The Giving Flower

I’ve finally updated my Etsy shop with my knitty hipster bag pattern.

Can you believe it??  How long has it been?  Too long!  I think I was just afraid to put anything out there since my little run in a while ago.  Thankfully, I’m beyond that now and can show you what I’ve made and hope you want one too.  This bag is sooo cool and one of my favorites when it comes to toting my knitting around with me.  The PDF pattern is 16 pages long with pictures and description so just about anyone should be able to make it.  Thanks so much to Linda and all the test sewers that worked on this with me.

I also added my new bed sock pattern:

to join my sock fish pattern:

This pattern has been swimming in Etsy for quite some time now and was getting lonely.  I was quite astounded when I ran into another sewer who is selling sock fish bags on her website.  The same fish made to hold a sock project!!  Go figure.

Ever heard of DaWanda??  Go check it out-it’s the international version of Etsy and I’ve opened a Dawanda shop there too.  This is fun!!!  I have a few more patterns that I really want to write up but with work, the house and Alida’s birthday party this weekend, it will have to be pushed until a later date.  I’m hoping to get my sewing machine out from under the cobwebs soon-I miss her so much.  I also have a free pattern coming for a simple shawl which I love.  Stay tuned.

Find of the week:  You really need to check out these shops too- Hanies and Mygurumi.  I love the dinosaur screen printed memory and isn’t that fairy sooo cute??

I have so much to show and tell about our vacation and even from things before our vacation, so I’ll just have to do small posts about things as they come.  The first thing I would like to show you are my mom’s bed socks.  You see, one morning my feet were cold due to the air conditioning, which I’m not at all used to, so I put on some of my own hand knit socks.  My mom saw them and immediately said she would love some bed socks for the winter that she could throw in the wash and not worry about.  Who needs more of a push than that??  Not me, for my mom I’ll knit any day.  We went out that day and bought some Lion Brand wool-ease in a color she liked and after buying the right needles I started them right away.  I didn’t have a pattern for such thick yarn so I just kind of made it up.  It took me almost my whole vacation to knit them but I was also knitting other things when I could.

She loves them, they are cosy, will stay on her feet in bed and I knit them with her around so when she wears them in the middle of winter she’ll think of our fun times together this summer.

These pictures are of the socks on my feet which are a tiny bit smaller than hers.

I’ve just finished writing up the pattern so if you would like to test knit it, please send me an email or comment and I’ll send it off.  I used a bit more than one skein of yarn but I’ve written the leg a bit shorter in the pattern so it doesn’t use as much yarn.  I think.  Please keep in mind these are for big feet and if you could change it for smaller feet it would be great.

House update:  Tomorrow they’re starting the big dig for the house and in a few weeks we should have a basement on our lot.  We drove out yesterday to talk to the neighbors and see how things look one last time.  This is getting exciting now.

Thank you all for your wonderful comments on my Must Have Cardigan! This week has really killed me with work and kids which means not getting around to answering emails like I should. I’ve also wanted to write about 3 posts but haven’t been able to sit at the computer long enough to do it. I’m a morning person which means trying to work on things once the kids are in bed at 8 pm is really tough. My brain, or shall I say what’s left of it, is so dried up at that point that I’m lucky to get in a few rows of any kind of knitting. Last night I fell asleep right before the end of one of my favorite shows. Oh well. Good thing Germany’s Next Top Model was recorded so I can watch that later. Oh gosh, is my inner geek showing again?

Anyway, let’s get back to why I’m here. I’ve been knitting something new but I’ll show and tell all about that later, first I want to show you my newest, but rather old, pattern I just finished. I showed you my newest design a while ago but never really finished it. I think her time has now come. What do you think of my newest pattern for a knitting bag?
click for big

Blogging world, meet the Knitty Hipster. She’s roomy enough for larger project such as a sweater but also great for housing sock yarn and needles. There is even a long, thin pocket on the front to keep the extra double point needle while knitting sock heels. I’ve also put a pocket with two buttons on it to keep the ball, or balls, of yarn from ‘jumping’ out of their pocket while knitting. NO Velcro was used here; learning from experience yarn and Velcro just don’t mix.
A ribbon tied to my scissors makes it easier to find them in the large, roomy front pocket. The second ribbon could be used for other things that could get lost in the depths of the left pocket. There is also a small opening to the left of the zipper, so when it’s your turn at the bank you can throw your knitting back in the bag quickly and you don’t have to worry about your yarn getting stuck in the zipper. Here are the materials needed to make this bag;

I’ve made 3 of these bags and I’ve been using them ever since. She snaps around your waist and your hands are free to do everything else. Of course, you could also put in a long strap and use it across your body or over your shoulder.

I finished this pattern over a year ago but never published her. I had Linda, an amazing sewer and pattern designer herself, not to mention one of my first and favorite blogger ‘friends’, sew a test bag for me. She did a fabulous job, and with amazing attention to detail, she corrected my 16-page directions. Thank you so much, Linda!!!

Last week I opened my own etsy shop, I need to finance my fiber diet somehow, and thought it would be a good idea to finally finish correcting the bag pattern and get it out there.

Well, I’ve gone through it one more time and I think she’s almost ready for the public but I still need another test sewer before I put her up for sale? If you would like to try it out, please send me a comment on this post and I promise to get back to you.

I’m off to meet Fab to run the Avon 10k Frauenlauf again this year and this time both kids are going to run the bambini run. See you at the finish line.

And now it can, the last of the presents are bought and wrapped and I’ve finished the kids’ stockings. (click for bigger)

I was so worried I wouldn’t find the time to finish these but yesterday turned out to be a good day to sew. The fabric had the stocking pattern on it, all I had to do was cut it out, put in a backing and lining and quilt them. I even machine quilted around the pockets, fur trim and beards so it all looks puffy.

The names aren’t the greatest but considering it was all done free-hand because my machine isn’t an embroidery machine while I simultaneously dressed and undressed Polly Pockets, I think they came out ok.

Oh and here is one more cute little FO that surprisingly enough kept me up until 2:30 am. I had to rip them out a couple of times because those plastic little feet are a tough fit. Here are Baby Born boy’s new socks:

How can he come into this family without some toasty warm handmade socks?? Once again, the pattern for these is written up and available for free, just leave me a comment and I’ll send it off.

Oh gosh, who is having more fun, me or the kids? Christmas can come!!