Bridesmaid's Bags - Erin

Gauge: 20sts in 4" in stockinette

Materials: 1 skein of Louisa Harding Nautical Cotton
US #7 double pointed needles
2.5" square of plastic canvas (optional)
a small remnant of coordinating fabric (optional)
coordinating color of sewing thread (optional)


Bottom of Bag

Cast on 4 sts. Join to knit in the round.
Row 1: KFB in all sts (8 sts)
Row 2: *KFB, K1 repeat from * four times (12 sts)
Row 3: *K1, YO, PM, K1, PM, YO, K1 repeat from * four times
row 4: Knit
Row 5: Knit, making a YO after each marker - each round will increase by 8 stitches.
Alternate Rows 4 & 5 until you have 44 sts
Next Row: Knit
Next Row: *Knit 5, YO, K6 repeat from * four times
Next Row: Purl

Sides of Bag

Round 1: KFB, knit to end
Round 2: Knit
Round 3: *skp, K2, YO, K2; *repeat from * to last st, K1
Round 4 and all even rounds: Knit
Round 5: Repeat round 3
Round 7: Repeat round 3
Round 9: K3, *YO, K2, K2tog, K2; repeat from * to last 4 sts, Yo, K2, K2tog
Round 11: Repeat Round 9
Round 13: Repeat Round 9
Round 14: Knit

Repeat Rounds 3 through 14 twice more.
Knit two rounds.
Next Row: *K2tog, YO, K4, YO, SSK repeat from * six times, K1.
Knit two rounds.
Bind off loosely.

Cord

Cut a length of yarn 70" long and fold it in half.
Twist these strands until they double back on themselves.
When the strands are tightly twisted, fold this length in half and knot the loose ends.
Make sure the cord is evenly folded and then knot the folded end.

If desired, you may stiffen the bottom of the bag.

Cut a piece of plastic canvas 2.5" square.
Cut two pieces of coordinating fabric into 3" squares.
Pin your fabric together with the right sides facing each other.
Whip stitch the fabric together on three sides.
Turn the fabric right side out and slide the plastic canvas square inside this pocket.
Fold the raw edges of the fourth side to the inside and use an invisible stitch to close the opening.
Turn the bag inside out.
Using a coordinating color of thread and making sure that the corners of the squares are lined up with the stitches between the YOs, baste the covered plastic canvas to the bottom of the bag.

Weave in your yarn ends. Thread the cord through the eyelets. Tada!

Bridesmaid's Bags - Amy

Gauge: 20sts in 4" in stockinette

Materials: 1 skein of Louisa Harding Nautical Cotton
US #7 double pointed needles
2.5" square of plastic canvas (optional)
a small remnant of coordinating fabric (optional)
coordinating color of sewing thread (optional)


Bottom of Bag

Cast on 4 sts. Join to knit in the round.
Row 1: KFB in all sts (8 sts)
Row 2: *KFB, K1 repeat from * four times (12 sts)
Row 3: *K1, YO, PM, K1, PM, YO, K1 repeat from * four times
row 4: Knit
Row 5: Knit, making a YO after each marker - each round will increase by 8 stitches.
Alternate Rows 4 & 5 until you have 44 sts
Next Row: Knit
Next Row: *Knit 5, YO, K6 repeat from * four times
Next Row: Purl

Sides of Bag

Round 1: K2tog, knit to end
Round 2 and all even rounds: Knit
Round 3: K3 *YO, skp, K6; repeat from * to last 4 sts, YO, skp
Round 5: K1, *K2tog, YO, K1, YO, skp, K3; repeat from * to last 6 sts, K2tog, YO, K1, YO, skp, K1
Round 7: Repeat Round 3
Round 9: Knit
Round 11: K7, *YO, skp, K6; repeat from * to end
Round 13: K5, *K2tog, YO, K1, YO, skp, K3; repeat from * to last 2 sts, K2
Round 15: Repeat Round 11


Repeat Rounds 2 through 15 twice more.
Knit two rounds.
Next Row: *K2tog, YO, K4, YO, SSK repeat from * six times
Knit two rounds.
Bind off loosely.

Cord

Make a crochet chain 16.5" long.
Single Crochet in the second chain from hook. SC in all following chains.
Fasten off.

If desired, you may stiffen the bottom of the bag.

Cut a piece of plastic canvas 2.5" square. (see template A)
Cut two pieces of coordinating fabric into 3" squares. (see template B)
Pin your fabric together with the right sides facing each other.
Whip stitch the fabric together on three sides.
Turn the fabric right side out and slide the plastic canvas square inside this pocket.
Fold the raw edges of the fourth side to the inside and use an invisible stitch to close the opening.
Turn the bag inside out.
Using a coordinating color of thread and making sure that the corners of the squares are lined up with the stitches between the YOs, baste the covered plastic canvas to the bottom of the bag.

Weave in your yarn ends. Thread the cord through the eyelets. Tada!

Tannenbaum

As a newlywed, I spent our first Christmas trying to find the perfect miniature holiday trees to decorate our tiny apartment. I never found anything that I liked so I spent the next summer thinking about designs for a knitted holiday tree that would be easy to make and durable. At an after Christmas sale, I found short strands of miniature lights on clearance and decided to incorporate those lights into my design. These are fast enough to make a wonderful knitted gift for teachers, gift exchanges and similar events. Or knit up a whole forest of them to use as the centerpiece of your holiday dinner!

Drops of Spring

Bridesmaid's Bags: Colleen

Gauge: 20sts in 4" in stockinette

Materials:
1 skein of Louisa Harding Nautical Cotton
US #6 double pointed needles
2.5" square of plastic canvas (optional)
a small remnant of coordinating fabric (optional)
coordinating color of sewing thread (optional)

Bottom of Bag

Cast on 4 sts. Join to knit in the round.
Row 1: KFB in all sts (8 sts)
Row 2: *KFB, K1 repeat from * four times (12 sts)
Row 3: *K1, YO, PM, K1, PM, YO, K1 repeat from * four times
row 4: Knit
Row 5: Knit, making a YO after each marker - each round will increase by 8 stitches.
Alternate Rows 4 & 5 until you have 44 sts
Next Row: Knit
Next Row: *Knit 5, YO, K6 repeat from * four times
Next Row: Purl

Sides of Bag

Round 1: Knit
Round 2: Knit
Round 3: *k1, p1, k1 into next stitch, p3tog; rep from *
Round 4: Knit
Round 5: *p3tog, k1, p1, k1 into next stitch; rep from *
Round 6: Knit
Repeat Rounds 3 - 6 six times
Knit two rounds.
Next Round: *K2tog, YO, K4, YO, SSK repeat from * six times
Knit two rounds.
Bind off loosely.

Cord

Cast on 4 sts.
Work in i-cord for 16".
Bind off.

Finishing

Weave in your yarn ends. Thread the i-cord through the eyelets.

If desired, you may stiffen the bottom of the bag using the following directions.

Cut a piece of plastic canvas 2.5" square.
Cut two pieces of coordinating fabric into 3" squares.
Pin your fabric together with the right sides facing each other.
Whip stitch the fabric together on three sides.
Turn the fabric right side out and slide the plastic canvas square inside this pocket.
Fold the raw edges of the fourth side to the inside and use an invisible stitch to close the opening.
Turn the bag inside out.
Using a coordinating color of thread and making sure that the corners of the squares are lined up with the stitches between the YOs, baste the covered plastic canvas to the bottom of the bag.

March for Babies

This post is going to stay at the top of the blog for awhile.

I am thiiiiiis close to finishing the Spring Shawl Surprice lace project that I've been working on for months. My shawl is 100% merino wool with some clear glass seed beads in it. The color is "Hollyhock", an intense, deep pink that reminds me more of azaleas. I will post pictures of it as soon as it is finished. After reading Lul's explanation of the shawl design, I decided that I needed to use this shawl to benefit a charity. As some of you may know, March of Dimes is my charity of choice. This year, I'm partnering with Billie over at Micro Preemie Twins to raise money for March of Dimes.

Everyone who donates money to Billie & Holland & Eden's team in Walk for Babies will get one chance to win the completed Spring Shawl Surprice. This is retroactive to everyone who's donated prior to this post, too - you even follow the same rules. Here's the rules:

1) Make a donation (click the banner at the top of this post). Not sure if you want to? Go here and watch Billie's montage and then tell me you don't want to make a donation. Even a dollar will help.

2) Send an e-mail to dzaackML7820 at gmail.com (with the obvious removal of spaces and conversion of symbols. Tell me your name, your blog address and your e-mail address.

3) Team Holland and Eden walk on April 26, 2008. On April 25th, I will draw one name at random as the winner of the shawl. I'll mail it to you by USPS Priority Mail.