Drops Cable Bag is a FO!

Hooray, I found the time to finish it and to get Rob to take some photos as well!



I like it! By a small accident, the handle is the exact right length, and the colour is gorgeous. It is a really useable size too!

The lining was a bit of a pain to do as the top is so much narrower than the bottom. Let's just say it wouldn't win any neatness competitions and let's hope I never need to find anything small in it in a hurry.



The eskimo wool is really heavy, which enables the bag to stand up on its own.

I made a couple of mods
A deeper garter st edge at the top to enable me to use the big button, and I only knitted one handle instead of two.

Pattern: Drops Cable Bag (free download)
7 skeins eskimo colour 30
5mm circs
Heather Bailey Freschcut fabric for lining
Total cost approx £18



We had a great walk this afternoon, and I took some pictures, I'll post them tomorrow if I can. We walked through some beautiful countryside. Funny how something can be on your doorstep and you don't even know it's there!

Look at that!! No blogging from me for a few days and then 5 in one day!!!!

SP 12 Question of the Week

What is your favorite summertime drink??
That's difficult. I love diet cherry coke, with loads of ice in it. I'd like to think I like cold Pimms, but alcohol has a funny effect on me and makes me feel sick. I love the odd sip of ice cold rose wine, but it has the alcohol effect also. If calories were no object, I would have pineapple and coconut juice, or a coke float. Or a blue slushy, or a McD's banana milkshake. Or a mango frescati. Anything but water! Yuk!

UK Swap Question of the Week

What are you doing to participate in WWKIP day on Saturday?
Not much to be honest. I shall be knitting in a small public gathering of Rob, Lily and Flossie.
What is the strangest place you have ever knit?
Next to the pool on holiday. I would like to lie and say something really exotic, like on top of Mount Everest. But I haven't. Yet. There's always time!

Drops cable bag...progress at last!

Since sewing together the bottom of the bag, it has changed shape and I am really liking it. The big hole in the picture is the buttonhole and I have a ginormous ruby coloured button to sew on. I love the colour of the bag too. Sewing it up was a bit tricky as the yarn is like candyfloss. One too tight pull and it just separates.

I have decided to line the handle too, in the same Freshcut fabric, as in my experience, knitted handles just get longer and longer and you don't dare put too much in the bag after a whil, so I thought this would give it some support. You need it if you're my bag!



I am hoping to finish it tonight. Mind you, it's Father's Day here today, and we are off on a 10 mile walk in a while, and then off out for dinner, so it might be tomorrow now. At least you don't need the use of your legs to make bags! There's a blessing!

SP 12 Questionnaire

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?

I love most Debbie Bliss yarns, especially anything with some cashmere or cotton in it. I love alpaca yarns as well. I am a real soft freak and so it has to pass the cheek test with me. (Face cheek, not the other one!) I'm not too keen on scratchy stuff, as some 100% wools are. Noro is a bit hit and miss for me as it does seem to retain its itchiness, even though it can be washed out. I need to love it to knit it!

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?

A shoe box...yes, I know. Oh, and a rolled up bit of pelmet. My circs hang on a hook. Sad but true!

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?

I have been knitting since I was about 12. That's 31 years then (gulp) My mum taught me and I knitted garments for myself when I was at school and college, so I think pretty advanced. What I don't know I can pick up pretty easily from You Tube, thanks to Cat Bordhi!!!

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?

Not really

5. What's your favorite scent?

A few! Mainly anything fresh, woody, lemony, not really flowery and not really lavendery.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?

I am 60% made up of Cadbury's milk chocolate. But now I am dieting, I love low cal cookies, or anything else not high in calories or fat.

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?

I sew, quilt, felt, make stitch markers and cards. I haven't tried spinning, although my SP11 pal did send me a drop spindle, but I haven't tried it out yet.

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)

Who knows? I am a techno geek, so ask my daughter!

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?

Love muted colours, especially greens, pinks, blues and so on. I'm not keen on orange or yellow.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?

I live with a husband and a 16 year old daughter. We have 1 dog, a whippet lurcher, called Flossie who is my baby, 1 elderly cat, who is 19-Basil, who has been with me since he was 9 weeks old, through chemo and everything else, and a giant cat who we think is a dog trapped in a cat's body. That's Max. We inherited him from one of my youth justice kids when I was a social worker. He is not ours out of choice, but as been with us 11 years and we can't get rid of him. Our latest plan is to send him to uni with Lily when she goes!

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?

I do wear scarves and hats.

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?

I love knitting bags. I do like knitting jackets as well, but they get boring for me. I love knitting scarves too.

13. What are you knitting right now?

Just finishing a bag. A pair of socks. A scarf. A jacket. A blanket. A jumper. Just a few things, you know!

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?

Yes

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?

Depends what I'm knitting. If it's small, circs get irritatingly tangled for me. I love them all, not that keen on plastic, but I don't discriminate too much! Knitting is knitting, whatever there is available to do it on!

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?

Yes, thanks to my extremely unsubtle dropping of hints to my husband last christmas.

17. How old is your oldest UFO?

OMG, I'm ashamed to say probably about 20 years old.

18. What is your favorite holiday?

Laying on a beach or by a pool, reading books or knitting, and then good food and good company in the evening.

19. Is there anything that you collect?

Apart from yarn???? Like what? Oh, actually, I do like buttons.

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?

Can't think of any off the top of my head.

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?

I wish I could crochet. All I can make is granny squares. I have been shown, and I have bought books, but my brain just can't compute it. I need someone with a ton of patience to sit with me for a couple of days and help me!

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?

I have knitted socks in the past and am knitting one now, but I wouldn't call myself a sock knitter. My feet are a UK size 6, normal width. And I'd love someone else to knit me a lovely soft pair!!

23. When is your birthday?

May 12

24. Are you on Ravelry? If so, what's your ID?

fluffyknitting of course!

Knitting in the Sun and other weekend delights

This is my 28Thirty. Coming along now, I have got to the top of the sleeves and about to separate and do the body. It's a quick knit, which I like and I love knitting with Cascade 220. I have been enjoying the sun today and sitting on the patio getting on with it! Rob's been at work today and Lily is recovering from a big night last night, so me and my dog have been chilling!

Lily's big night last night......she, Rob and her friend Charlotte went down to Wembley to see Foo Fighters with this....

and they really think it!! We all helped in the making of it, and then they carried it, and the extremely long bamboo canes it was on all the way, only to be told when they got there that they couldn't take the canes in. So they had to hold it up instead and hope Dave noticed it. They did get their photo taken with it by Radio 1, though, as Zane Lowe was outside!

So exciting, though, was that 2 members of Led Zeppelin made a guest appearance, and so Rob was really chuffed as he blares them out of his car the whole time!!!!

I took Flossie on a long walk, as I am wearing a pedometer at the moment and I can earn extra points from it...which came in very handy as I needed them for popcorn as I went to see Sex and the City last night. It was sooo good. I was never a great fan of the series, but the film was really good!

Drops Cable Bag is finished, just waiting to be sewn up and lined, which I shall do this week. I am planning to reassess my New Year's Resolutions soon too, as we are reaching the halfway point in the year. I can't believe it!!!!!

UK Swap Questionnaire..the rest of it!

Part Two: Your Favourites
What is your favourite colour?
Hmmm, difficult. I love greens, mainly lighter, brighter ones also pinks, more muted ones. I also love blues, soft ones and purples but not really lilac. I suppose I love mid tone gentle hues of most colours.

What is your least favourite colour?
I'm not keen on orange or wine/burgundy colours, or too strong colours. Not keen on yellow, although I do love a creamy yellow.

What scents/smells do you like? What don’t you like?
I love vanilla and cinnamony smells, warm cosy wintery smells. The smell of sweet baking. Also fresh citrusy smells. I'm not keen on flowery smells, although I do like rose.

How do you like to pamper yourself? (bubble bath, hand creams, massage, manicure)
Yea, any of those!!! I love to be stroked and pampered... the more cream the better! Especially my hands and feet!

What goodies to you like to eat? (chocolate, biscuits, sweets,crisps etc)
Yea, any of those too!!!!! I'm a Taurean, so pampering and eating and loving nice things are my core essence!!!! I love Cadburys the most, and cheese knik knax which you can only get in South African shops are my top faves! I don't like dark chocolate at all or Turkish delight, or wafery things.


Do you prefer tea or coffee while you knit? Any particular kind?
I don't really drink tea and coffee. Sometimes a nice skinny decaff cappuccino or a straight hot chocolate.

Do you listen to/watch anything while you knit? (TVshow-Along, movies, music, podcasts, audiobooks)
I normally watch tv or I knit in the garden.

Part Three: About you, Living & Past-times
If you were a specific kind of yarn, which brand and kind of yarn would you be (and why)?
I would be alpaca. I'm soft and I love to be touched but if you stretch me too far I become nasty! I also come in a range of lovely colours!!! And in a variety of thicknesses!!!

Where do you live in the UK? (General idea not address)
Cambridgeshire

Have you always lived here, or did you grow up somewhere else?
I grew up in South Africa. In Amanzimtoti.

What is your favourite place in the UK?
Apart from my garden on a sunny day, I would say anywhere that involved the beach, hot sun, comfy sun beds and a good book.

If you could visit anywhere in the world, where would you go?
I'd like to visit the Cook Islands in the South Pacific.

What other hobbies do you have?
Gardening, reading, cooking, writing, exercise, cars

Part Four: The Theme

I love this picture. It's my garden and I love the feeling of it, and the colours, greens, pinks and purples and the blue (that you can't see) that is shining above all of this and making it grow. I planted my garden too from a bare patch of earth and I love the feeling of knowing that everything growing in it is because I put it there. Apart from the bloody willow tree that self seeded itself and I can't get rid of!!

Final Part:
Any allergies/preferences (fiber-wise or treat-wise)?
I am proper (!)vegetarian, so nothing edible wise made from animal or fish products. But I do knit with animal fibres.
Anything we missed that you’d like your partner to know?
I'll let you know!!!