A Great Group

I had my "Knitting With Jewelry Wire and Beads" class this morning at Lincoln Land. Eight lovely ladies with plenty of creativity and laughter. As in previous classes, everyone had their own take on colors and combinations and it was great fun to see what came off their needles.

I always try to do something new for each class to make it fresh and this is what I came up with for this class:

It's done with dark blue 26 gauge coated wire and dark blue short bugle beads. Quite fun, I thought.

Even when it's raining

it's springtime in my heart (and in my purse). It's amazing how quickly this pattern has gone. See what you get when you give the yarn its head? Umhummm...

This first picture hasn't the greatest color but it shows the construction of crocheting the 2 halves and connecting them with the green in the middle. That green space will become the bottom of the middle pocket which will be green and will be fairly simple but with a little bit of a lacy border that will stick out just a little bit from between the 2 outer sections. I haven't decided quite how I'm going to do the handles yet, whether they'll be crocheted, knitted or ready-made.

This gives you a little better view of what the final thing will look like. Robert the Bear approves.

Lincoln Land Class
I had good news today (in the midst of a pig of a day at work) that I've got 8 people registered for the Knitting with Jewelry Wire and Beads class at the local community college. I believe I had 7 in the autumn so it seems to be a popular class. I've got a couple of new things to show this group that I've been experimenting with.

I've also got a couple of ideas for classes later this year that I'm very excited about. Stay tuned.

Christmas Stockings
I'm now finished with Santa's face on the 7th of the Christmas stockings, 7th of 7 I might add. Once I get the foot section knitted, all I'll have left is stitching the faces and finishing stuff. I'm surprised to say that I've really quite enjoyed making them but I think I'm full. As I told someone the other day, I think I've done my part! I never got a photo of the first group of 4 but I will make every effort to get photos of these, if only to prove I did it!

Groovyness

I get laughed at. A lot. Especially when I insist that yarn is not inanimate. In my experience, and trust me I have a lot of experience with yarn, yarn knows exactly what it’s destined to be. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve tried to make yarn do something that it’s dug in its heels and refused to be that.

The current project is a case in point. I bought this yarn last year (old reliable Cascade 220) when we went to St Louis (at Knitorious) for the Stitch and Pitch with the Cardinals. If I’m not mistaken, that was late last April or early May. April, I think. Anyway, I wanted to do a felted summer purse with these great colors and I had a plan. The best I can remember, it was to do a purse with wide stripes of color with contrasting large polka dots on it. I could see it so clearly in my mind and that’s what I bought this yarn for. On purpose.

I started it during the game but it didn’t really work. After I got home, it sat around until I ripped it out. Then I started a different pattern with it. Again it sat around until a week ago when I suddenly listened well enough to discover what it was supposed to be.

The stitch pattern was one I first saw on one of those PBS knitting shows but I don’t remember which one. They demonstrated it quickly and I came in on the middle of the demonstration so in all I’d say I saw about 25 seconds of them doing it but I fell in love with it. I don’t crochet much with yarn because I don’t much like crocheted yarn (except in a very limited exceptions) but I liked the retro look of this stitch. Then I was able to find it in a crochet stitch pattern book that allowed the plan to unfold.

Walking by the bag of abandoned knitting, I heard it. All the stars aligned, all the pieces were in place, destiny was happening right in front of my eyes. I’m doing 2 rectangular pieces that will be the 2 outer pockets of the purse and then I’ll use the green you see at the bottom to make a middle pocket. It will be just slightly larger than the 2 sides so it will be nicely visible then it will have 2 medium length straps long enough for over the shoulder. I’ll probably use the lucet with a strand of each of the yellow/gold/orange strands to make the handles as it makes a much firmer, less stretchy cord. Can’t wait to finish it and start using it. (Click on the photo to see a larger image.)

Spinning Report

I’ve been getting quite a bit of spinning accomplished lately. I have finally been able to get back to the tartanish-colored roving (I think it was called Black Watch and it's certainly got those color shading in it) I bought up in Wisconsin last year. I’ve almost got 1 pound of yarn spun so I will definitely be able to start on something with it soon. I’m hoping to get a swatch worked up this weekend so I’ll be sure to get a photo posted when I get a good swatch to show. I really can’t wait to see how it will look knitted up. I’m doing a medium singles and then Navaho plying to get a 3-ply yarn that’s not too bulky. I probably should have done a swatch before I plied all that I have but I didn’t know enough to do that and I’ve already jumped in with both boots so c’est la vie on this one!