Vera's Crafty Blog

The FMB is Ready for its Closeup!

The French Market Bag is finished! It's filled with yarn and awaiting my next command.

I think it came out great, and I like it alot.

Lastest Obsession...

The Kaledoscope Wrap in the Encyclopedia of Knitting. It's sort of amusing that I would even want a wrap because I'm not a wrap/shawl type of person, but I'm blown away by this piece--and the Noro Silk Garden yarn looks stunning. Also, it's a great way to get a colorful look withour doing colorwork. I'm so lazy when it comes to changing yarns.

Last night, I worked on a entrelac swash with cotton yarn. It looks a bit rough, but I have the concept down pretty much. I'll work a few more rows of squares, then bind it off.

Today, I need to start finishing some of my WIPs.

Groan

While I love making things for babies and kids. I'm not cutsie, and I'm still looking for that quiz....

You're a cutsie knitter! Knit anything for kids or
babies, it doesn't matter what yarn or needles
as long as the end result is *ADORABLE*!


Are you a knitter?
brought to you by Quizilla

Perseverance Pays Off

Well, I finished the French Market Bag, and here's how it looked before felting...

I broke from the pattern and made the handles a bit longer to match the dimensions of the designer had. I think that it turned out well.

The felting process took awhile since I did it by hand in the kitchen sink. It took sometime (about 30 mintues more or less) before it shrunk and felted, and I did think that I had a non felting disaster on my hands, but perseverance paid off. It felted nicely, and now it's drying. I really couldn't find anything to block it on that I really liked, but the box that the yarn in came close, so I guess, it will look kind of square when dry.

Well, tonight, I will relax and read. I have the Yanni book, the Encyclopedia of Knitting (I really want to do the Entrelac piece), and Nancy Queen's Crochet for Tots, which has some super cute things. I'll probaby start on the cotton baby afghan that I saw in the EOK. Of course, I still have the orphan socks, and the throw for Enid's birthday to finish.

So many projects, so little time.

Okay, I fell for another quiz...

You are Franklin!


Which Peanuts Character are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

Well, at least I agree with this one more than I have the others. I watched and read the Peanuts all through childhood, but really don't know much about Franklin.

...And I'm still searching for the perfect quiz.

Crafty Reviews--Encyclopedia of Knitting

Here's my Amazon.com review of the recently published Donna Kooler's Encyclopedia of Knitting

Every Knitter Should Have This Book!!!
Reviewer: vhanna262 from Charleston, SC
Last year, I purchased Donna Kooler's Encyclopedia of Crocheting, and fell in love with the beautiful design, clear instructions, neat projects, and stitch library. I started knitting again recently, and when I found out there was an Encyclopdia of Knitting coming out, I got it without looking at a single page or reading a review, and I'm not disappointed.

Interchangeable Me?

Why do I fall for these quizzes? I took it twice and got the same result.

You are interchangeable.
Fun, free, and into everything, you've got every
eventuality covered and every opportunity just
has to be taken. Every fiber is wonderful, and
every day is a new beginning. You are good at
so many things, it's amazing, but you can
easily lose your place and forget to show up.
They have row counters for people like you!


What kind of knitting needles are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

I really don't think that's me. I'm more linear and set in my ways. I follow directions; I don't think outside the box; I like documentaries--and Monk; I'm boring, and most of all, I like Addi Turbos best!

It's a Jungle Out There!

I'm happily knitting along on the FMB, and I'm about to start the handles, but I thought I step out of crafty mode for just a few moments.

Here's to one of my favorite shows on televison...

I like Monk because even though it's set in the present, it reminds me so much of Columbo and Murder She Wrote. The title character, Adrian Monk, played with perfect pitch by Emmy award winning Tony Shalhoub is a brillant detective, but has OCD, which gets in the way.

Adrian can solve any crime, except for the one that killed his beloved wife. He has a great supporting cast too.

I also adore the theme song "It's a Jungle Out There" which tells about the world from an ODC point of view. I think it's perfect for the show.

It's a jungle out there Disorder and confusion everywhere No one seems to care Well I do Hey, who's in charge here? It's a jungle out there Poison in the very air we breathe Do you know what's in the water that you drink? Well I do, and it's amazing People think I'm crazy, 'cause I worry all the time If you paid attention, you'd be worried too You better pay attention Or this world we love so much might just kill you I could be wrong now, but I don't think so It's a jungle out there

Learn more at the Monk website.

Crafty mode back on and back to the FMB.

By the way, I'm nothing like Monk, although some would say I'm a compulsive needleworker, and that's okay.

It's Almost in the Bag

Here's what I have on the FMB to date...

So far, so good. I'm about halfway thru the body and ready to add a new skein of yarn. I love the Cherry Tree Hill yarn. I'm using Plymouth bamboo needles and they are okay, but I'm really an Addi Turbo gal.

I've seen so many pretty FMBs on the web. I hope mine turns out as well once done.

Bag With Handles

Here's the finished Booga Bag!

Finally got the I-cord done. I did need some help in getting handles right--Thanks Grace. I think the bag looks good (the photo does not do it justice) and I got a lot of compliments on it.

I'm working on the French Market Bag. I have the bottom done which wasn't too bad with casting on eight stitches and four dpns and increasing to 200 once you got past the first few rows.

Peep Show 2/21/04

Today, I'm going to the LYS to get some circular needles for a new project that I have on the horizon--another felted bag. Yes, I know that I haven't finished the Booga Bag, but I will, and then, I will start on the new bag. It's the French Market Bag from Knitty.com There is a knit along on the web, but I feel that I'm too late to join???, but the bag is cool.

Here's the wool I plan to use, I got this from The Knitting Garden. It's Cherry Tree's Potluck Wool in Blues and stuff. I think it's very pretty.

I need to go to a friend's house to get the yarn wound into balls--she has a winder, and I had a horrible time winding a hank into a ball the last time because I got it tangled. I think I spent two hours untangling it--groan--but no knots or cuts!

Bag Without Handles

I'm still working on the Booga Bag. It did felt nicely by hand, but I'm so bored with making the I-cord handle.

Here's the almost finished bag...