Coin purses and a baby sewing machine

Leethal had these lovely coin purses in a free pattern the other day and I just had to make some. Besides my mom was needing a new one. So here are two of them made per instructions.

I added a Shrinky Dink "button" that the boys and I made last weekend.

To see the quilted insides, go here. If you read my other post on these you know that the quilting was a mishap due to cutting material toooooo early in the morning.

Then I wanted to make a green one out of the leftover malabrigo from the Fetching mitts. Well it turns out I can't read. I about a 9" kelly green zipper instead of a 7".

So I added 2 more inches to the knitted piece. And voila! A larger coin purse!

I love the "button" for this one. This coin purse is going to a friend of mine here at school next week.

I liked the quilted insides of the other two soooo much that I did it to this one on purpuse. These one has 3 pieces of like material sewn together. I absolutely love it and want to make more of these. It is a great way to join sewing and knitting and to use up some leftover yarn!

Also, I finally bought a sewing machine. Nothing exciting. It's just a baby but it should suit my purposes fine.

It's a Pixie Plus multi purpose craft sewing machine. It does a pretty good job. I was practicing with it this morning. Later today it gets the real test. Sewing a pair of slippers for my mom!

Plus it came with all of these goodies. Hand sewing needles, two thimbles, measuring tape, little scissors, pins, buttons, snaps, extra needle and a two threaders.

But that is not all...tons of prewound bobbins and...

several different colors of thread. Although I did discover that this stuff breaks pretty easy. :(

christmas present galore!

First up, Fetching for my sister-in-law to go with the Star Slouchy Beret that I made earlier in the year.

Project: The Quickie Cowl (blogged about here).

Yarn: This is some wool/cotton blend in a beautiful chocolate brown.

Needle: US 9

this really is a quick knit. And it can be worn on the neck or to keep your ears warm.

I just adore the color and want more!!!

The boys and I experimented with Shrinky Dink paper. We have done the same project with #6 recycled plastic from to-go containers. I really like how they turned out much better than these. These have a kind of gritty quality to them.

The boys used permanent markers and made these lovely creations that they are going to be turning into necklaces for the grandmothers.

The nice thing about Shrinky Dinks is that you can put computer images on them, which you can't do with the plastic.

I love the samurai guy. these are all destined to be embellishments on knit and sewing projects for Christmas/ the future.

We also made glycerin soaps yesterday.

We scented them with vanilla, honey, peppermint, or lemon verbena.

We also used honey, dry milk, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon.

And we dyed part of them some fun colors!!

The boys got a little carried away with the dye in these. I hope that they don't stain anyone's hands.

They are all going as Christmas presents as well.

And last but not least, a coin purse. This is a knitting and sewing project. This material came from JoAnn Fabrics (sorry, can't remember the brand name...???).

All you do is knit a 4 x 7 inch rectangle. Get a 7in zipper. Cut some material, slightly smaller than knitting and put them together. Well, leethal tells it better. Check it out over at her website!!
The pattern is in the webzine.

I had to add a little material to mine. Evidently cutting fabric at 5AM isn't smart. Still looks cool though. It now has that quilted effect.

I used some of the leftover yarn from the Quickie cowl. I plan on making two more brown ones and a green one with the leftover yarn from Fetching. I am going to embellish each with one of these lovely Shrinky Dink designs. I'll show you what that looks like, hopefully, later this week.

Everybody is Doing It why not me?

This is the EDI (Everybody is Doing It) cowl from presents knits. She has some really cute designs. If you haven't checked out her site yet, you should.

This is made with 2 skeins of LionBrand Thick and Chunky in charcoal.

On size US 13 needles. The pattern called for size 15 needles but I didn't have those. 13's worked fine.

It could stand to be a little wider. So 2.5 skeins would have been better. But I was trying to work with what I had.

It is soft and extremely warm. It can be pulled over the shoulders, scrunched up around the neck or...

pulled up over your noggin.

And this is my latest WIP, Rosamund's Cardigan by Andrea Pomerantz from the fall 2009 Interweave Knits. I am doing this with some recycled sweater yarn.

last day for the giveaway

I go this in the mail the other day and it had some great knits in it.

there was this, which i just saw on craftzine how to make out of an upside down sweater!!


and this one...

and my favorite!! i want to try and make this sometime. i don't have the yarn for it right now though so it will have to wait.

and some new yarn. hopefully enough there for a pair of big socks for my mother-in-law for christmas.

this is a cotton blend sock yarn from yarntopia.

the color is starbucks.

winner of giveaway to be announced tomorrow. You guys have a pretty good chance, since not too many signed up!

GIVEAWAY: 100th post!!!!

Here it is ... what you could win...

4 skeins dk weight plymouth encore yarn in a rather vibrant green and Knit 2 Together by tracy ullman.
to win post a comment here about why you like blogs or blogging and i will choose a winner at random. you have until thursday oct 29 to comment. friday i will choose a winner and let you know. please make sure that i have an e-mail or another way to get ahold of you !! thanks.

here's a close up of the yarn. sorry, it is rainy here so the lighting is bad.

this huge (well you can't tell but it is a big box) of alpaca fiber is going out today!! glad to get rid of it and make someone else happy. traded someone for a yarn i have never tried through a group on ravelry. man you have got to love that site!!!

napoleon is comin along well. i am pretty much finished with the lower back portion. i did the puckers a little differently to help make up for the fact that my gauge is different.

i made the puckers 5 rows of knitting by using short rows so that i wasn't adding too much to the width of the bottom portion. i also made the first 2 puckers 10 stitches long, the 3rd and 5th puckers 12 stitches long, the center one 14 stitches long and the last 2 back to 10 stitches. in the pattern they are all 10 stitches long. i didn't like that. but i liked the way they now form a V. we will see how well that works out for the final look.

giveaway coming and an FO

First, I am nearing my 100th post. actually it is the next one!! that is kind of a milestone so there will be a giveaway. sorry sewers, it will be yarn related. so look for the details in the next and 100th post!

Foliage by Emilee

yarn: lamb's pride worsted

color: prairie fire

needles: US 7 and US5

I love this hat!! it is a little scratchy according to my boys and is a "girl's hat". it is destined to be someone's christmas present. i guess a girl's christmas present.

i love the color of this yarn. i have some of it left. i need to find a creative way to use it. headband?? bracelet?? not sure that there is enough there for anything else. :(

I have started Napoleon with the rummage sale sweater orange tweed yarn. i decided on size 6 needles instead of the size 7. I was getting 19st = 3.5 inches. so i cast on 76 and made the end stitches selvedge.

this sweater is knit in different directions. the botton is knit in 2 parts. the knitting is not done from top to bottom but rather it is knit so that the knit stitches will run horizontal. it should be interesting. i hope that the finished product is as beautiful as theirs. i have been in love with this pattern ever since i first saw it!!

Remember, giveaway details the next time i post!!

what i am up to and what i want to be up to

working on foliage from knitty.com's fall 2007 issue. love it. love this color. want more. it is lamb's pride worsted in prairie fire. this is destined to me a christmas present if i can give it up.

disclaimer: i don't know why these next pictures are sideways??

anyway this is blackstone tweed #288 from berroco.



i want this...

and this... need yarn though.

i got this from the library.

i love this, but would never wear it.

i want to make this...

and this...

all made from t-shirts. i am so going to goodwill friday to get some more t-shirts on the cheap since rummage sale season is over.

the boys and i went to a civil war reenactment this weekend too. and this is what we saw...

abe lincoln...

calvary...

confederates... losing...

and cannon fire!! totally fun! and good food and oldtime favorites.

P.S. : i won! a giveaway over at cosymakess. check out what i won.