Last Minute Simple Bag

Yesterday was my sister-in-law Alex's birthday. I had been planning on making her something, thinking it would be knitted, but after the successful sewing of Emilie's little clutch purse in the last post and realising far too late that it was her birthday yesterday, I decided to sew something instead. I looked through a few sewing books at a couple of different simple tote bag patterns. The pattern I took most inspiration from was the 'Simple Bag' from 'Last Minute Quilted and Patchwork Gifts' bought last year from Purl Patchwork during my trip to New York.

I altered the pattern slightly: the pattern calls for the straps to be made using a bias binding maker, but as I don't have one, I simply cut two straps measuring 21" x 4" pressed them in half lengthways, then folded the long edges in towards the centre crease, and then in half along the centre crease. I then topstitched 1/8" from the edge along each long edge. This produced a stirdier handle as the fabric in four layers thick. I also added a small pocket inside the bag, about 2.5 inches inside the bag.I used two Amy Butler fabrics, the pink and white is called, 'Coriander'. I'm not sure about the name of the green dots fabric. They were both bought from Get Knitted last year.
I love the combination of colours; they looks so bright and fresh together. I will definitely be making more of these bags in the future: it's so satisfying to be able to make something personal, rather than going shopping for a present, and while knitting will always be my first love, it's great to be able to make something relatively quickly in a birthday present emergency!

A definite hint of Autumn

Katherine's Birthday Cardigan

I can't believe Katherine is two already. It was her birthday last Friday, and yesterday she had a little party, with friends of her parents and some of her friends from nursery. I'd completely forgotten her birthday, until I found an invitation to her party in my inbox last weekend. I immediately felt compelled to knit her a birthday present. This is the Baby Shrug from 'Simply Baby' by Debbie Bliss. I had to go down two needle sizes to a 4mm needle, with 3.75mm for the edgings. It fits really well, the sleeves were about the right length, but were quickly rolled up to avoid them being covered in cupcake crumbs and purple icing!

Fetching for Pumpkin

Fetching has become my default pattern when looking for something to knit as a gift. I'm currently knitting my third pair in two months, from my new favourite yarn, Dream in Color Classy.
This pair now belongs to purple obsessed Pumpkin, and was knitted from the same skein of Lorna's Laces Shepherd Worsted as Isabella's hat in the previous post.

Ready for Autumn

Isabella, ready for Autumn (which seems to have started already here in London today) , wearing the beret I knitted her with some left over Lorna's Laces Shepherd Worsted.

There'll be more toddler knits later this week; it's Katherine's 2nd birthday on Friday and her party on Sunday, so I'm knitting as fast as I can to get her presents finished on time. I'd better get back to the needles...

I'm Wireless!!

Let the regular blogging re-commence! Woooooooooooooooooooooo!