Random Wednesday

1. Today’s pictures are a little weak. I was hoping to have more of them to show you. Sophie’s cuteness transcends lousy photography so I thought we’d start with her. What a good puppy.

2. The dolly bag is finished! I’m really pleased with the way this project turned out. It’s just the right size for a wallet and keys and fits nicely at my elbow. Perfect for grocery shopping and other quick errands. I wish I had made the handles a little longer so I could have secured them a little farther in but otherwise I wouldn't change a thing. (Except perhaps the fact that she’s finished just in time for Labor Day and Autumn…)

3. I’ve started a new pair of charade socks. I’m pretty sure these are keepers.

4. I washed the yarn from the first charade attempt. It bled. Copious amounts of red dye. It looked like Kool-Aid running off the yarn. I am not happy. It’s going to be a while before this yarn makes it out of the stash again.

5. I am almost to the raglan shaping on the wispy jacket sleeves.

6. I did observe tuesdays are for spinning. The merino bamboo from MI fiber fest is spinning up nicely. Spinning bamboo is a different but pleasant.

Communication Breakdown

We’ve been doing some cleaning/purging around here. A couple weekends ago, Bill was sorting through the basement closet and we had this exchange…

Bill: What do you want me to do with your sewing machine?
Jenn: Put it somewhere accessible. I’m going to need it and when I am done, I will find a home for it in my craft room.

This evening I came home from the gym ready to tackle the Dolly Bag lining and faced this.

Do you see a sewing machine? I do not. That’s because it was accessibly placed at the absolute very back, behind all the tubs, underneath some shopping bags. I love you baby. Since Bill is at school this week, I get to revert to single girl mode and in retaliation I am leaving the kitchen table looking like this.

Lining, check! The dolly bag should be ready to go in time for fibre fest this weekend.

Before and After

I bought braid and lining for the Dolly bag this weekend. I have one handle yet to seam and then I am ready to bust out the sewing machine for the lining.

The pink yarn is finally finished! She’s perfect, a little finer than fingering weight. (Can you believe it?!) There is enough for a pair of socks but the yarn is too precious. I want the finished product to be seen and not to wear out quickly. I’m thinking fingerless gloves. For comparison, she’s photographed with some on the yarn I was spinning before this class. I was just hoping that someday I could generate a consistent worsted! See how far I’ve come?

Navajo-plyCable-ply tweed battMore navajo-ply

Stall Tactics

Oh gift with purchase. I’m generally a structured handbag sort of girl. I appreciate the knitted tote but it’s not really something I would generally carry. Enter the Dolly Bag. It’s pretty stinkin’ cute. And just the right size for running errands. And it has cables, I had been jonesing for cables. Plus it’s summer, time to relax a little.

Both front and back panels are complete. Lovely.

After all those bobbles... in cotton... with bamboo needles... she really deserves to be finished. I know there will be a lining involved but I am sort of stuck on the handles. They are a little flimsy for my taste.

A few rows of stockinette is not going to cut it for me. I’m thinking I could encase some piping to give them a little more oomph. Option 1, work some i-cord with extra stitches and painstakingly maneuver in the stabilizer. Option 2, work handles as directed and seam in the piping, embracing the seam as a decorative element. I am very open to suggestions.