Holy crap it just got hugely windy outside. We’ve had a Chinook wind blowing for the past 24 hours but this is like SOOPER CHINOOK RAWR! Seriously, the house just shook and I didn’t know this house would do that. I’m a trifle concerned. Also, a Chinook is a warm wind that eats snow. No, really.
Just a mo’.
Yep, windy as hell. And now it’s raining. Hard. It sounds like handfuls of pea gravel are being thrown at the windows. This does not bode well should it get cold again. Blargh.
Hm.
Anyway.
Whilst at my mom and dad’s for the holiday I was working on a bit of knitting that was supposed to eventually turn into a felted bowl. Only I took a wrong turn at Albuquerque and before I knew it It was no longer a bowl. One thing you should know about me is this: If I mess up knitting I either tear it all out, right down to the very first stitch. Or I cry and stuff it in a drawer and forget about it. Until now, I’ve never just soldiered on and worked with what I have.
So the bowl became this weird gathered at the bottom…thing. I threw it into the washing machine and felted the crap out of it. When it came out I kind of laughed and then walked away, utterly disgusted.
About an hour later I came back and poked at it. When it didn’t bite me I thought maybe I could work with it. I formed a plan in my head that I fully expected to forget all about on the way home but I didn’t. When I came home I made some more things to go with my plan and those things became straps for a bag. Then I found some sturdy clear nylon thread and doinked (it’s a word I said so) in the edges and sewed some straps on and suddenly voila, where there had been a miserable failure of a felted bowl there was a bag. And maybe I’ve been playing with too much novelty yarn but I’m oddly proud of this cobbled together creation.
Behold:

Oh yes I did so mix all sorts of wool with novelty yarn. Be afraid all ye who loathe of the Fur that is Fun. I may make a button closure with some of the remaining gray I used for the bottom and the straps, I’m not sure yet.

Paired with a dead sexy sweatshirt, mmhmm, oh yeah.

And, AND, I had the brains to write down what I did in case I ever decide to make another one. And I just might because I have a lot of yarn that I really wasn’t aware of and, yikes.
This weekend we rearranged the living room and in the process I was able to get my desk where I wanted it all along, which was in my studio/workspace at the end of the room. It looks cramped but I assure you it suits my needs perfectly. Anyway, in the massive cleaning and organizing project that ensued, I found a lot of yarn that isn’t for sale and somehow, somewhere, found it’s way into my house. *cough* That big bag on the left? All yarn that needs to be made into something. O.k. and so does the bag on the right. The bag underneath that is roving that I’ve hoarded like a filthy little yarn junkie for the past couple years and the bag of white stuff on the left is my latest fix, er, shipment.

O.k. fine. And if you turn around all those Rubbermaid totes are full of yarn too.

Oh come on, you totally want to come over and play at my house. At the very least if fiber doesn’t do it for you, you can play Guitar Hero if we can coax my husband into sharing.






December 30, 2008 at 6:44 am |
I am drawn to pics of fiberistas workspaces like a moth to flame – thanks for sharing yours!
-velma-
December 30, 2008 at 8:00 am |
yes, yes, I do want to come play at your house! The bag looks fab, btw! really like it!
December 30, 2008 at 2:12 pm |
1: great bag! yay for not quitting when a project doesn’t go as expected
1.5: funfur is awesome. end of story
2: OMfG i so want to play!! my stash is depleted pretty badly since finishing the dress last night. ma gave me 2 big bags of yarn from goodwill but i need some variety like you’ve got going on there. it’s a fairy land of yarn
December 30, 2008 at 6:04 pm |
Congrats on the bag – it’s perfect! Great job! I should really learn to felt stuff…
And *wow*!!! That is a serious stash there! How fun…you are not going to be bored next year, no sirree. I love your studio…what a great place to hang out and touch all those cozy looking fibers!
Happy New Year!!
December 31, 2008 at 1:59 am |
Can I come over also?? Wow, I’d love to paw through your things….
Vicki
January 15, 2009 at 7:02 pm |
Yes, I do want to come over and play! I’d be testing out your wheel with some of that white fluff on the left, and looking through those yarn shelves…I’d feel right at home.
I love that shelf with the little knick knacks on it too.