Slick Knit

More Christmas Knitting

Felted Purse
Originally uploaded by Slickery.

I finished my sister-in-laws felted purse this weekend. The handle looks stupid in this picture, doesn't stand up on its own. There's another picture in my flickr photos, click the flashy flickr thing in the sidebar.

This is the Grey Flannel purse from Pursesonalities. And I actually knit most of it twice.

The directions have the bottom knit in rows of garter stitch, pretty standard. But then she has you knit on 40 stitches, knit the body in the round, then go back and whipstitch the bottom to the body.

I don't know why but that so didn't work for me. I could not get the body to fit the bottom without making it all scrunchy and weird. After about an hour of trying I gave up and frogged the damn thing and started over.

Frogging it was the hardest part. The top 3 edge rows (not visible under the flap) were done with one strand Cascade 220 (grey) and two strands of Noro Kureyon (149 - brown/black/grey/white). The body was one strand of Cascade and one strand of Noro and the bottom two strands of Cascade. First I couldn't find where I had woven in the ends after binding off. After about half an hour of picking at the thing I finally found them. After frogging I had a little ball of Noro (the second strand added to the top), a ball of Cascade and Noro all twisted together (the body) and a ball of two Cascade strands all twisted together. I did the bottom then picked up around and knitted the body which made everything twist more. I kept having to hold the yarn up and let the whole purse spin until it was untwisted.

I did the flap with one Cascade and two Noros then the handle with one of each. I really like this handle style. The author called it a Flat Handle with Rounded Edges. The two sides are basically icord connected with rows of garter stitch. It's very sturdy and comfortable to hold.

I'm not thrilled with the buttons, I think they are too woody/browny, but Joann's was lacking in choice and I am lacking in time. I wanted grey buttons but everything was either too small or two fancy.

In other Christmas knitting, I finished my mother's scarf on Sunday also but I still need to block it. Now I just have to do these arm warmers. I took tomorrow off and I have Friday off. I need to buy gifts for my niece and two of my nephews but otherwise it's all knitting all the time.

Socks! Done! Knitter Not Dead!

I finished my Dad's Christmas socks over a week ago (11 Dec) but between crazy work hours and Typepad issues I haven't had a chance to post. 

Before I started the second sock I made my Dad try on the first.  Some would say that ruins the surprise but I say the surprise is that I finished two whole socks.  (Also, he specifically requested the socks and I knit at their house most weekends so it was never going to be a surprise.)  Dad is retired and leaves the house maybe once every six months (sadly, not much of an exaggeration) and he wanted a sock that was "comfy and loose" as he thinks all store-bought socks are too tight.  The sock is pretty loose but he declared it perfect.

The second unpictured one?  Not so perfect?  Despite measuring twice before starting the toe decreasing the second sock end up about half an inch shorter than the first.  The stripes match almost perfectly (although the heels are totally different) so I should have realized it would happen when the decreases started in a different color.  If I have time on the 23rd I'll frog it back to the beginning of the decrease and add three rows and redo it (I have a ton of yarn left).  I want to finish all my other holiday knitting first.

Despite all the cursing and hatred at the beginning, I ended up actually enjoying sock making.  And the house we live in now is freezing so I might actually need to wear socks in doors.  (I never, ever wear socks unless I'm shoveling snow.  I really hate it when my feet are hot.)  I have some extra skeins of Noro Kureyon I didn't need for a purse and I think I might actually trade them for sock yarn.  I am scaring myself.

Actually, I'm two down, two to go.  I knit and felted a small purse for my sister-in-law this weekend.  It's blocking and I'll get a picture after I shave it.  I've got 40" of 48" done on my mother's scarf and hope to finish and block it tonight. 

Leaving only the wrist warmers for my sister.  I bought two skeins of Karokee Friday to make the Voodoo Wrist Warmers but I bought the pattern size needle instead of the label size.  I am a stupid head.  I get paid from the second job tomorrow so hopefully I can get the needles on my way home and bust a move on these things.  I'm off work from job one Thursday and Friday so that's three whole days (up until we open gifts Christmas Eve) to make them.  I think I can make it.