Mug Cosies and Woollens

I have started making these mug cosies knitted and crocheted for a craft fair I am doing in December. I have used either two strands of double knit or a chunky. I found this pure new wool Guernsey jumper at a car boot sale on Sunday and bought it. I may felt it or use it as it is. I also have this red woollen that is mine and has shrunk a little, so ideal, the jumper will be dyed. I will have a try at making mittens and have made a template of my hand to use. I may also make a bag too. I bought this very handy Expert Guide to Knitting at an indoor market as well as 15 step by step tutorials and 16 inspiring patterns to try there are 20 stitch patterns too that I will use to make more mug cosies. I am glad I picked up this magazine as I am finding it very helpful!

Cardigan and Jumper

Here are the finished knitted chunky cardigan and jumper. The cream off the shoulder is very soft and warm and the blue one too. I added one button as I think it suite this style of cardigan with the thick wool better than all buttoned up. I think that both of them look quite good.

Knitting a Cardigan and Jumper

Jumper and Cardigan

After making two cardigans and a sweater from scrap yarns I asked my two daughters if they would they like me to knit them a woollen.  Fiona said yes please either an off the shoulder cream chunky or a black Chenille and Michelle said yes too and chose blue colour.  It was an easy choice as I found this pattern ideal! a cream chunky off the shoulder, quick to knit on 12mm needles. Then I found a stripy cardigan pattern using blue throughout with a moss stitch ribbing.

I have made the back and fronts of the cardigan, still have the rib around neck and fronts which I hope will knit up nice and neat, and the sleeves. And the back and front, both alike, of the jumper and sleeve.


I knitted this cream jumper with two strands of chunky knit and thought that would be thick enough but I think it could do with a thicker yarn and may have to start again. I dont really mind as it is very quick to knit.

Around The World Blog Hop

Welcome to my blog Crafty Bags and my scheduled stop on the Around The World Blog Hop.

Sunflower Tote

 I would like to thank Janine from Rainbow Hare for inviting me to join the Around the World Blog Hop! I have always admired Janine's work, her dolls Plain and Purl with a story! quilting, textile wall art the beautiful crochet flowers throw and gorgeous knitting. And I love her Wool on Sundays. Please go and take a look and see.

Janine has asked me to answer four questions so here goes!
 
What am I working on?

Curtain Material

While out with Mr CB on a trip to Bodmin town to have a look around and to make the most of the late summer sunshine I spied this colourful material in a charity shop window it's two curtains, I think it looks like it could be retro material. I will make two cushions from it, the blue trim I bought the next day in a fabric store, a good match I think. I have made Mandala crochet cushions too which I recently discovered how to do. 

Jacob Fleece Merino Tops Felt Bag

This is the carded Jacob Fleece and Merino Wool Tops leftover from a Sheep to Hat course I did. I made this bag. It will be either a felt bag next or small shawl or scarf using both the Jacob and Merino together or on their own, wet felted needle felted or both.


How does my work differ from others in its genre ?

I started by making bags, all kinds, shapes and sizes and various fabrics and after a while I restarted knitting and crochet and became interested in trying other crafts, quilting, felting, cross stitch embroidery (I like to do more embroidery) and applique so I don't think I have a particular genre.

Two Crochet Throws

Two Knitted Rugs

Crochet Cardigans and Sweater

Quilted Knitting Bag and My First Quilt

Cross Stitch Lavender Sachet

Why do I write/create what I do? 

I just love to create things I just recently really enjoyed using my colourful, fancy scrap yarns to crochet two cardigans in stripes of colour that was easy to do and surprisingly quick, then knitting a sweater this time in blocks of colour. I love making items from something once used into something compleatly different, recycling. And as I make nice things I like to write about them
and share what I have made with others who love crafting and blogging too and I find it interesting to see what others are creating.

 How does my writing/creating processes work?

 I am lucky to live in the amazingly beautiful county of Cornwall in the UK with its magnificent varied scenery all around the many beaches and coves, living here gives me added inspiration to create nice things I think.

I don't use a pattern, I plan out a style of bag in my head and get straight on with it, sometimes I do sketch out an outline of the design to keep me focused. I use the fabrics to hand imagining what type of bag I could make, the lining, then the handles to match. I see colours, patterns I find striking in a fashion magazine and put them together as a bag. I did this with a denim and blue/ white pattern cotton bag.  A bag I made from a multi-coloured cardigan looked lovely and I added a thick cotton shoulder strap. I may see a bag I really like in a boutique and make one similar. I cut out the sheep shapes from a curtain with lots of patterns and stitched them together to make a knitting bag.

Sometimes it is trial and error and a learning process and I start again but find if I take the time to plan it out it is half the battle and usually comes out all right.

I am always on the look out for colourful material it could be curtain material, or off cut remnants as I only need a small amount for a project at a time, I find these aplenty in fabric stores, wool shops, markets, car boot sales and sometimes charity shops.
I love to go to look around a car boot sale near me which also has a market outdoors and indoors too so there is plenty to browse around.

I hope you have stayed with this to the end thank you and because I want to introduce to you the lovely Julia from Horse Fire Textiles who makes amazing rugs from recycled material, wall hangings and art and all really inspiring and colourful to look at too, I am sure you will agree and she will be answering questions on the next blog hop next Monday.