Friday, June 29, 2007

Stormy Sky Bag update

Well, I have about 25 rows left in the main part of the bag. I don't have my camera, otherwise I'd post the WIP... I let my son take the camera to Germany with him. Hope he's making use of it!

Now I'm trying to decide if I really need a knitted liner. A liner is definitely in order to cover the steek, but maybe I just use a nice either knit or nylon lining fabric. So the pattern would be combination of knitting and sewing. Steeking requires a sewing machine anyway. Especially with the slippery bamboo.

OK. Now I'm having a vision of an internal pocket/divider that is really a ribbed cylinder that then gets sewn in place.... hmmm. Liking that idea. And ribbing can go pretty fast. And it could be done on larger needles too.

So... finish the main piece, steek and sew liner to match. Knit ribbed cylinder, sew in place.
Yeah...

Sunday, June 24, 2007

Whew! Not knitting but its all related

I spent the weekend working on the Fiber Rhythm Craft & Design website. (http://www.FiberRhythm.com) This is my first foray into the world of online websites (other than using them!). So far so good. It really is quite interesting how much you can do with free software. Its really a good way to get started, at least for a small business.

I have finished setting up Zen Cart (other than putting a few more products in). I spent a good day just working on getting the look close to what I already had set up using WebSite tonight from GoDaddy.com. I did go ahead and purchase the "e-Start Your Web Store with Zen Cart" It was very much worthwhile. A big THANKYOU to Goh Koon Hoek for writing the book, it really saved me time. (You can find the book at: http://www.lulu.com/content/466605)

Well, at least I'm done with what I was planning on doing with it for now. I have the two patterns I have for sale (third to follow soon) for hand knitting up as well as my rag rugs.

I've added the ability to set up wholesale accounts and I've added a page for comments on the website itself.

So now I can get back to knitting! I lent my son my camera while he's in Germany, so likely not too many photos from me in the next few weeks. I'm about 1/3 of the way done with the front/back piece of the Stormy Sky bag I'm making. I was thinking of knitting the lining, but now am leaning toward using fabric. Hmmm....

Oh well, back to work tomorrow...

Tuesday, June 19, 2007

We're in the News!

How exciting! Chance encounter at the local coffee shop and we made it into the blog at The Oregonian (see side link). Peggy McMullen and Mims Copeland have recently started a blog about knitting on the OregonLive website. Very cool. Amazing how much is going on out there!

So I'm taking a day off of the real job to both be with the family that is in from out of town, and am taking a few minutes to work on the shopping cart for the Fiber Rhythm Craft & Design website. It may take awhile, but eventually everything will be up for sale there.

I have recently added PayPal buttons-- so the two patterns can be purchased online, without the email back and forth. I'm thinking though that I need to get the cart set up so people can download the pdf version and not wait for USPS.

For those of you that are buying patterns online, do you prefer the PDF? or the hard copy? or do you like to have the choice?

- Dawn

Monday, June 18, 2007

A Stormy Sky Bag


I've decided to create a knitting bag from the same designs as the Stormy Sky sweater (c) 2007 Fiber Rhythm Craft & Design. (see links)
One of the main reasons is I have had to send the sweater off to TKGA and don't expect to get it back for several months. I miss it!


So stranded knitting for the outside of the bag, and plain for the inside. I'm designing it so that you knit in the round, and then "steek" for the openings for the bag. This should be a nice way to both practice steeking and to perhaps use up some of the left-over yarn.

The bamboo yarn I used for the Stormy Sky sweater comes on cones and the sweater doesn't use the same amount from each cone. So I had quite a bit of denim color used, but not much of some of the other colors. So I figure I can knit the outside to match, and then the inside can use some of the colors I have more of. So that should be good.

I was thinking of writing the pattern up to have two versions: 1 with a flap that would fold over to close the bag, and one without the flap. So I'm curious whether people would be interested in having a bag without flap v. one with.

I'm expecting this to be a project bag-- so a strap long enough to go over the shoulder, if not cross over... and the bag part large enough to hold 8-1/2" x 11" instructions as well as yarn and project...

Comments?

Tuesday, June 12, 2007

What to work on next?

Now that I've sent the Master Level III package off, I'm trying to decide what project to work on next. This has taken so much of my thought process for the last year, I hadn't thought too much beyond it.

I have miles of stash yarn.... I have some UFOs as well.

I'm thinking maybe I work on something I might be able to finish quickly... like a summer top or a bag of some sort.... Hmmm... maybe a bag to use for summer knitting projects! (Not that I don' t have lots of bags already).

Big enough to hold an 8-1/2 x 11" instruction set without folding it... room for supplies... compartments for project and yarns... maybe a way to keep the yarns separate so they don't tangle... I like that!

What else would it need?

Saturday, June 9, 2007

As part of the master knitter program, you also get to design a hat. Here is the one I finished, after many trials and errors.





A triplet of cables goes up each side







The top has a diamond pattern surrounded by waves and bobbles.





The back has a classic celtic braid.


Let me know what you think!
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My how time flies!

I can hardly believe that it has been 6 months since I posted last!

So much has happened in the meanwhile. I completed the Norwegian sweater out of the Bambu 7 yarn and absolutely LOVE IT! The trouble is, I've had to send it off for review. So last Monday I mailed it off along with all of the swatches, questions and answers and reports to The Knitting Guild of America.
So here it is in all its glory. I call it "Stormy Sky". On the back the Celtic cable goes all the way across, and it repeats on the arms un-interrupted, so is a continuous knot (no ending) pretty cool.
My twin sister and I started our own business in April/May called Fiber Rhythm Craft & Design. I'll be selling knitting patterns there and we both will be selling hand-woven items. (www.FiberRhythm.com)
More posts on that to come. Also, after I let my son get a chance to get on the computer, I'll post here again with info about how the steeking went for this sweater.
Glad to be back!