Category Archives: bags

Apr 03 2013
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bags, designing, knitting, Yarn

New Pattern: Zip-n-Zag Bag

McClellan_Kimberly_2a

A perfect accessory for Spring, the Zip-N-Zag Bag is a zippery, zig-zaggy, tassely pouch perfect for stashing your makeup or a small knitting project on the go.

BUY IT NOW via instant Ravelry download or visit the RAVELRY PATTERN PAGE for additional details

MATERIALS

300 yards/275 meters of worsted weight yarn in two contrasting colors (150 yards/137 meters of each color)

• Sample shown in Berroco Vintage Worsted (50% acrylic, 40% wool, 10% Nylon, 217 yards/198 meters/100g) in #5145-Cast Iron (Color A) and #5102-Butter Cream (Color B)

Needle A: Size US 8/5.0 mm 16”/40 cm circular needle (or size needed to obtain gauge)

Needle B: Size US 5/3.75 mm 16”/40 cm circular needle (or 3 sizes smaller than above)

Tapestry needle for weaving ends

Stitch Marker

9”/23 cm plastic zipper

Fabric for lining, cut to 9.5”/24.5 cm wide x 12.5”/32 cm long

Sturdy thread for sewing zipper and lining

Sewing needle

Pins

GAUGE

22 stitches and 25 rounds = 4”/10 cm in stranded colorwork pattern, worked in the round on larger needles

FINISHED SIZE

Approximately 9.25”/23.5 cm wide and 6.25”/16 cm tall

TECHNIQUES USED

Provisional cast on, knitting stranded color work in the round, basic bind off, three needle bind off (instructions included), sewing in a zipper, sewing in a fabric lining, making a tassel

McClellan_Kimberly_2b

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Feb 26 2013
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bags, designing, knitting, Yarn

Test Knit: Zip-N-Zag Bag

I’m looking for a couple of people to test knit an upcoming design I’ve been working on, the Zip-n-Zag Bag.

McClellan_Kimberly_2a

Details:

I’m looking for two testers that can complete the item and provide feedback to me by 3/15/13.

Skill level: Intermediate.

Skills required are: knitting stranded color work in the round (only two colors are used), provisional cast on, knitting, purling, basic bind off, three needle bind off, sewing in a zipper and fabric lining by hand, making a tassel.

Experience: Experience using stranded color work is preferred, but not required.

Finished size: 9.25” wide by 6.25” tall

Gauge: 22 stitches and 25 rounds = 4”/10cm in stranded colorwork pattern, worked in the round. Gauge is important to this project to ensure that your zipper will fit into the finished pouch.

 

Materials:

Yarn requirements: 300 yards/275 meters of worsted weight yarn in two contrasting colors (150 yards/137 meters of each color). Sample was knit using 2 skeins of Berroco Vintage Worsted in Cast Iron (#5145) and Butter Cream (#5102). Other brands and colors of yarn can be used, but I would prefer you stick to a worsted weight.

Needle sizes: Needle A: One 16” circular in size needed to obtain gauge (Suggested size US 8/5.0 mm), and Needle B: One 16” circular three sizes smaller than Needle A (Suggested size US 5/3.75 mm)

9” plastic zipper

Fabric for lining, cut to 9.5” wide x 12.5” long

Notions: Tapestry needle, stitch marker, sewing needle and thread for zipper and lining, pins.

 

Any questions you encounter as you are knitting, please feel free to email to me. I would like feedback at the end of the project regarding your gauge, what size needles you used to obtain gauge, finished size, and your thoughts on sewing in the zipper and lining.

 

Compensation:

A copy of the final tech-edited pattern will be provided as compensation.

 

If you’d like to test knit this, please leave a comment below letting me know and I will be in touch via email!

 

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Feb 01 2013
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Antics, bags, designing, Dogs, Family, knitting, Music, NYC, shawls/wraps, Texas, travel, writing

Insta-January

Insta january

January was a bit of a whirlwind for me. Knit-wise, I started off by photographing and releasing my hat pattern, Borlänge, and I made some nice progress on a few upcoming designs. Travel-wise, there was a super quick weekend trip to Texas Hill Country to visit with some dear friends and Joey took a weeklong music trip to NYC during the coldest week ever. In our downtime, we enjoyed a fabulous dinner party with good friends that ended with lots of laughs and even a bit of singing and dancing. There was also a nice long Saturday afternoon spent at Redwood studio: me knitting, Joey working on guitar parts for a friend’s record, and Henry lounging around on the cozy shag rug. Unfortunately, January ended on a sad note with the loss of our sweet, sweet Daisy and my parents’ gentle dog Fly. We’ve all been a bit broken hearted this week as we had to unexpectedly say goodbye to these wonderful dogs that brought so much love and happiness to our lives. But as Elizabeth Zimmerman says, “properly practiced, knitting soothes the troubled spirit, and it doesn’t hurt the untroubled spirit, either.”

and I’ve got some knitting to do….

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Jan 26 2013
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Antics, bags, designing, knitting, Yarn

Gettin Zippy With It

I’ve been working on a design for a little zig zag bag since before Christmas and I’ve been putting off the finishing- sewing in a zipper and a fabric lining.  I have to admit I have always been a little intimidated by finishing things.  You spend so much time knitting something and if you do a shoddy job at finishing, it can ruin the whole thing.  (See here for the story of the Five Year Sweater that literally sat around unfinished for years because I was too afraid to sew in the sleeves.)

Well today, I armed myself with needle and thread and just dived right in.

zigzagbagzipper

 

I unzipped the zipper and pinned one side of the tape to the inside edge of the bag and just stitched away.  Then I pinned the other side and stitched that down too.  And lo and behold, I sewed in that entire zipper in with no major catastrophes.

zigzagbagzipped

 

Now on to the lining!  And finishing up the pattern I’m writing for this 🙂

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Jun 16 2011
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Antics, bags, Dogs, knitting, Lace, Yarn

Summer Projects

 

Ah summer… the time of year when we relax a little bit and have some fun. I’ve definitely felt the need for some fun lately so I decided to try a few new things this summer to break myself out of a rut.

One recent Saturday morning, I woke up with visions of knitting under a big umbrella on a beach while salty waves washed ashore. An appropriately beachy yarn in a light seafoam color was just beckoning to be made into a hard-wearing beach bag. A few hours of Ravelry-perusing later, I decided on the Medano Beach pattern. I coupled in some Debbie Bliss cotton DK in cool grey to give it those fun stripes that are just so popular right now.

 

Following this inspirational wave to try new things, I wanted something that would be a bit of a challenge and keep me entertained. I also discovered that I’m really enjoying working with the thin Hempathy yarn, so I started thinking of light, airy shawls in laceweight yarn, which is something I’ve never worked with before. I fell in love with Brooklyn Tweed’s Rock Island Shawl, which is spectacularly lovely and word on the Ravelry forums is that it’s not exactly beginner’s lace. I picked up some lovely Anzula laceweight in the Seascape colorway and cast on for this just the other night. I haven’t gotten very far, but I think its going to be great.