Dec. 2, 2007 - Big Sticks
Right now I'm working on the "Around Town" felted bag. It will be for my neice for Christmas. I made one already for one neice and am trying to finish the second. This is a Lionbrand pattern. I love their free patterns. They have so many and usually I can find just what I want. This is an unusual pattern because you make the bag as one big bag. Then you felt the piece. Then you cut handles right into the material. Because the wool is so tightly felted, you don't have to sew around the cut edges. It's kind of neat how the handles are cut into the material. This a very cute bag and easy to do.
I started to knit the piece on size 11 circular needles. The pattern calls for 29 inch circulars, but I only had 36 inch circulars. I thought I'd try it and just see if I could stretch the piece to make it work on larger circulars but I was soon frustrated. I pulled the work off the sticks and decided to crochet the piece instead. Now I am nearly finished and ready to felt. I love putting a crocheted or knitted piece into my zippered pillow case and a hot water washing machine. It is magic to me to pull out the pice and see the piece become fabric. Felting is so much fun. I keep telling my husband that if I get money for Christmas I'm just going to buy wool!
So, I still have these large knitting needles in my presence and from handling them for just a short time a desire has been born in me. I want to knit a throw with worsted weight or larger yarn on great big circular knitting needles! I don't have a pattern. I don't have any yarn in mind. I just want to get cozy under a pretty patterned throw while I'm stitching away at it.
Lion brand has a few 5 1/2 hour throws on their web site. I may have to see which of those I can adapt to large circular needles. One of the girls from my knitting group was working on a scarf on circular needles. It was not a piece done in the round so I asked her why she would use circulars. She explained that when she was done working on the piece she could easily slide it down onto the circular part of the needles and know that she was protected from stitches falling off the needles. That is a great idea! So, I'm off to find a pattern to fill my craving. Of course I can't start it right now because there are Christmas gifts to finish (or start) but a girl can dream can't she?
Comments
Dec. 2, 2007 - Hi, My Name Is Renee!
Posted by crochetcrazy
I also LOVE to crochet! (well, I guess you could tell, because of my username ;-) I like your blog!
That sounds like a nice bag! I'm sure your niece will love it!
~Renee
Romans 5:8
