Something else...

I said in my previous post that I took two days off working on my Olympic project to work on "something else". Here it is!
It's a purse for me to carry when Hubby and I go to a ball next month. I found a basic "little black dress" at Walmart, and I had a pink knit lace cardigan(not handknit; I got it at the thrift shop). I needed a new purse. I had made a little tiny black quilted purse years ago, but it's not big enough to hold my camera, my phone, my driver's license and my pistol*, so I needed something bigger, but still pretty. I decided on cables, so I didn't want to use black. I searched through my stash for the perfect pink, and then I remembered this yarn, that my friend Andrea sent me last fall. It's 100% merino wool, and so soft. The purse is knit all in one piece; down the back and up the front, then seamed up the sides, and continued up the handle. I lined it with black fabric from my fabric stash. So this whole project cost me nothing to make. ☺ It's about 7 inches wide, 6 inches high, not including the handle. Just big enough for my previously mentioned list.

*Editing to add: Yes, I do have a license to carry concealed, just in case anyone wondered. As I always say, I'd rather have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.

From The Top...

Here's a sneak peek at my latest project, a top-down yoke-style sweater for Angel. This picture was taken last week, so now it's a lot further-along. I've joined the front and back sections and set aside the sleeves.
I love knitting in-the-round, and from the top-down. One of the biggest benefits is being able to try on your project while it's still on the needles. Of course, Angel won't be trying this on before Christmas, but I can have Princess try it on, as she's not much smaller than Angel. I also love knitting seamlessly, as my seaming skills leave something to be desired. Someday I'll focus on learning that skill properly...when I find a pattern that I love enough to make it worth my time to learn it. This sweater is a basic seamless style. By starting at the neck, knitting down to where the front and back sections are joined, then continuing in-the-round on the body, and lastly picking up the sleeve stitches and knitting them in-the-round, I will have no finishing except weaving in tails at the end. And blocking, of course. The only drawback is that I have to limit my time working on this to when Angel is not around, because it would be obvious what I'm making. She knows I'm making something pink, but that's all she knows. ☺

♥

I've made some progress on Princess's poncho, but it's getting to the point where I'm wishing I had a longer circular needle. I may need to find one... I still need to knit it about 3 inches longer, with 8 increases every other row... 5 rows per inch... that means another 50-60 stitches by the time I'm done. Yikes.

♥

I still haven't started on Princess's purse; I need to find a pattern or come up with my own idea...