Orange you glad you didn't say banana?

Here is the second bag I've created from the Elegant Edibles kit; the Orange Slice Purse. I used size 5 double pointed needles. The purse is made out of less than a ball of each wool of the andes Orange, Cloud and Daffodil.

Bottom of the orange bag.

I was surprised that I used less than one ball of orange when two were provided in the kit.

The remaining orange yarn. A lot is left!

Some thoughts about the chart: There are some really long floats in places. There is never a row that has yellow, orange AND white. Often rows with yellow and white alternate, which means that you have to carry a strand back or else break the yarn in the middle.

I blocked the slices before sewing in the zipper. I wanted to maintain the best shape possible.

Installation of the zipper was easier than in the pea pod purse, since there was a side that remained open during this process. I sewed up the non-zippered side after the zipper was completely installed. The zipper was a bit too long for the bag (This is likely why I ended up with extra yarn), but extra length was easily hidden inside bag. I didn't want to have the zipper wrapping around the size at all, since that would disrupt the overall shape.

Zipper is a bit too long, but I don't care enough to redo the slice.

For the installation of the zipper, I sewed the zipper on really tight around where you see the bow in the above picture.

My sewing techniques have not really improved, but I can promise that the zipper is sturdily attached to the bag!

This bag is cute and whimsical. I hope that it brings more smiles and laughter to people than the old knock knock joke!

Search for Octopus Knitting Patterns

This is inspired by the 2008 Knitty.com Socktopus pattern. I think that these creatures look really cute when knit. Here is my search for Octopus knitting patterns, and octopus-like creatures (i.e. you may find some squid).

• Socktopus - A great stashbuster, the extra long legs (with different "socks") makes it a fun toy to place on your head or to just hang around.
• Octopus - Stuffed head, the legs are a bit curly. I like button eyes low on the head, makes it seem less cartoonish. You will need to create a free Ravelry account to view this pattern.
• Octopus Dishcloth - Although this isn't a stuffed toy, this is a two dimensional chart that you can use for other items besides dishcloths. Unfortunately, the pattern is written out in words, but the photo has enough detail that it would be easy to convert it to a graphical chart.
  
• Aristotle the Octopus - This is a two needle pattern, so there is no need for double pointed needles. The legs are flat, not stick straight or super curly as some of the other patterns. It has a garter stitch head.
• "Henry" the Octopus - This stuffed creature is larger than some others. The head is cylindrical shaped, and the legs are stuffed with some bend in them. You will need to create a free Ravelry account to view this pattern.
• Knit Octopus Bath Mitt - This creature could also function as a puppet. Or you could stuff the head and have it just be a toy. Cute curly arms.
• Squiggly Octopus - Round head, small button eyes. Icord legs. It is very simple, and super adorable.
  
• Ollie the Octopus - This creature has a mushroom shaped head. The arms are knit and stuffed, so they are stiffer and curled up.
  
• George - This is the first felted octopus that I've found. The head is small in proportion to the legs, which have some stuffing in them.
  
• Le Octopus! - This creature was knit in red, so it is reminiscent of Elmo from Sesame Street. Short, stuffed, stubby legs.
• Jolly Octopus - Shown with a hat and scarf. The legs are short in proportion to the body. Cute and looks like a fast knit. There is a female one that has braided pigtails!
• Orla the Octopus - The sample was knit with variegated yarn. Flat bottom, mushroom shaped head, spiral Icord eyes (or so it appears). The legs are straight, and stick straight out from the body. You will need to create a free Ravelry account to view this pattern.
• Phat Pacific Octopus - The octopus pictures in the knitting pattern was created with a 20 yard sample of yarn. This should indicate that it is fairly small, and has a very simple shape with short legs.
• Little Octopus - There are colored stripes on the straight legs. A round head with a smile on his/her face.
• Octopursy - Make a backpack that is a shoulder bag! The 8 legs are split in half to form the straps.
  
• Rastapus - Octopus with attitude - Complete with dreadlocks. Straight legs, fairly round head.
• Tako Maki - This knit octopus forms a toilet paper cover/cozy. This gives the creature a TP shaped head, and the legs are long, thin and floppy.
  
• Tentacles! - There are icord dangly legs, and a tiny head. I think it cold be best described by a upside down mushroom (there is a flat lip type thing just before the legs.)
  
• Sugi - This knit octopus is one of the more cartoon-like. (see the Ravelry page for a photo.) Short, stuffed stubby legs, a little rounded head and cute eyes. Looks like a fun toy for a young child (if it is constructed in child safe manner, of course.)
• Pieruvre - So this pattern is written in French... but I am including it in the list because 1) it is free and 2) the shape is different than other ones that I've seen. The legs start in a flat, star like formation, that taper off into thin ends. (More like a starfish).
• Socktopus - Small round body, thin legs with some bend. The magic is in the offset eyes. And the cute pictures of it with a baby.
  
• Giant Squid Hat - This hat is HUGE, and would obscure your face, with tentacles hanging down past your shoulders.
• Poor Mojo's Squid Hat - Arrow shaped head, there are only two long tentacles hanging down on either side of the head. There are some tiny ones like fringe around the brim.
• Naughty Squiddy - Mushroom shaped head, tentacles that hang straight down. The size is appropriate to sit on top of a beer bottle.
• Shoney the Squid - This is a realistic looking stuffed animal. The two longer tentacles are in good proportion to the smaller ones. The level of detail is very nice.
• Squiddy Squid Pattern - This was knit with a variegated yarn. The head is a bit pointy, with thick legs.
• Cosy Squid - Cover your Ipod with this cute little cozy. You will need to create a free Ravelry account to view this pattern.
• Nautie - Complete with a curled shell. The detail is fantastic (well, the patterns in Knitty usually are!)
• Squiddy Cat - This is one of the simplest, and less elegant creatures that I've found. It is in garter stitch, and there is a low level of detail. However, it is intended to be a cat toy, and for that purpose you don't really WANT a lot of detail.
• SquidPod Ipod Cozy - VERY cute. See the ravelry page for a photo.
• Squid Shaped Phone Case - The buttons to hold the phone in the case double as the eyes. :)
• Squiddy - The looks like it has ears? There head is egg shaped, and since those fins (I'm not sure the correct term) are a contrasting color, they make me thing of mouse ears.
• Octopus Garden - Turnip like head, with a loop on top for hanging. Flopping straight legs.
  
• Octopus Redux - This is a slight variation of Octopus Garden.
  
• Tentacular - This scarf looks like a tentacle, with cylindrical things to look like suckers. It is cuter than it sounds from my description.
• Cthulhu Penguin - So this is a fictional octopus-like creature eating a penguin? I don't really get it... but it fits in this list!

I am very happy with the cephalopods that I have found. I hope you are just as happy!

On Edge

Edging and other finishing details can really bring the craftsmanship to a completely new level. I was excited when I came across this different kind of stitch dictionary at the library.


Knitting on the Edge: Ribs, Ruffles, Lace, Fringes, Floral, Points & Picots: The Essential Collection of 350 Decorative Borders by Nicky Epstein

Texture: The book starts with a section on texture. One swatch with leaf designs is knit in 12 different types of yarn. This is a great reminder and a good way to inspire you to try interesting stitches with a different type of yarn.

The pictures are extraordinary. Frequently in stitch libraries you only see the middle of the stitch, edges aren't visible at all. In the swatches shown in this book, you see the entire swatch. (I would have expected some edges, as that is what this book is about, but seeing all is fantastic!)

The different edgings are separated into the following categories: Ribs, Ruffles, Lace, Fringes, Flora, Points & Picots. The swatches in each section have a different base color, which makes flipping through the book an ease.

I find many of these edgings really exciting. I have not really given much thought to ruffles on knitted objects. There is a picture of a handbag with ruffled details over the entire side, and the effect is really fun. The only fringe I ever really use is the traditional single loop knot fringe... I'm feeling very inspired. I like the thought of slipping stitches at the edge of a piece of work to give a looped fringe down the side.

This is a reference book. Although some of these edges are simple, it is not a "how to knit" book, and shouldn't be the first book a novice knitter buys. I love this book. I really want this book, and have added it to my wish list!


Knitting Over The Edge: Unique Ribs, Cords, Appliques, Colors, Nouveau by Nicky Epstein

This book was written due to the overwhelming popularity of Knitting On the Edge. The sections in this book are Unique Ribs, Cords Appliques, Colors and Noveau.

The book begins with a similar textures section, but the swatches are more relevant to this book.

I would have some difficulty with the appliques, as many of these are icords that are sewn on in a particular design. That being said, they are still very interesting. I have always loved Colors, and there are some fun charts in this section that are good for things besides edging. The nouveau are the most unique patterns I've seen. There are so interesting, and I'm not sure how to use them yet.

This review is short, because many of my thoughts are similar to the previous book. This is another book that I want in my personal library!

Don't forget your Robot!

Surfing through knitting patterns, I came across the adorable Pocket Robot. I knew that this was something that I needed to make for Keith (After seeing the Robin Sparkle episode in How I Met Your Mother, he's been saying "Don't forget the robot" repeatedly.)

I used remnant WoTA yarn and size 5 double pointed needles for my robot.

The pattern lacks directions for the stripes and embroidery that make it so special (They are leaving it up to you which is great, but I loved how the example turned out!) I reconstructed the following stripes from the image:

• Knit as directed in the MC for the first 13 rows.
  
• Knit rows 14 and 15 in black
• Continue in MC for 3 more rows
• Knit rows 19-24 in red (6 rows total)
  
• Finish the body in the MC.
  

The details were added just after the stripes were knit, before the body was sealed.

For the finishing details, I used 13 beads evenly spaced around the collar. I used black fingering weight wool and silver thread on the body embroideries. The eyes were size 6/0 beads.

Final size of the body: 3"x2"

Before adding the appendages, this robot looks a bit like Humpty Dumpty.

I'm considering making an even smaller robot on size 1 needles with fingering weight wool. Super fun!

Knitted Toy Tales

Knitted Toy Tales by Laura Long

I love knit toys. I think that's pretty clear if you follow this blog. Toys make me remember times that were simpler, and the games that I played when I was little. This book is unique. Each pattern section has a short little story. What a fun way to give a toy that you made to your child, reading these 1 paragraph stories while they're hugging the stuffed animal.

The Patterns

• The Bunny Bunch (2 sizes of Bunnies)
• Bertie and Beatrice the Birds (These remind me of sparrows.)
• Fredrick the Frog Prince (see cover image)
• Babushkas (These 3 dolls REALLY STACK!)
• Three Hungry Bears
• Polly Dolly's Dress-up Day (A doll and various outfits for her)
• Simon Snake (Incredible color work on the length of the body creates a scale-like effect)
  
• Piggies at Play (Scraps of fabric are used as finishing details. Make pigs sweet by putting a bit of floral fabric in the ears. )
• Mischievous Mice
• Eddie the Friendly Elephant
• Three Little Fish (So colorful and fun!)
• Peter Penguin's Fishing Trip
• The Owl and the Pussycat (Scraps of white felt are sewn on for the eyes) They even have a boat to sit in!

In the past I've complained that some books don't list the exact yarns used in the patterns. Sometimes you really want the novelty yarn to reproduce what you see in the image. At first I was disappointed because the patterns only contained generic yarn descriptions. However, at the bag of the book the particular yarn brands are listed!

Some of the magic of the patterns comes from the finishing details (embroidery and fabric). These are often things that I have difficulty reproducing, but I feel like these toys would have magic even without fabric. After the techniques section, there is a chapter with shapes so you can see how to cut out the fabric.

Enjoy a trip down memory lane with this book!

Inspired by Italy - Part 1

The architecture in Italy was amazing. I found myself drawn to some of the ancient and modern designs, and then realized that some of these would make fantastic knitting charts. In this post, I will show you three photos from my trip, followed by the charts they inspired.

This design was located at the top of a relief in the Roman Forum (in Rome).


Directly inspired by the previous photo. Size: 50 stitches x 9 rows


A single repeat of the chart. Size: 10 stitches x 9 rows




An iron fence on the side of a canal in Venice.


Size: 27 rows x 15 stitches




A random window that I saw through an iron gate. I may try to make a chart from the gate in the future.


I may try to make a smaller version in the future, but I was having fun sticking to a strict geometry. Size: 31x31


This is the same as the previous chart, but with a touch of color. It makes it more of a pinwheel. Size: 31x31

These patterns were created by ChemKnits for your Personal or charity use. The charts and directions of this pattern are not to be republished without permission of ChemKnits.

© 2010 ChemKnits

What gift do you give a knitter?

Knitting is a hobby that creates a lot of gifts... but what on earth do you give to a knitter as a gift? I have recently written a few articles with suggestions on what to give to a knitter for the holidays:

• Gifts for Knitters - I wrote this article about different gifts to give to knitters.
  
• Give the Gift of Knitting Books - This article recommends a number of different knitting books that any knitter would be happy to have.
• Vintage Knitting Patterns - These make great gifts as a source of patterns, but also as something to hang on the wall of a craft room.
• Learn to Knit Kits - What you should give to someone who is just learning how to knit.

Hopefully these articles will give you SOME idea what to do for your favorite knitter (or me if I'm on your list!) If you have any other gift suggestions I would be happy to incorporate them into these lists.