Blue and White Felted Purse

Blue and White Felted Purse
Originally uploaded by http://www.flickr.com/people/38484177@N04/

I wanted to knit another felted bag but didn't want to use the same pattern I'd used on the last 2 bags. I did like the clutch handle though, and wanted to use that type of handle in my new felted bag. However, I wanted my new bag to also have a flat bottom and I also wanted to knit it up without seams to sew.

I remembered a shawl pattern that I had knitted a few years back, that called for picking up stitches along the other three sides. So I thought about this and finally decided....yes, I can do that with a felted bag as well.

So I grabed my size 10 1/2 circular needles, some of my Handspun Majestic Sky Merino Silk and some Hanspun White Blueface Leicester and started thinking up how I could incorporate the 2 different yarns together into a bag.

I began with casting on 36 stitches with the Handspun Majestic Sky Merino Silk. I then knit back and for in the garter stitch for 36 rows. Then I picked up 18 stitches along the right side and 36 stitches along the bottom and another 18 stitches along the left side. I placed a marker to mark the beginning and 2 more markers on the sides (dividing the 18 stitches in half). The 2 extra markers would help me later when I went to center the handles in both the front and back.

I knit 1 more round with just the Handspun Majestic Sky Merino Silk, to start up the sides of the felted bag. Now here was where I wanted to add my Handspun White Blueface Leicester to give the Felted bag some Blue and White Stripes. So I began the next round by following this pattern.

Row 1: * Sl 1, K1 (White BFL)* around to beginning marker.
Row 2: *K1, Sl 1 (Majestic Sky)* around to beginning marker.
Row 3: *Sl 1, K1 (Majestic Sky)* around to beginning marker.
Row 4: *K1, Sl 1 (White BFL)* around to begining marker.

I continued these 4 rows until I have knitted 36 rows. Then I cut the Handspun White BFL and wove that yarn into the felted bag. I then continued knitting with just the Handspun Majestic Sky Merino for 8 rows.

My next row I need to start working on the clutch handles. Here I knew I had 54 stitches on each side and I wanted to cast off 16 stitches in the center of the 54 stitches, so I went to my calculator and put in 54 stitches - 16 stitches = 38 stitches left. Here I had to divide the 38 stitches by 2 to come up with 19 stitches on either side of the handles. This would give me a centered handle.

So now I just had 38 stitches on side and 38 stitches on the other. I would be just knitting on one side for now, so I put the other 38 stitches on a holder. I now would have to knit 1 row and purl 1 row on the first 38 stitches for 10 rows, then I cut the yarn and put these 38 stitches on a holder and picked up the other 38 stitches from the holder and attached my yarn and began knitting 1 row and purling 1 row for 10 rows.

Once I had knitted and purled 10 rows on both sides, I would be rejoining, these sides by casting on 16 stitches, knitting 38 stitches and casting on 16 stitches. Then I would continue knitting in the round for 8 more rows. Then I cast off loosely all the way around and woven in all my threads.

Now that my bag was finished, all I needed to do was felt and block it. So I put my bag into my washer on a low water level with extremely hot water and washed it twice to get it felted to the right size. After the washing I placed my newly felted bag over a small box to get the bottom of the bag to dry flat, and give the bag a nice square side. The handles I left alone to dry naturally.

Here's what my Blue and White Felted Purse looks like. Not bad for my first ever design.

Oasis Carded Batt

Oasis Carded Batt
Originally uploaded by virginiasaccurso@yahoo.com

I've been having too much fun with my drum carder as of late, that this is my latest result of my fun. I love to dream of an Oasis of color so that what I've come to name this batt.

In this batt I have blended Cinnabar Merino, White Superfine Merino, Kelly Green Merino, Peach Merino, Purple Merino, and Camel Merino together.

I have carded up 2 batts and have them listed on both my website and Etsy. Both Batts weight 1 1/4 oz and are selling for $6.00 each.

I love Color!

Yesterday I carded up a new batt, I haven't quite decided on what to call it yet. This batt is a mixture of Cinnabar, White, Kelly Green, Peach, Purple, and Camel. I carded it up and even started spinning it as well. A couple of names came to mind during the spinning process but I'm really not that sure yet. I'll just have to think some more about them and keep spinning the remainder of this batt and maybe a new name will come to mind or one of the other two names will stand out more then the other.

I'm enjoying the carding up of different batts. It is giving me a lot more artistic value. Sometimes when I look at different batts it reminds me of different things. One of my batts reminded me of the colors of wrapping pattern at Christmas (from my childhood memories). Another batt reminded me of the red paper and lace we used in school to make valentines hearts. While yet another reminded me of a garden of tomatoes, cucumbers, califlower, and squash growing. Then another reminded me of spring when the red, and white roses and purple pansies, are growing in amongst the green leaves and a peachy sky.

I'm not a painter, but like a painter I can appreciate all the colors around me and see them just like a painter would. I love color!

This Week at Spinning Ginny's

Carding Batts is loads of fun, especially when you are adding different colors of dyed wool together. You just never know what your going to get. Each new batt looks really pretty as it is, but then when you start spinning it into yarn........Wow,........you really get a surprise.

Well, anyway that's what will be going on at Spinning Ginny's this week. Carding up 4 new batts of wool for spinning and 2 extra to list in my store on both Etsy and my www.spinningginny.com website.

In between all of this carding and spinning I'll try to knit up a new pair of socks and finish up a felted bag that I'm designing.

So drop by Spinning Ginny's if you get some time and look around. Let me know if there's something you'd like to see added to my store and I'll do what I can to either make it, spin it, weave it, etc.

Have a beautiful day!

Yesterday

Spinning Ginny celebrated her 6th year anniversary, by finally listing her "Handspun Irish Spring Delight Merino" yarn. She listed 2 skeins of this yarn on both her website and in her store on etsy. Spinning Ginny also spent the day carding up some more batts to spin up into yarn, as well as a couple to list in her store. Spinning Ginny will try to get a couple of those batts listed in a few days.

Spinning Ginny's hopes that you all like her new Handspun yarn and wants to wish you all another wonderful year of Handspun fun.

Happy Anniversary Spinning Ginny

March 18, 2004 Spinning Ginny opened her home based store doing craft fairs. Today is her 6th year Anniversary.

Due to her love of the Colonial period she wanted to stick with her spinning up Handspun Yarn, but adding Handmade Goats Milk Soap. Spinning Ginny also knits Handmade Socks and Scarves. Spinning Ginny is also a weaver and occasionally sits at one of her looms weaving on scarves.

Happy Anniversary Spinning Ginny!!!

Good Morning and Welcome to Spinning Ginny's

Today here at Spinning Ginny's I'll be making up 2 labels for 2 new skeins of Handspun yarn. Then I will be listing these 2 new skeins in my store. Then its back to the spinning wheel to spin up more yarn.

I'll also be carding up some new batts, today as well. This will be surprise though, so I won't give out any hints as to what the carded batts will look like.

Have a spinningly wonderful day!

Ginny

Good Morning and Welcome to Spinning Ginny's

Good Morning Everyone!

Happy Saint Patrick's Day Everyone!

Welcome to Spinning Ginny's Handspun Yarn and Other Gifts. Yesterday I told you that I'd be listing a new skein of my "Handspun Springtime Medley Merino" yarn. Well, I finally got around to listing it yesterday and then I even managed to finish up the last batt I was spinning on my drop spindle of my "Handspun Irish Spring Delight Merino" yarn. Today I'll finish plying that up and then wash it. I'm hoping to get this new yarn listed sometime tomorrow.

I hope to start spinning up some new handspun yarn here once I finish up with the "Irish Spring Delight". I hope that you like some of my handspun yarn and will like some of the new yarns that I hope to add in the future.

Have a wonderful Saint Patrick's Day and my the Luck of the Irish go with you.

Ginny

Newly Listed at Spinning Ginny's

Spinning Ginny's Handspun Springtime Medley

This skein was handspun by me on my spinning wheel using 4 carded batts of Springtime Medley. The carded batts are a blend of Cinnabar Merino, White Superfine Merino, Kelly Green Merino, Peach Merino and Purple Merino. After carding these fibers together into batts I proceeded to spin them up on my spinning wheel, filling 1 bobbin each with 2 batts of Springtime Medley. After I filled up 2 bobbins, I then proceeded to ply the 2 singles together into a 2 ply fingering weight yarn. Once the yarn was plied, I then wound the yarn onto my niddy noddy to make a skein. Then I washed the yarn and hung it to dry overnight. This morning I took the newly dried yarn and rewound it to figure out the yardage, ounces and grams.

This skein of Springtime Medley is 395 yds in length, 2 3/8 ounces, and 66 grams.

Good Morning and Welcome to Spinning Ginny's

Yesterday I finished spinning up my "Springtime Medley" and then washed it and hung it to dry. Today I'll make a label for it and list it on my website. I'll also be spinning up the last bit of my "Irish Spring Delight", that I've been spinning on my Drop Spindle. I've spun up almost 4 batts of "Irish Spring Delight" on my drop spindle that its getting rather full, so I've decided that this will be the last batt to spin up and then I need to take it off my drop spindle and make it into a skein of yarn. So this new yarn should be listed on my website sometime this week. So stop by every now and then to see what is listed.

Once I get finished spinning up the Irish Spring, I'll start spinning up some "My Hearts Desire". I just love spinning up new yarn and listing it for all to see.

See you all at Spinning Ginny's!

Ginny

Garden Delight Merino

Garden Delight Merino
Originally uploaded by virginiasaccurso@yahoo.com

Last week after finishing up spinning my Handspun Ribbon Delight Merino Yarn, I carded up 4 batts of my Garden Delight Merino and started spinning it up. I spun 2 batts on one bobbin and the other 2 batts on another bobbin. Then I took an empty bobbin and plyed the 2 singles together to come up with this 2 ply Handspun Garden Delight Merino Yarn. After plying this yarn I then wound it off into a skein and washed it, then I hung it to dry. Once it was dry I then rewound the yarn to come up with the yardage.

I have blended Cinnabar Merino, White Superfine Merino, Kelly Green Merino and Peach Merino to come up with this nice blend of colors. It reminds me of Tomatoe's, Califlower, Lettuce and Squash growing in a garden, or even other types of vegetables.

This skein of Handspun yarn has 355 yards in the skein and is 2 1/4 ounces or 64 grams.

Felted Purse Pink Peach Merino and White BFL

Felted Purse Pink Peach Merino and White BFL
Originally uploaded by virginiasaccurso@yahoo.com

This Felted Purse was actually finished 2 weeks ago, except for the cross stitch design. I finally drove to Michaels in Keene, NH on Saturday and bought some embroidery thread and the waste cloth to do this design. When I got home I began working the cross stitch design and had the body and part of the ribbon finished by the end of the day. Then Sunday morning I got up and finished up the rest of the duck and then out lined it. Then I took the picture, but didn't get around to loading the picture until today.

This purse was knit using some of my Handspun White Blueface Leicester and some of my left over Handspun Pink Peach Merino yarn. I sewed a little snap just inside the purse to help keep it closed when either in use or not in used.

Ribbon Delight Merino

Ribbon Delight Merino
Originally uploaded by virginiasaccurso@yahoo.com

Last week I carded up 4 new batts of Ribbon Delight and spun 2 batts on 2 different bobbins, before plying them together into a 2 ply yarn. Once I had the singles spun up I then put an empty bobbin on my spinning wheel and started plying them together. Then I wound it off onto my niddy noddy and washed the yarn. After washing this yarn I then hung it to dry.

After the yarn was completely dry I then rewound the yarn to see what the yardage was after washing it. Then I took a picture of the skein, made a label for it and posted it on Etsy and on my website. The colors really look nice spun together and I'm very pleased with how it turned out. Hope you all like it too.

Basket Weave Socks

Adult Ladies Socks Size 5
Originally uploaded by virginiasaccurso@yahoo.com

I started knitting on these socks around the end of February and finished them on March 3rd. I had this last skein of Opal Harry Potter (Ron) Sock Yarn left in my closet. I had been knitting Children Socks from the Harry Potter Series of the Opal Yarn. However, this time I thought I'd make a pair of Adult Ladies Socks Size 5 out of the yarn. I thought that a nice Basket Weave Pattern would look really nice with the colors in the yarn.

I knit these socks from the top down and the cuff is a k1, p1 for 1 inch. Then I began the basket weave pattern and knit this unti the leg measured 6 1/4 inches. Then I started working on the Heel Flap until that measured 2 inches. Then I worked on the Heel Turn, Gusset and Foot until it measured 7 1/8 inches. Then I started taking off for the Toes. I closed using the Kitchener stitch. The total foot length is 8 3/4 inches.