on it.



Finally here is the bag full of it's contents that are just waiting to go to it's new owner. Now to get it to them. Guess I need to make a call and see when they will be home hu?.

Bag Up-right

Felted Diaper Bag

So I saw this diaper bad and just had to make it. A friend of mine was having a little boy and it was calling my name. Isn't it just too cute?!



Here is the first side pocket and part of the bottom and side pockets. What yarn is that you ask? Well it is the luscious Malabrigo. Yes - I am going to felt it. No - it isn't a sin to felt Malabrigo, though I did second guess myself for doing so.



Here is a close up of the above picture. I double stranded the bottom of the bag. I figure that they are always drug across the ground and that could be a major wear point. So instead of following the 1 strand throughout as the pattern called for I modified it to use a 2 stranded bottom.



Now I have all the pocket flaps and bottom finished and have picked up all my stitches and am beginning to make the upper part of the bag.



Here is a close up of the above picture.



It is getting really close to being done. All I have to do is the dark blue around the top and the strap. I am so close I can't wait to get it done and felted.



Yet another close up.



Here it is completely knit up with handle and all. It now just needs to go to the washer for felting. After felting and drying I am going to needle felt their name on one side of it. I thought that would add just that much more of a personal touch to it.

Much Over Due Thank You

Quite a while back I won a contest that the Gabby Knitter Kelly was having. Who ever was the 700 commenter won some of her hand spun yarn! Well since I leave comments there anyway I figured I wouldn't win, but I did!!!

Not only did I get the yarn, but I also got a bar of chocolate and a tin of her favorite tea! I can't wait to get into all of it. What a great package. The yarn is so soft. I still need to decide what I am going to make with it. I am thinking bed time socks. It is so nice it would be a shame to wear it on my feet in a pair of shoes. Of course if I do use it for bed socks I will have to wear them to my LYS to show them off.

If you ever have a chance to get your hands on her yarn you should grab it as fast as you can. I am sure that it is going to knit up as sweet as it feels. Now to find the perfect pattern.

THANKS SO MUCH KELLY! You exceeded my expectations.

I-Cord Rug

I have been slowly working on a few projects recently. My I-cord rug is one of them. With having hard wood floors at our new house I can use it, so I need to get my rear in gear and get it finished. I think it is going to take a while to get it all sewn together once the cording is finished, but at least half the battle will be won.

The individual color balls are getting smaller, but I still have quite a way to go on it. I think it is going to look really cute when it is done. I had originally planned on using it in the bathroom, but now I am not so sure. I am thinking of possibly using it in the guest room or our bed room at the end of the bed. I guess I will just have to take it from room to room to see where it will look best. Who knows it might just end up back in the bath room where it was originally intended for.

It is longer than this now, but this is the most current photo that I have of it.




Here is what it will look like once it it coiled up into a rug. Of course it will be bigger than that.



James just loves my yarn and he thinks that the I-cord is the best. See I am raising him right. LOL :) Looks like I need to make him an I-cord section to play with. Crazy kid.



He had a blast just putting it in-between his toes. What that was about I don't know, but he sure was happy with it and he was being good, so I wasn't complaining and just let him have his fun.



Hopefully I will be able to get some more pictures of what I have done now. I have it all wound up into a ball at the moment. Humm I wonder what the biggest I-cord ball is.....

Soctoberfest Q & A

Yep I joined Soctoberfest this year. I am hoping to get a sock done this month, but it isn't looking promising. I just can't seem to get my knitting time in. This dang moving and unpacking is cutting into my knitting time royally. I digress. On to my answers to the questions that Lolly posted the other day.

When did you start making socks? Did you teach yourself or were you taught by a friend or relative? or in a class?
Gee I believe it was some time in 1998. It was the first thing that I ever knit and I taught myself from the pattern.


What was your first pair? How have they "held up" over time?
My first pair was my first knitting project ever. There were quite a few mistakes and I didn't know how to go back and fix them without ripping them back to the very beginning. They were a pair of over the knee socks for my 6'6" husband with size 17 feet! Unfortunately I used Wool-Ease to knit them without any other reinforcement. They fell apart in the heals after the 3rd wear. :'( I quit knitting until I was pregnant with my son in 2005 then wanted to make some blankets and such for him so I thought I would give it a try and have been hooked ever since.


What would you have done differently?
I would have used a better yarn that would have held up better and used mega reinforcement in the heals and toes.

What yarns have you particularly enjoyed?
Ohhh I love Lorna's Laces, Regia, Claudia Handpaints, Trekking XXL and many more. There are so many that I want to try, Socks that Rock are on the top of my list.

Do you like to crochet your socks? or knit them on DPNs, 2 circulars, or using the Magic Loop method?
I knit my socks. OMG you can crochet socks?! I would love to see that!! I will use DPN's or the magic loop. I found that the magic loop seems to travel easier. You don't have to worry about 4 or 5 needles and the chance of loosing one. Also it works so much easier with a toddler in the house. The 2 needles point toward me so I don't have to worry about him running up to me and getting poked by a needle. Another plus is that you can slide the sock onto the cord and there is much less of a chance of a needle getting pulled out and you can try them on as you go.

Which kind of heel do you prefer? (flap? or short-row?)
I guess at this point I would have to say flap since that is the only one that I have ever made. I want to try the short row one and see how I like it. I would love to try any and all that are out there so I will have something to choose from and be able to change things up from time to time.

How many pairs have you made?
Not many at all. I have made 3 1/2 pair not counting the one that I started for Soctoberfest.

Well those are my answers. Not very thrilling or exciting, but I hope that as the years pass I will have more to report for the Soctoberfests in the future.