Knit Meter

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

They're Coming To Take Me Away

I made another bag but that in itself is not the reason to cart me off to the funny farm. I made the bag to replace another bag that was not really suitable to its purpose.

I have a bag in which I keep my knitting notions plus a small bag which holds cable needles, sewing needles etc. This bag is the right size but the design is not practical. It is a roll that husband got from an airline and it is not practical because things fall out of the ends.

So having fabric left over and a 50% coupon from Jo-Ann for zipper purchasing and a different pattern, I made a bag. The size of the bag was determined by the amount of fabric I had but I checked the bag would be the right size before starting. The outer fabric was left over from the bag shown bottom left in this post. I purchased a zipper the same colour but used lining fabric left over from a different project as there wasn't enough of the original lining except to make a tab on the end of the zipper. Instead of interfacing, I used fusible fleece on this bag but for a larger bag I think the fusible fleece would need to be applied to both the main fabric and the lining.

I am mostly pleased with this bag apart from not doing a very good job of matching seams for the boxed corners. I love the zipper being extended but next time I would sew it into the bag a little further, although I was replacing a bag because things fell out, I don’t think the little gap will be a problem. The size and design would make a great cosmetics bag.

So why do normal people, especially my husband, need protecting from me? This bag was designed to go in my larger notions bag and it seemed like a good idea to make it out of the same fabric. Except, all weekend every time I opened the big bag, which was happening often as I was finishing projects, I would shout that it had had a baby as I produced the smaller bag. And could I do this once or even twice, no I had to do it every single time.



Monday, July 21, 2014

My Second Oldest Project

is finished

I’m not sure if I should begin with the start, the finish or the middle. Why did I start this project, and why did I choose to finish it and what exactly do I mean by the middle? And that is where I am going to start.

When we moved two years ago I went through all my sewing and yarn supplies/stash and was ruthless in my decision making as to what to keep. I then invited a knitting friend to go through it all to take what she wanted and I invited a sewing friend to do the same. Everything else that I did not want to keep went to Goodwill.

Very good but what does this have to do with projects? In my supplies I had projects that were not only unfinished but looked like they never would be. An example the quilt shown here. But the biggest, abandoned seems too weighty a word and forgotten isn’t true, how about ignored, project was a sewing project cut out but not sewn that I resolved to work on. I decided two hours once a week would be a good target as often with sewing an hour isn’t long enough.

So how come I had fabric cut out but no sewing? Let’s go back to our previous move the one from the US to Canada and then just a bit before that when Jo-Ann had a sale and I bought fabric to make PJs and a robe for myself. I made the PJs but then the move was set up. I vaguely remember cutting out the robe before the house went on the market because I could then work on it during all the waiting time. What was I thinking? We bought, sold and moved in three weeks. Those of you who haven’t given up reading are asking “why didn’t you sew it when you moved to your new house?” That would be the obvious thing to do except we moved at Christmas. And for Christmas my husband gave me a robe he had purchased while on a business trip in China. So there I was with a pattern all ready to go but it would have been rude to have made it.

Now all these years later it is finally finished. I don’t know when I started the two hours a week but I know I wasn’t consistent with it. Also the two hours wasn’t cast in stone. If I came to a convenient stopping place before two hours I would but it was a good target.

Now my new second oldest project which is something I started in Canada will take up the time slot.

Sunday, July 20, 2014

Waiting For Photos

At knitting group I was asked how many projects still needed to be cast off. Casting off is not the problem taking artsy farty photos of the finished items is what is not happening. There are five finished projects which are awaiting their debut. One of which being the shawl, but there is also June's charity project, another shawl(ette) and two small projects.

As for those not-quite-finished items. The skirt is still one of those. I blocked it this week but the ends have to be sewn in. There is also a toy that needs to be put together and then yesterday I finished a sock so the toes needs to be kitchenered and the ends sewn in and I finished a hat which has a lot of ends to be secured.

I finally purchased beads for a shawl that has been waiting for a long time but that will be slow going and I started a baby cardigan for a friend's grandchild that is due later this year.

And to help with the stash I sold another ball of yarn. I still have three I wouldn't object to selling but no worries if I don't.