It's in the bag

Hurray for pretty patterned napkins - they're just the right size for a project bag.

I dug out the sewing machine this week and made myself 2 zippered bags to carry my knitting around in. I modeled them after those super handy zippered pouches that sheet sets come in. Sewing is something I enjoy, but not something I do on a regular basis. It would probably be easier if I ever used a pattern, but I tend to make it up on the fly. I'm pretty happy with how they turned out, but I do need some practice putting in a zipper and there is a reason that there are no shots of the interior (somebody needs to work on prettifying the seams and that's all I'm going to say about that).

Then I decided that if I had fancy new knitting bags, I better have some knitting to carry around in them - my Conwy socks from Knitting on the Road were just the thing! I had admired the pattern for a while but a crazy notion that they would be too hard. I was happily proven wrong. The pattern is easy to follow and the yarn was lovely (and continues to be so, as I have quite a bit left over).

The colour is most accurate in the third pic - rats to living in such a dark apartment!

I used Fibre-Isle's Lovit Yarn (100g - 450 meters). It's a blend of merino, Lyocell and Canadian Bison. It felt a little twine-like in the beginning, but after being handled, it softens up considerably and feels pretty darn luxurious on my tootsies. With the 30% Lyocell content I was worried about elasticity and wanted to make sure that my socks wouldn't end up in a puddle around my ankles - to that end I think that Conwy was a good choice. The twining cable pattern hugs my leg pretty well, so far no slouching. I almost wish that I had made them longer, but I'm an impatient knitter and I wanted them finished now. The natural oatmeal colour of the yarn was also a factor in the pattern choice - it was crying out for a nice textured pattern to make it come alive. Plus, texture makes for a more interesting knit.

I really like the idea of having bison socks, it some how makes my feet feel warmer. This yarn was part of a present from my dad - he may not knit, but he's got good taste. This summer the Man and I, along with my sister and nephew, visited my dad in PEI. I had hoped to visit the Fibre-Isle mill, but after hayrides, giant potlucks, sightseeing and general vacationing, there just wasn't enough time in our weekend for a trip to the mill. Since I couldn't go to the mill, the mill, in a way, came to me. I was spoiled rotten with a gift of Bison sock yarn, 2 skeins of Niji lace weight and the Baby Cable shawl pattern. Bison-o-rama here I come! I'm hoping to have the shawl finished by the end of November so I can show him what it looks like, but it may not happen - I've got a time sensitive project on the go and it gets precedence for the time being.

Well, that's me for now. Hopefully tomorrow I'll be able to get out and get some photos of my Drops sweater, snaps and all. Happy knitting!