Crocheted Afghan

One of my big gifty projects this fall was a crocheted afghan for my husband's parents. His mom loves rich autumn colors, and I wanted to work on a pumkin orange color, but couldn't find what I wanted. I ended up with a beautiful cranberry color and tried out a wavey pattern that I found on the wrapper of a different skein of yarn that I had at home. I was afraid for a while that I wouldn't get through the 7 skiens of yarn that the pattern called for in time to send it for Christmas, bit I made it. The pattern worked up easily and quickly, and I really liked the result. Plus, it was nice and toast on my lap as I worked on it - one of my favorite things about working on an afghan is trying it out while you work.

Raine has to hold it up over her head for pictures!

This lighting really doesn't do justice to the rich tone of the yarn, which looks darker in person. It does show off the somewhat lacy effect of the shells, though. Lacy without seeming too holey to be warm. I hope they enjoy it for many years to come!

Christmas Making

I made several tote bags for Christmas presents this year. The first two were commissioned by my mother-in-law for her sisters. We had a fun time shopping for fabrics while we were in North Carolina this past summer.

One of her sisters likes bright pinks and flowers.

Fun flowers and a pop of pink!

Her other sister leans more towards blues and greens.

Is that some piping between the blue & green? Why yes, I think it is!

I really enjoyed making these tote bags for my aunts-in-law! I have been enjoying making the totes, and I still want to make more.

I've learned from each one. Piecing techniques and quilting techniques are among the things I've practiced. I've worked on adding trims and piping. I've experimented with handle length to get a good shoulder tote, and hopefully got some that are a good length to be carried on a walker. I've used my surger on a lot of the interior seams, and I feel like that has mostly worked well for me. I even added pockets when I worked on the tote for my brother.

In the next projects, I want to add more pockets, and some loops to hook key rings to. I want to add zippers as well, to some. That may be as a closure at the top, or it may be in an interior pocket. I've been looking at some of the zippered pouches and clutches and I really like the way those zippers look. I've also seen a technique for a covered zipper on a pillow back that I think would work well for a side pocket zipper.

I've got a tub of fabrics, which is brimming over, all intended for tote bags!

Infinity Scarf

Now that Christmas is done, and everyone has - or at least should have - opened their gifts, I can post about some of the things I made this holiday making season. Instead, today I'm going to post about the infinity scarf I started last year, and finally finished yesterday.

Last year for Christmas giving, I was scarf happy. I made this cowl/scarf for my sister-in-law.

last year's scarf

I made it from a bamboo blend yarn that was a sport weight, and even though the yarn was small, the knitting went quickly. It was also done with 2 skeins instead of the 3 I had bought.

So, what to do? I love the way this yarn feels, so soft and drape-y. Light, yet warm. And it is a pretty green on top of that. So, after all the gifts were done, I started another scarf with the left-over skein and some small needles. I just did a simple knit every row pattern. It was very easy... and, by the end of the scarf, very boring to knit. So, I put it aside and did some cross stitch, and some sewing, and some crochet, and every now and again I would pull it out and knit a few rows.

When the first skein was nearing the end, I realised that I was going to need another to make the scarf long enough, so I got another, and continued on. Ron's mom volunteered to be the recipient of the new scarf. She probably has thought it was never going to get finished.

It did, though. The knit every row (stocking stitch?) pattern makes it lay nice and flat. I think the small guage looks good as well, even if it did slow things down considerably. All in all, I like it, although I think infinity scarves may be no longer the fasion rage they were last year. Oh well, the story of my life...

infinity scarf, double wrapped

Carl's Tote

My brother, Carl, made a special request for a smallish tote to use to carry his lunch and his Nook to work with him. He kind of wanted something he could grab with one hand, and not too big. I got started right away, and decided to add some pockets, and seriously thought about makeing it a zippered tote - then didn't. I chose some brown and tan fabrics that I had on hand, to make it reasonably "manly." I folded over a front panel to make a cuffed pocket, and added a bit of cording for detail.

The front.

I couldn't resist putting a little fun in it, though. Honestly, I usually can't resist a little fun in any sewing project. I had this hedgehog fabric since last winter, and had been looking for the perfect place to use some of it.

hello hedgehogs... and pockets!

I put some other gifts inside it, and wrapped it up for him for Christmas, very happy with how it turned out. Now, I just need a new project to use that zipper in...

Baskets Baskets Baskets

Roxanne and I have chose fabric baskets for our Christmas project this year. The first one i made was scrappy, which is great practice for improve piecing. OK, for piecing of any kind. I'm enjoying the practicing, too...

finished now, but with "issues" so I get to keep it!

We went on from here. I'm doing most of the cutting out, and we are sharing the sewing. I wish we had more time to sew together. It is our treat to ourselves. The baskets are pretty simple. Each block is 6.5 inches square with a lining, and a quilty kind of innerfacing for depth, and for the baskets to stand. Sew the outside blocks togther, and the inside blocks together. Then sew the bottoms on. Since I don't like my results when I leave the turning hole at the top edge, I leave it in one side of the bottom of the lining fabric. Even if you close that by a quick machine line on the "outside" fabric, it is stuffed down in the bottom of the basket to be invisible.

more baskets...

One week, we embellished with laces and rick rack that I had in my stash. Roxanne added the cording for cute handles on one basket. On the top edge of the pieced basket above, we used bias tape for a finished look. Another time, we did some improv piecing on a couple. When you have the innerfacing square to go by, you get the right size pretty quick, so while it is more time consuming than using a whole block, it sure makes a nice focal point on a side or two.

fill them with ornaments for a festive look!

We have had fun with these baskets, as you can see. Hope we can finish them all before Christmas!

decorate your children!

In the Works

I've been making tote bags as gifts for the past few months. OK, since the summer. Recently, my brother made a special request. He wanted a smallish tote that he could put his Nook, and his lunch, in to take to work. I took on the challenge of making a manly tote (that has a little bit of fun in it too). I wanted it to have pockets, in case he needed to stow his phone, or a pen or what-have-you. I also wanted to try out some of the zipper techniques that I've been checking out in tutorials for bags and pouches.

I started with the zipper, and messed it up - not beyond recovery - but definitely a learning curve I didn't quite make it around the first time out. Then, when I talked to Carl, he really didn't want a zipper to mess with. Since it is his bag, I'll go with his request and save the zipper for another time, and another bag (and I'll do a better job with it, too!)

Here is the front of the bag will look like. The contrast fabric is the inside of a front pocket panel. Think it looks "manly" enough? I hope so!

work in progress!