Blue and Pink FO and Like Mother Like Daughter?

I love this pattern (my own). It's foolproof, has a simple design, and is a great "canvas" for embellishment.

I listed this on etsy before lunch and apparently my mom got home from work, got on her computer, checked out my stuff, saw this bag and had to have it.

I must say it is weird taking money from family. There's a side of you that feels obligated to just give it away. Thankfully I have a family who puts a value on handmade items, whether made by daughter, sister, or stranger.

Unbeknownst to me, my 9-year old daughter decided to do some freestyle embroidery on a dud bag that I had given her to experiment with. I'm amazed at what she did!! She didn't plan it out, just went for it and made decisions as she went along. Sounds a lot like me!

It's becoming a work of art!

Ebay findings received today

I received these today from an ebay seller. I'm thinking they'll be perfect for embroidery since it's so beautifully fine. They are all variegated, though not quite as colourful as expected. It's a gamble when buying wool online!

Flowers, I see flowers in this.

Hmmmm, fall leaves on a tree perhaps? Fall'ish flowers?

There is a barely discernible lavender in this. I see Queen Anne's lace.

Last but not least, the felted handbag I listed on etsy today. Yes, being the first day of winter, it makes sense to list such a springy bag, does it not?! Am I in denial?? Must be. ;-)

The flowers are Koolaid dyed wool. I dyed very small skeins, removing them at different times. Towards the end, there was mostly blue left in the water and I threw in a fresh skein. It gave it a very blueish pale purple. It's amazing the variety of colour you can get in grape Koolaid alone!

Japanese influences....

Anyone who proudly considers themselves an obsessive knitter or crafter eventually stumbles onto the existence of Japanese craft books. Do such a search on Flickr and you'll see what I mean. Then go to ebay and get lost in the tempting titles offered. I did, and that's how this book came into my possession:





I love knitting and felting bags, and embellishing them with stitchery or embroidery has become my latest facination.

The publisher is Ondori, and I would definitely keep an eye out for books published by them. By the way, the book is in Japanese, but I'll manage. ;-)

Here's a website of a Japanese embroidery artist I've come to admire: Machiko Nishikawa.

Surprise, surprise...more bags

I finished 3 more bags yesterday and today was bright enough to photograph them. I'm not in love with all 3 of them, I wish I was. I know we are all our own worst critic. I love the Noro Kureyon #165 bag, that one is definitely an interesting one. The colours are vivid and beautiful. Not a bag for one who wants to blend in with the crowd.


The lavender and blue one didn't have the stripes turn out like I imagined, but I adore the design and love the wooden toggle button. The last bag is nice too, just not my style. How did I end up doing that??

I think it's high time to get working on a couple new Fair Isle bags!

Just couldn't do it

I was going to list a bag on etsy tonight, but my heart just wasn't in it. I was finishing it up earlier today and it was as if I was hearing in my head "this is mine, this is mine", but I pushed those thoughts aside. I was writing up the description just a few minutes ago and realized I was selling my soul for what? This baby is mine, a present to myself.

I made it with wool yarn from a sweater I found at a thrift shop in the summer. It was the colour I had been searching for, I like to call it "driftwood". I plan to make a duplicate bag and make some improvement on some little things (the leaf colour doesn't "pop" like I'd prefer, the upper trunk of the tree needs to be "redrawn"). Then I'd be happy to part with bag #2 and keep my original!



(Click on the photo to get a better view)

The bonus is this bag is bigger than my current one! Woo hoo!

Been busy making bags....

Here are my most recent creations. The first bag is done in Fair Isle.

(Edited to add that the motif is from the book "1000 Great Knitting Motifs" by Luise Roberts).


Gotta love Fair Isle, you can only imagine how the colorwork will look after it's felted. I'm really loving this design for a bag. I'm working on another, but Fair Isle is slow going.


This is a VERY small handbag, only big enough for a medium sized wallet, cellphone, keys, and a few other small items. It's a fun bag though.


Here's another, which now belongs to my best friend:


Last, but not least, a green bag with embroidery. I love this one!