Bag Lady









These are the latest bags! My daughter got a good deal on the Russian nesting doll fabric and generously let me have 1/2 yd. I am especially fond of nesting dolls and acquired 5 sets in various sizes and designs while visiting Prague this past summer. From eBay I purchased an additional 3 sets and my 5 year old granddaughter likes to disassemble and assemble them.

The box bag is made from scraps in my stash. It can be used for toiletries when traveling or as a portable knitting bag if your needles aren't too long.

The purse/bag is quite roomy and will certainly hold all the crap I carry in my purse. McCall's pattern #P211 (view E) was used for this creation. The nesting doll fabric added a lot of visual interest to an otherwise plain black bag. My daughter Katie gave me 2 iron on nesting dolls that I ironed and sewed above the nesting doll fabric. Extra added visual interest in keeping with the theme!

Hardanger Update

My last post featured the hardanger baptism dress made especially for my newest granddaughter. This picture shows a somewhat disgruntled baby dressed in her finery.

Knit Wit




And now for the knitting. I like to knit but as I get older my attention span decreases. Things that don't take a lot of time or yarn/money are best for me. Years ago I knit several Icelandic sweaters and lots of things for my kids but I don't think I could do that again. I will stick to small, quickly completed projects so I get a sense of accomplishment.


So far this winter 9 sets of fingerless mitts have been completed and progress is being made on the 10th pair. The only problem is finding homes for 8 pairs!
Knit Notes 1

Both pairs were made from the same pattern available at http://www.knitty.com/issuesummer06/PATTfetching.html. I used size 5 needles instead of size 6 suggested in the pattern. This pattern has a nice cable stitch that is not difficult. The white pair was made from Lion Brand Fisherman's Wool and the blue pair made from Yarn Bee Mosaic Twist.
















Knit Notes 2





These mitts were fashioned from this pattern with some changes. The pattern is quite versatile because you can use different size yarns and needles and still use the basic pattern. The pattern is available from:




http://www.woolflowers.net/patterns.html Moss stitch was used on the cuff of the tan pair and seed stitch cuff used on the cuff of the blue pair. Size 2 needles were used for both pairs. The blue pair was knitted from Lion Brand Lion Wool Prints. The ever popluar Red Heart Super Saver Aran Fleck was used for the tan pair.


Moss stitch:

rounds 1 & 2: k1. p1 (over even number of stitches)

rounds 3 & 4: p1, k1


Seed stitch:
round 1: k1 p1 (over even number of stitches)

round 2: p1, k1

Knit Notes 3

These were made from the same pattern and needle size as in Knit Notes 2. Both pairs have cuffs knitted in a mock cable pattern which is my favorite and very easy to do. There are different mock cable patterns but I like this one the best. Here is the sequence:



Round 1: *K2, P2, repeat
Round 2: *K 2 tog, don’t remove from needle, K the 1st stitch again. Remove both stitches from needle. P2, repeat from*
Round 3-4: K2, P2, repeat from *



Left pair knitted with Lion Brand Lion Wool Prints. Right pair made from Svale by Dalegarn.




Knit Notes 4

The left pair was made from Noro Cash Iroha yarn and I used the pattern from http://www.canadianliving.com/CanadianLiving/client/en/Crafts/DetailNews.asp?idNews=235529&idSM=307. I added a thumb because the original pattern did not have them. Don't ask how I added the thumb because I can't remember!!

Regia Jubilee self-striping fingering yarn was used for the pair on the right. I thought this was sock weight yarn but I stand corrected. This pattern came from: http://annypurls.blogspot.com/2006/12/hand-warming.html This pattern looked like more work than I was willing to do. I used the same number of cast on stitches and needle size but substituted the cable twist pattern with plain old stockinette stitch. I also shortened up the cuff and used 2x2 ribbing or mock cable ribbing on the cuff. Once the cuff was done I did this:

• k 1 round




• k29, place marker, make 1 stitch, k6, make 1 stitch, k29 (gusset)




• continue with pattern beginning with step 3.

Knit Notes 5

I made my friend's Christmas gift from this pattern and Lion Brand Fisherman's Wool. http://wineandneedles.blogspot.com/2004/12/wrist-warmer-pattern.html This pattern does not have thumbs but is very easy to do especially if you are not comfortable using circular needles. Here are 2 links for cabled fingerless gloves that have thumbs. I have not made these but hope to soon!!

http://www.knittingonthenet.com/patterns/mittensgauntlets.htm

http://thegivingflower.de/patterns/Cabled_Fingerless2.1_20060304.pdf

No Glue Gun Used For This Project!!

My latest project has been the hardanger baptism dress for my new granddaughter. I started this summer and finished it about 3 weeks ago. It was a good thing I finished when I did because my granddaughter was born 3 weeks early!

My very first hardanger project was a baptism dress for my daughter who is now 25. 21 years ago I made a baptism dress for my best friend's son and my skills have improved significantly. Unfortunately I don't have a photo of that to show you. Hardanger is my favorite type of handwork even though my eyes aren't what they used to be. If you can count to 5 you can do hardanger. When you have completed a project you know that it has been done perfectly and there are no stitching errors. Hardanger has to be done perfectly or it won't line up or turn out correctly. When doing a large project like a runner you should begin stitching in 1 direction, then go back to where you started and stitch in the other direction. Hopefully, you can check to see if stitches are lined as you go along. If you goofed you will have to do some ripping but at least you shouldn't have to rip out all of your stitching.

1. A little history about hardanger can be found at this site.
2. Basic instructions for hardanger can be found here and here.
3. A good beginner book for hardanger is "Beginner's Charted Hardanger" which you can order from the Nordic Needle. They also have free hardanger charts you can download.
4. Here is a project you can download.




My First Hardanger Baptism Dress

My daughter's dress was made entirely of hardanger fabric which can be somewhat stiff but at the time of construction it seemed acceptable. There really is no pattern for the hardanger. I just did stitches that I could do at the time. In the end it turned out well and she looked very sweet in it.

My Second Hardanger Baptism Dress

I will try to get a picture of my second baptism dress.

My Third Hardanger Baptism Dress

The pattern for this dress was adapted from a pattern in the 1986 Award-Winning Desgins in Hardanger Embroidery book. I get most of my hardanger books from the Nordic Needle. Each year they publish a book of projects designed and stitched by hardanger enthusiasts. The book may no longer be in print but if you contact the Nordic Needle they may be able to help you.

The border, cap and yoke feature cross and dove motifs. A hemstitch was used on the bottom of the border instead of a buttonhole finish. This takes less time and thread. A Simplicity pattern was used for the basic dress and I adjusted the hardanger design to fit the width of the skirt.

In the past I have made separate slips to go with the dress. I have since decided that this is a bunch of monkey business. For my latest dress I just attached a slip in the seam of the yoke using the skirt pattern. Doing this is easier and you have 1 less article of clothing to put on and fuss with and it stays in place better than a separate slip.

Oslo fabric was used for the hardanger portion of this dress. It is exactly the same as regular hardanger fabric except it is much softer and drapes easily. It is ideal for use on clothing. The dress fabric is batiste and it was chosen because it is softer and more lightweight than broadcloth.

I will make a hardanger baptism towel using the cross and dove motif. If you like hardanger but don't like doing large projects, baptism towels are for you! They don't take long to make and it is a good way to practice your hardanger skills in small quantities. I make hardanger baptism towels for our church as a memento for parents and sponsors. I will post a picture of the finished towel when completed.

The above photo is the first step in making a baptismal towel. Any design that will fit can be used. Show your creativity by making each towel different.

1. Cut a piece of hardanger or Oslo fabric 6" X 13".
2. Sew a fairly wide zig-zag stich 3/4" in from the short ends.
3. Pull the threads out below the zig-zag to form the fringe.
4. Hem the long sides.
5. Fold the towel in half, center your design and stitch.

Coming Soon!

Soon you will be able to see my Elizabethan, Renaissance, Medieval, Civil War, and American 1890's period costumes. I also hope to include my hardanger embroidery and Norwegian bunads. I also have ethnic clothing I have collected from Afghanistan, Syria, Saudi Arabia, India, Scotland, and Ireland. As an added bonus, I will be sharing my hot glue gun adventures, Stitch Witchery original designs, and other valuable time saving shortcuts! To pique your interest, here is a preview of one of my Elizabethan costumes.