We are getting ready for the fair coming up in April. I’ve been going crazy trying to make sure everything is in order. The idea was much funner in my head. Pulling it off is going to be a miracle. I know it will all be worth it. To chill I just sit and knit.

I came up with this knitted bag pattern that is super easy. There are two things I hate – purling and seams! If I can come up with something where I never have to purl a row or stich something up when i’m done then i’m thrilled!! That is just what I did with these bags. I used the Peaches n’ Cream cotton yarn and double stranded the solid color to make it more sturdy.

I started by casting on 40 stiches on a size 7 and knit in garter stitch for about 5 or 6 rows. Then I picked up the stitches around the edge ending up with a total of 90, give or take a few. At first it is too narrow to put on one circlular needle so I knit with 2 circulars as you would with double pointed needles. I knit the rest of the bag in the round. Adding the verigated yarn about half way thru and finishing up with the rest of the solid color. I made the strap by casting on 100 stiches and knit about 6 rows of garter stitch. I used some fabric I had left over from some Ikea curtains to line it and made a button with fimo. I love the way they turned out. I’m working on a green one now. So i’ll have my little collection of 3 similar ones for the fair.

It’s nice to know I just used some random stuff i had around the house for this. I didn’t spend any money on this and they will sell for at least $15. What would you pay to benefit a ministry in Mexico?

I am so excited about this, I just had to post about it right away! This is a hat that I finished on the weekend, I needed a warm hat for when I go walking in the cold, and I love the look of cables. I’ve always been scared of cables though, they look so intricate and hard, and I’ve never tried them. I decided this weekend to give them a go, and I was surprised at how easy they are!

I found a free pattern online, and I followed it as written, except that I made it bigger (I have a big head ) and I did an additional row of SSK at the end of the pattern, to make the hole at the top of the hat minimal. I should have made it a touch longer, as it only covers the very top of my ears, but it does keep my head warm and that was the goal.
There are a few mistakes that I can see, but all in all I’m really happy with how it turned out. And now I’m not scared of cables.

No new crafts today, but the crew here at Crafty Daisies would like to show off some of our ongoing projects, some that will be finished in no time, and others that may or may not see an end.

Heather is currently working on an afghan for her husband, Mykle. He requested a really wide once because the one she made him previously was too narrow and he couldn’t wrap up in it. So this one is made to the equivalent in width of a king size blanket, which is a perfect size for him but is taking fffooorrreeevvveeerrr to make. She is alternating rows of single crochet and double crochet for a tight knit, and plans on bordering it with dark brown to finish it off.

Jen loves making this felted bag so much that she has practically memorized the pattern and currently has 2 in the making. She can’t wait to felt this – the green color is so bright and the trim is a swirl of pinks, turquoise and gold. All that’s left to do is going back to the craft store to buy more green wool. The bottom needs to be sewn together and gusseted, the straps need to be finished and sewn on, and then it will ready to wash. But then who to give it to…?

Candace is not a fan of the knitting, but when she found this yarn for cheap, she bought eight skeins of it and decided to make a baby blanket. What started as a gift for a friend who’s expecting a girl, has now turned into a blanket she will keep for herself and her future daughter (if she’s blessed with one, otherwise back into a gift it shall turn). Not only b/c the colors are so great will she keep it, but also b/c it is a slow-going project. But as all knitters know, it’s an easy pick up and put down WIP.

So maybe my craft room doesn’t look like this but it works for me. My husband and i live in a 2 bedroom apartment which we love! We actually sold our house that was too much maintenance to move into a more manageable space. (I know it sounds crazy but, i’ll tell you that story another time) At the time we also had no plans of starting a family. I had the entire spare room all to my self and my crafty mess. But when we found out we were expecting i had to do some switching around. This is what i came up with.

By day it is a changing table with her goodies on it.

and by night (or nap) it is my craft table.

I absolutely love the tile top for all projects, especially cutting fabric. You can just get your scissors right in the groove to get a straight cut. The table is so easy to clean too. Get yourself one! My dad got this one at a yard sale. I painted it turquoise my new favorite color and looks great in Lucy’s room. What I love about this set up is it forces me to clean up when I’m done.
I use the little drawers for her things, but kept one for me, to put my sewing things in.

Some of my fabrics i have no idea what i’m going to make with them. I used the one on top to line my diaper bag. Don’t you love the $1 bin at Walmart??

And of course my trusty freezer paper and fabric paint. Tulip glitter one of my personal favorites. Gotta have some bling!

And last but certainly not least my sweet knitting. This is my bag i take everywhere with me. Pictured here next to the couch where i like to knit, while i’m talking with Brian or he reads to me. I have some knitting rules i follow. I always knit while i’m with people. I’m usually working on such easy projects, that if i’m alone i just can’t bear to sit and knit by myself. I also try to finish each project before starting a new one. This is my current project, another bag for the craft fair. The first bag is peaking out. I’ll post that soon. It turned out super cool. Also, if you have never tried Denise interchangeable knitting needles you MUST! i’m hooked. I’ll never knit with anything else EVER. Just ask, Erin, Deaven or Jen. They know what i mean!

Also for more ideas on setting up your craft space take a look at what whip up had to say

Felting has been the perfect discovery for me as a knitter. It hides your mistakes and holds the element of surprise. I normally am afraid of patterns and love to knit mindlessly, so I don’t enjoy it if I have to concentrate too much. Now that I have gained a little confidence and the knowledge of a few techniques I am brave enough to try and make up my own patterns. Felting seems to be a great method when you are winging it, especially if you are like me and don’t really mind what size it turns out. The mystery is all part of the fun!

This pattern is loosely written because you can adjust to make it any size you want. One of the reasons I like felting and making up my own pattern, is that I love throwing it into the washing machine and waiting expectantly for the buzzer to sound! So knit this pattern as long and wide as you like, fold it over and picture what it will look like, keeping in mind that it may lose about 1/3 of its original size.

So here’s what I did: Cast On 40 stitches, double stranded, size 11 needles (straight or circular, but do not knit in the round). You will need wool, feltable yarn.

1. Stockinette stitch (knit row, purl row, repeat) about 88 rows, fold from the bottom up to decide what size you want the body of the bag to be.

2. When you get the body the size that you desire, tie a piece of scrap yarn in the end of your row to mark your place, and knit, purl a few more rows. This will allow more room to cover your contents when you fold the flap over.

3. To begin the triangular flap, start on a knit row, knit two onto the second needle and then bind off the first stitch as if you are finishing your knitting. Knit the rest of the row and bind off last stitch.

Purl the next row, without any decreasing. Repeat directions until the flap is as narrow as you desire. (I stopped when there was only 4 left.)

4. With a large needle, sew up the sides of the bag and tuck in any ends. Fold as if you are making your own envelope.

5. Knit an I-Cord for the strap. Using same size double pointed needles, knit 3, slide stitches to end and knit 3 until desired length. Do not turn over your knitting. I love this simple method and the results. Keep in mind when you throw the cord over you shoulder to preview how it will look, that the strap will be quite shorter after you felt it. Sew strap inside the bag along your side seams and tuck in ends.

6. Felting, finally! Wash in hot water with another sturdy item (I use jeans). Bite your nails and wait anxiously…then take out and lay flat to dry. If you are not happy with the size, you may repeat. My final product was 12″ wide, 6″ deep (with flap folded) so I thought it was a perfect small bag. You may also want to clip off the fuzz with scissors.

This only took a little more than a 3 1/2 oz. skein and a weekend (and I have a busy one year old!) Hope you are happy with your results!

*You could also make this bag with a straight flap instead of triangular. It would look just like knitting a wide scarf and sewing up the sides. Too easy!! Any other ideas on how to modify this? Also, I haven’t decided yet if I should add a button loop and button at the end of the flap to finish it off. Any suggestions?

I have been working on a sweater for my niece Kara. I started it approximately 10 days before Christmas. I had picked up a pattern to make a sweater for Lucy and I wanted to see how hard it was and decided to make one for Kara too.

I had some yarn left from the blanket I made Lucy. My mom brought me some yarn from Chile when she returned from one of her trips and the skein was huge! This whole sweater was knit with 1 skein. It was a thin yarn tho, like for socks and I don’t enjoy knitting on tiny needles. So I put 3 strands together (using 3 skeins) to make it closer to worsted weight. I used the pattern for a 6 mos old.

This sweater is knit from the top down. Starting with the neck line I just continued increasing for the raglan sleeves, then divided the stitches for the sleeves and put them on a stitch holder. Continuing with the body switching to smaller needles when you do the edge. Instructions called for 1×1 rib but I prefer the seed stitch. It just gives it a polished look.

To complete the sleeves I picked up the stitches in the arm hole and the rest of the live stitches, doing a ssk decrease to form the sleeves finishing with seed stitch. The neck was also done in seed stitch after I picked up the stitches. The bands in the front were difficult cause I had chosen seed and the instructions were for rib. I had a hard time knowing how many stitches to pick up. The first time I didn’t pick up enough and the bands were gathered in the front. The second time I picked up too many.. I left it alone. It was Christmas Eve and she’ll never know. Hopefully it will shrink a little in the wash so it will be fine.

I added a fun little fromjoy tag I stenciled on some fabric tape. My sister-in-law loved it and it fit her so well!! yay!

Have you ever wanted to make a needlepoint project with a particular picture on it, or perhaps incorporate some words into your knitting or crochet?
Check out this great free resource, knitPro 2.0. This is a great site that allows you to upload a picture into the program, and it generates a chart for your use as a pdf file, allowing you to follow it and make any personalized project you desire.

This program will generate charts for needlepoint, cross stitch, crochet and knitting. A great way to make a special personalized gift and expand your techniques!

Who knew you could use Kool-Aid® for more than a sweet drink? Dying yarn with Kool-Aid® can be a economical way to get your wool to be bright and vibrant without a lot of mess. The process is simple and can be completed in a couple of hours.

This method only works with animal fibres, such as wool, mohair, and alpaca. You’ll want to use a 100% product, rather than one blended with artificial fibres.

You’ll need a glass jar, a skein of wool in a light color (I chose a beige merino wool), a package of Kool-Aid® in the flavour / color of your choice, a spoon for stirring and a pot. Be sure that you only use the unsweetened drink crystals, or the color wont adhere as well.

Begin by adding warm water to the glass jar, and add the drink crystals. The amount of water is irrelevant, you simply want to make sure that your wool is completely submerged. If you want a vibrant color, use the entire package of crystals. If you desire a lighter color, add less Kool-Aid®. Submerge your wool in the mixture (I use half a skein per drink mix package to get the brightest colors), using a spoon to release any air bubbles and to ensure that the wool is completely submerged.

Place the glass jar into a pot filled halfway with water and set on the stove burner at medium temperature.

Leave on the heat until the water becomes clear or cloudy (some colors) and the wool has absorbed the dye.

Remove from heat and let the jar and water cool to room temperature. Rinse with the same temperature water. Extreme temperature differences between the rinsing water and yarn may cause the yarn to felt, so take caution!

The result is a brightly dyed wool yarn that can be used for any project, even felting. The color wont run in the wash, which is a bonus.

Another option is to submerge only half the wool to be dyed, resulting in a striped yarn.

Happy dyeing!!