My knitting bag

I am so excited to have this project finished! Several months ago I saw a knitting basket that I fell in love with. It was a woven sea grass basket with a fabric lining that was taller than the basket with a drawstring closure. So when you weren't working you could keep everything secure with the basket closed, and when you were working you could fold the lining over the basket to have it completely open. It had a price tag that was way outside my budget though, over $100. I could have bought it and then not had any yarn to knit for then next year maybe...

I thought that I would be able to reproduce something similar for a fraction of the cost. My first attempt was to line a basket that I got for a few dollars at JoAnn's. It really didn't turn out though. I cut the lining too small so it fit the inside of the basket, but wouldn't fold over the edge. And I couldn't figure out how to attach the lining to the basket in a secure fashion, because sewing it by machine didn't work and by hand was too hard.

Then my cousin and I got $20 gift certificates to a local quilt shop and we went shopping when they were having a great sale. 30% off your entire order. Yea for sales! I spent just under $4 for my fabric, high quality quilting cotton. I spent a very pleasurable hour and a half wandering the store and picking out just the right color combination.


My finished bag with the drawstring closed! I added a pocket to the front with a magnetic closure and made coordinating piping to add detail between the side and the lining.


I got the lining right this time so that I could open and fold it over the edge when I am ready to knit.


Lots of pockets to keep all my knitting paraphernalia organized, I really like the tall pocket in the back that fits patterns and magazines! I added elastic to the top of it so that it won't gape open.


On one side I did three rows of pockets so I won't run out of places to put things! (Plus I just love that pink fabric and wanted to make as many pockets as I had fabric for to showcase it!)


An above view so you can get an idea of how much this will hold. The pockets around the sides are perfect for the smaller skeins of sock yarn, and there is plenty of room in the middle for larger projects.

I am just a little bit impressed with myself for creating this without any pattern or directions, just an idea from seeing a basket six months ago! It inspires me to create even more and it just makes me happy every time I sit down to knit. And maybe the best part of all is that when all is said and done I probably spent about $10 for materials instead of over $100!

January's Socks

I have decided that my crafting goal for this year is to knit (at least) one pair of socks each month. This is a very doable goal. I probably already have enough sock yarn in my stash to accomplish this without having to spend any money. (Plus then on the plus side, if I knit through my stash I get to get more yarn to replace it. Win-win!) So here are the socks I finished in January. The pattern is called Harris Tweed and the yarn was a stocking stuffer. (Sock yarn for a stocking stuffer! Almost as good as getting socks in your Christmas sock...)


It is Cherry Tree Hill Supersock, colorway Champlain Sunset. I love the bright pink with the hits of orange and aqua. I thought they were very cheery, just what I need to battle the winter blues. And I have enough yarn left that I am hoping to get a matching pair for my three year old out of it!


I got them done in just under two weeks, despite all the help from my one year old...


I guess that will teach me to leave my sock bag where she can get to it.

Bedroom Banner

Hear ye, hear ye, let all who pass through this doorway know that two very special princesses live in this room...


I started this project about a year ago, just after Lila was born. I got it to match the sweet, matching quilts my mother-in-law made for the girls.


I don't know if you can see the details clearly, but we picked this fabric because it has "cloud castles" on it.

When I was a little girl my dad would tell me bedtime stories about Princess Chrissy who's father, the king, was an inventor. He built her a playhouse that was a castle on a cloud, and it could fly. So she and her brother, Prince Joshua, and then later Baby Princess Caitlin, would fly around and have amazing adventures. But they were always home in time for dinner. I knew when I saw this fabric that those stories would be a tradition I would be passing on to my two little princess.

Orange shrug

I guess I am ready for the freshness of spring, because this is what I made the week after Christmas. I have been in love with the color of this yarn for quite awhile now, and when it went on sale at my LYS I snapped up a couple of skeins to make another shrug for this outfit.


There is still a foot or so of snow on the ground and I am thinking Easter dresses... I just really want to be better at not waiting until a few days before a deadline to start sewing this year. That's my crafting NewYear's Resolution! That's it, I am going to go get started on Christmas presents...