kitty: quick last minute holiday gift

item: Mia's Market Bag pattern: My own design, based on an interpretation of a pattern that I saw in Nordic Knitting 2 content: 3 hanks of 2nd Chance Yarn time: 4 hours
If you need a last minute gift and have a couple of hours today, this bag is totally doable in about 4 hours. The bag is so easy, here are just some basic instructions to get you on the right track. 1) Knit 4 rectangles that are 6 inches wide by 20 inches long. (I knitted one of the rectangles with several rows of purls and bobbles to create random stripes.) 2) The base of the bag is constructed as the diagram below.
3) Then sew the following sides together, making sure to sew from the base of the bag to the top since the edges will not be the same length. Side 2 to 3, 4 to 5, 6 to 7, 8 to 1 4) Knit two i-cord straps around 10 inches long and attach them to the points opposite each other.

kitty: habu inspired market bag

item: Habu Inspired Market Bag pattern: by me yarn: Maggi Knits Maggi's Linen content: 524.0 yards Linen/Cotton (probably 100yds extra) price: $4.00 time: a week

I have really been infatuated with the Habu bags for a while. The problem with buying a kit was the great fear that there wouldn't be enough yarn for the length of bag that I wanted and there was something about them that I didn't like. I mainly wasn't sure about the dimensions of there designs. The other concern was to have a bag that while empty would lie flat since I didn't want any added bulk in the bag since the ideal length for me was around my hips. I took a lot of the information that I got from the Maggi Jackson Class last year about building a stable Linen item. I wanted a bag that would have minimum stretch and then blocked hard so it would maintain its shape. The photo above was taken after stuffing it full of yarn above. It returned pretty much to a flat state. The bag has a play of two textures, which were used to break up the seed stitch for the entire bag. The center panel is a broken basket weave that has a definitive straight knit row for stability as well.

I am really excited about how it turned out. The straps are long enough to wrap comfortably around the body and to also have added slack if I ever need to reinforce the bottom and still have a strap to carry.

kitty: first FO for 2007

The Specs: Pattern: Mia's Lace Sampler Scarf (My Own Pattern) Yarn: Handspun - Roving from Spunky Electric Almost Solid in Redwood

I know I eluded to it earlier, that I had an FO to show but I hadn't made it to the mail box yet to send it to its recipient. It finally reached Mia this morning so I can finally post photos of the sampler scarf that I knit her in my handspun yarn. Click Here - Click Here I am really getting into the theme of Victorian Lace Sampler scarves and shawls. As I have done more and more research on them I am finding that they were just about as popular for young girls to knit as cross stitch samplers for there needlework studies. I think I have just fallen in love with the concept of lots of stitches place together as a study in one piece. And the bonus is if it is a hard pattern you know there are just a few dozen rows and you are done. I personally find myself just staring at the Victorian ones in aw of the different characteristics of the stitches.

PS: Don't forget to go check Mia out wearing the scarf on her site. It just made me so very happy to see her wrap it around her neck. (I love your green sweater by the way, Mia.) I just thought it looked way to cool to see it on her. She has a couple of other photos of the scarf. Merry Very Belated Christmas Mia... Lets see how long it takes for Happy Belated Birthday... I know I am so bad. Sorry.

kitty: my shawl doth grow, said the little mouse to the cat!

My fancy lace shawl is coming along nicely. I just finished the first hank of the yarn and estimation after blocking is 2 hanks will = 102 inches give or take. So my constant fears of not having enough yarn to be able to do a frilly Shetland style border looks to be in vain. I think 102 inches will make a shawl that is long enough to do what ever I want it to do, and not be skimpy and leave me sad. I am really happy with how it is growing. I have been trying to take a couple of hours each night in front of the fireplace just to enjoy life. Life is to short to be at a constant breaking point 24 hours a day in one's life. Yes, work has been bad these last couple of weeks. So I am really trying to de-stress a little each day. So far there are 12 major lace patterns and I my goal is 25: Two serve as a border - Simple diamond stitch and then an inner 4-stitch faggot stitch Then there is also a 10-row pattern, that separates all of the patterns within the body to cut down on diagonal tendencies of lace. This was a trick that I learned in the class I took with Maggie Jackson. The other 9 make up the body of the shawl

kitty: new lace project

VvS 2ply Merino in Black Knight

After I finished the scarf for Mia there really hasn't been any knitting going on. (No, I still am a bum and haven't sent it to her yet since I was waiting on the rest of her Christmas present from Pick Up Sticks in Canada. Ah the joy of international shipping, sorry Mia.) During this time though I have really been trying to think of a good lace project to knit. I was really tempted to join the Victorian Lace KAL, but something about the patterns just weren't clicking for me. Some because I didn't have enough yardage for what they called for, some because I was having trouble reading the charts backwards and didn't like how my stitches were looking in the patterns I tried. I also figured if it wasn't clicking at the get-go that really I need to rethink that much lace knitting. The book is absolutely beautiful don't get me wrong I have spent many a night just reading the patterns. So I decided to come up with my own pattern. I really like the concept of the Victorian Sampler patterns where it is a wide variety of stitches. Something about these patterns helps keep me from getting board with the designs since you know there is always a new stitch coming up. Also I have been collecting every knitting lace book I can get my hands on and checking out the others from the library when I can find them. So I sat down and charted out a pattern, we will see how it goes. Here is a little sneak peak of the design.

kitty: hurry up and wait socks are almost born

The Specs: Pattern: "Hurry up and Wait" (My Own Pattern) Yarn: Shelridge Farm, R.R. #2, ON Canada NOB 1 BO - in Thistle Flower 100% Wool Soft Touch Ultra Time: Only one sock done, but about 4 hours Cost: Unknown since it was a Sweet Halloween Gift from Mia

The name of these socks was born out of the realization that the majority of my life is spent waiting; waiting for computer programs to run, waiting for clients to call, waiting for M to be ready to leave the house, waiting for M to help me with the project I am working on, waiting on M so we could actually eat, waiting, waiting, waiting. This project is taking a small portion of that hurry up and wait time when I am in public. It has been living in my purse. I had really not wanted to work on it at home. So I could really estimate how long it would take, about 2 weeks. I did cheat and do the toe in bed over the weekend while watching movies though. I am really enjoying the yarn. It is slightly overspun, but it knits up nicely. I was really happy with my cable stitch definition. It is soaking in a sink with Soak as I type so we will see how it washes up. The Habu scarf is coming along slowly. Only 36 inches to go on 2's and 1's. WOHO!!! I must say the fabric is lovely, but I really don't own the right needles for this project. The hair size yarn falls off way to easily and with the weight of the scarf just runs down 20 -30 rows before you can even grab the crochet hook. I don't know what I would do without M a couple of times when he has held the needles as I picked up the stitches. Better get to work. Deadlines are pressing, but I am in one of those hurry up and wait times!

kitty: Happy Birthday Mom!

Pattern: Mother & Daughters Love Eternal (My Own) Yarn: Hand Spun From Amy Bookie's Almost Solid Needles: Size US 7 Circular Addi Turbo Completed : October 10, 2006

Happy Birthday Mom!!! Well, last year I tried to get her to knit socks in tandem with me for her Birthday, so this year I decided I would just knit a greeting card for her birthday. I thought she might need a new winter scarf since they are predicting a harsh winter in Virginia. I decided to design my own pattern for her since I wanted my lace to tell a story and really be a greeting card for my mom. Throughout history lace has been used to record stages in ones life and also to express meaning and emotions. So the Colour Psychology of the colour choices: Colour: Green is a colour for healing, tranquility, good luck, health, symbolizes nature, relieves stress, and in the 15th century it was symbol of fertility (The basis of the hole green M&M's as a sexual message. This was not the colour message I was trying to send by the way just included for interesting reference.) Colour: Brown is a symbol for reliability, abundance in nature, implies genuineness, feeling of warmth, comfort, security, down to earth, but also wistful, sadness, isolation (My mom really is one of the most reliable and warm persons you could ever have the pleasure of coming in contact with.) Pattern 1: Welsh pattern for Budding Pines - Victorian's believed that Pine was a symbol of Hope in adversity for growth. It was also a sign for Philosophy. There are minor references in the Victorian Language of flowers as a symbol of growth and hope for a child. (There are thousands of books written on the topic. I have several Victorian versions, but one of my favorites is actually the Kate Greenaway's The language of Flowers.) Pattern 2: Open trellis/ Open Mesh - A Trellis has been an important symbol throughout history. The Native American mythology used it to represent the sacredness of the serpent with interlocking paths that was latter interpreted to a trellis. The Greek Gods of Medicine used it as a symbolism of the sword for protection and healing. The Early Christians used it as a symbol of the path of the brass pole of Moses. Rossetti explained a trellis as a symbol of a cross and a sign of the piety and innocent. (Sonnets for the Paining 'The Girlhood of Mary Virgin') The Victorian's though used it as a symbol of the innocence of childhood and the protection of the mother. When a rose bush winds around the trellis the thorns symbolized the dangers of the outside world and life. The symbol of childhood innocence was primarily used in Victorian Morning jewelry and hair ornaments. One of the very popular patterns in Morning jewelry is the trellis pattern. (See the bow broach from my private collection, circa 1856 with English Hallmarks) Pattern 3: Intertwined hearts - I did two hearts that interlocked to symbolize the love between a mother and a daughter. The heart on the bottom has a strong foundation to symbolize the strength of a mother while holding a child, or the heart on top. Historically though between 600 - 400 B.C interlocking hearts were a symbol associated with Eros and a symbol for the musical instrument known as the lyre. Later in history Early Christians used it as a sign of faith, virtue of their charity. Later on during the medieval heraldry it became a symbol sincerity and clarity and surrounds the legend of the Holy Grail. Pattern 4: Intertwined Laddered Columns - I could be cliché about the symbolism of the ladder, but for me it symbolized the steps one takes in there life. Steps that we must take to obtain the goals in one life. Pattern 5: Welsh pattern for Budding Pines (again)- Here It is a single line for hope and growth. Pattern 6: A single row of pearl stitch - Symbolizes hard spots in the road, but with hope and love on the other side. The scarf mirrors itself from side to side. Changes I would have made: I really wish I had wires to block my lace, especially with my uneven hand spun it would have helped the edges.