Category Archives: FO2012

For some time, I’ve had in mind that I’d love to make a little beaded bag of some kind. I kept thinking there’d be a good moment to do so and right now, there’s a perfect reason.

A friend (who is a relatively new knitter and an even newer blogger!) is getting married this Saturday. I asked her a little while ago if she had a wedding purse, something to carry little things in on the day and she said she didn’t. I told her I’d love to make one and she said that she would love it. Patterns and yarn were discussed and hey presto, the Beaded Wedding Purse was born. It took just over a week.

I think it’s adorable. Starting out, the knitting from the top was kind of challenging. The top lace part is knit sideways and at first really had me baffled. I got there though and it looked like this.

Those fan shapes were fun to make once I’d figured them out. Lots and lots of wraps and then dropping of the wraps. After that it was a matter of picking up stitches along the bottom and knitting down from there, adding beads accordingly. I didn’t pre-string the beads (I never do!). Adding them in as I go is my preferred method.

I also made the bag about 2inches shorter than the pattern required. It seemed quite long enough, and Alys says she’s only going to carry lipstick and a hankie in it so how big did it need to be really? It’s about 6 inches in length, which is plenty I think.

The pattern has you make two long twisted cords for the drawstring but I chose to crochet them instead. Tightly. The yarn is Socks that Rock lightweight, so a 4ply, and I crocheted the cords on, I think, a 2mm hook. I wanted the cords to be nice and firm.

The yarn has a slight green tinge to it which did not show up in the photos at all, but we chose it because my friend’s dress has some turquoise in the bodice. It’ll match beautifully.

What’s even lovelier is she has an inherited bracelet which works as a reticule holder. So the bag will hang on the day from a delicate band on her wrist. I’d love to get a photo but I just don’ t know if that’s possible. So for now, we have the purse on its own, ready and waiting for Alys’s big day.

I loved making this. Really, really loved it. It has satisfied my beaded bag making itch nicely.

Bells

Four years ago when I ventured into lace knitting, the Forest Canopy Shawl was my first piece. It seemed difficult at the time. I had to really concentrate. The finished shawl became an instant classic in my wardrobe. It goes with everything. I wear it all winter. It was made of Cherry Tree Hill sock yarn.

Four years later, I’ve earned a few stripes in lace and shawl knitting and so I revisited the Forest Canopy pattern because I felt over the break that I wanted something comforting to knit. I had a feeling that my very first lace piece was going to be just that and it was. It worked up in about 9 days between entertaining guests and watching a lot of DVDs in the heat.

It was everything I remembered it be – a delightful pattern that’s easily memorised. An all over lace pattern, I think it’s beautifully effective. If you were looking for a thrill-a-stitch piece, this wouldn’t be it. There is nothing exciting about this pattern. But it’s a simple, reliable pattern that proved itself again to be worth making.

It’ll be light enough to wear on cooler spring and autumn days, or even slightly cooler summer’s nights. It’ll be tucked inside coats in winter, just like the original and it’ll be much loved.

This time I used some yarn I’ve had in my stash almost as long as I’ve had my original Forest Canopy Shawl. Liza Souza sock yarn in Sage. I have to say this was kind of scratchy to knit with. But it was a generously sized skein so I got about three extra repeats of the pattern out of it and it’s washed up nicely.

I don’t think this will be my last Forest Canopy. Can’t imagine it.

Bells