Help! I am addicted!

Last summer when I was seeking a cheap knitting machine, to make sock blanks for dyeing, I was warned that it could become addictive and it has!

Following the recent purchase of a better spec machine, I have acquired a ribber - essential equipment for knitting in the round, a colour changer, essential to smoothly change colours, a linker, essential to seam, a cone wonder, essential to produce a good feeding yarn for the machine, and of course a table on which to place all these essentials!

What I haven't acquired is the extra space needed to store all these essentials! Plus each of these comes with the ubiquitous manual so necessary for the beginner. Then there are the books that explain in detail what all the levers and buttons do! Don't be fooled by watching someone demonstrate a simple bit of stocking stitch! First you have to get the yarn onto the needles, this requires a lot of jiggery-pokery with cast-on combs, weights and precise selection of the correct levers and buttons, so the books are an essential extra, honest!  Thank goodness Mr S is understanding and has hobbies of his own!

These machines are also time eaters, you sit down to play and woosh, it's dinner time and all you have produced is a coaster!

Bags, Bags, more Bags and a quilt.

For somebody is never carries a handbag of any sort, I do seem to make an awful lot of bags..  I am fascinated by the construction and have even bought tatty bags in charity shops just to see how they were made!

But project bags, needles cases and the like are useful and fun to make..

First off I was looking for a suitable case to store my growing collection of signature needles - for anyone who has never knit with these needles, they are a joy.  I was first introduced to the straights and they made me long for a set of circulars.  But the cost of buying from the US with all the added extras by the government, put them beyond any sensible person's reach. 

Then last year a friend went to New York, and asked if there was anything she could buy for me - well I didn't hesitate and asked her to bring a set of 3.75mm and cables - total love.  Then at Unwind last year they were selling Signatures - and I managed to get three more sets!  In April another friend will be bringing some 3.25mms to complete my collection.  But these very expensive needles need a very special case

First off I saw this on Etsy and made this

The only problem I had was stitching down the bottom of the concertina - it isn't for the faint hearted! And there is no mention in the instructions exactly how you are expected to sew this bit.

There are eight pockets which you have to fit into a space less than 2 inches. 

Then I tried again

and again

this last time I changed the way I made the pockets which are sealed at the bottom and the last one isn't quite so big!

Inspired by the concertina effect I found this bag and was intrigued!

Following the sew along I was able to make a bag and got an insight into how to stitch the needle case at the same time!

Outside

Inside

 

 

This material is Petit Street from Dashwood Designs, think I might just have enough left for a project bag! I do so like matching accessories....

This quilt is one of two I am making for our caravan seats

These beauties were a gift from a wonderful friend who knows my tastes perfectly - bag?