My New Handbag

Unlike most women, I am not infatuated with accessories such as bags, shoes, jewelry, and so on.  When my four-year-old inexpensive handbag began to fall apart, I decided that rather than buying one, I would crochet one.

Then I hurt my elbow and shoulder when I picked up my dog (He only weighs 20 pounds.) to remove him from the path of a car, and I haven't been able to crochet.

So, I decided to knit a bag.  I would use less yarn doing that, anyway.

I knew which colors I wanted, but I didn't know exactly how I would make it.  I bought hot green, hot yellow, hot blue, robin's egg, and white Lily Sugar 'n Cream yarn, experimented with a few stitch patterns, and decided on double strands of yarn in seed stitch.  I decided on the striping as I knitted.

At first I was going to make it flat, but then decided to add sides and a bottom and attach the strap to the sides.

I found a pattern for making starfish when I was almost finished and decided they would make a cool appliqué and then adapted the pattern to make palm trees for the other side.

Keeping with the palm tree them, I lined it with palm tree fabric and used a magnetic sew-on snap as a closure.

I've always followed patterns rather than designing my own, so I'm kind of psyched about my first ever original.

Spa Set

I'm going to try to catch up with some of the things I've made in the past few months.  I made a lot for Christmas, including the spa set pictured her for my niece.  She loves pink. It includes two Pampering Massage Soap Savers, a Pampering Massage Back Scrubber,  and a Pampering Picots Bath Mitt, all from mooglyblog.

The bowls are a pattern from JoAnn Fabrics.  I created the wash cloths myself, just knitting a simple square in stockinette stitch and then adding a crochet border.

I purchased soap for the soap savers from Bean Tree, and got a couple of bars for myself while I was there.

My niece really loved the gift, and that made me very happy!

Rainbow Ripples

When I saw this pattern (http://www.loopknits.com/2008/08/09/wave-blanket/), I knew I had to make it in rainbow colors.  I used 100% cotton yarn, and I love it!  The pattern is very simple to remember, and it looks more difficult than it is.

Another Scarf

My sweet 83-year-old neighbor who walks with a cane has been bringing me the bulletin from our church every Sunday my surgery.  (We attend the same church, but different services.)  She also asked the church to put me on the prayer list to publish in the bulletin, which led to their making me an Advent wreath, which she also brought to me.
Until Christmas, she was bringing my mail to me every day, but because her family was visiting her, she knew she wouldn't have time, so she asked our mail carrier to put my mail on my porch next to my door.  She also has brought lunch to me a few times and some goodies from the grocery store including one of my favorites--pimento cheese spread.  Yum.
To thank her, I made this scarf for her because she says she often wears a scarf in the house to stay warm.  I used two strands of baby yarn and mostly used the stockinette stitch, with few purl rows randomly thrown in just to add interest.  The border is just one row of single crochet, one of double, and then one of single.  She was thrilled.

A Shrug and a Scarf for Christmas

I always try to find something unique for one particular friend for Christmas because she really doesn't need anything.  This year I really surprised her by knitting her gifts.  I was afraid that she wouldn't like the shrug, but she absolutely loved it.  She likes a little "bling," so I added trim to both the shrug and the scarf.  I bought both the shell trim and the bead trim on Amazon.

I used Lion Brand Cotton-Ease yarn in hazelnut.  I had found the pattern at Michael's before I had surgery, but you can find the pattern on the Lion Brand website by searching for Stockinette Stitch Shrug in patterns.  Here it is on my mannequin.  The ribbed edge folds back better on a real person.

For the scarf, I used Lion Silky Twist, Ocean.  I had some left from making a shawl (Shimmy Shawl on the Lion Brand website) for the mother of the young man I sponsor in Peru (I visited him in October on a Compassion Sponsor Tour.)  I purchased another skein of it and just made up my own pattern.  I actually don't remember exactly what I did, but I think I knitted five and purled two, and then the opposite on the wrong side.  The scarf is very soft and warm.  

Hats and Scarves

My niece's birthday is December 14th.  I decided to make a hat and scarf for her because she's so cute, it's fun to make pretty things for her.  I've been doing that since she was a baby (although I mostly sewed then).

I found a pattern on the Lion Brand website called "Softly Shaded Hat and Scarf."  The suggested yarn is Lion Brand Amazing.  I chose the color "pink sands" since I live near the ocean, and my niece loves pink and the beach.  Since I was buying the yarn online, I didn't notice that it is 53% wool.  Big mistake.  I'm allergic to wool, so although the yarn is awesome, I was sick the entire time I made the hat and scarf.  I am thankful it was easy to make and didn't take long at all.

I then decided I wanted to make the same set for a friend who had stayed with me immediately after my foot surgery.  I chose Red Heart Boutique Unforgettable, color "parrot."  The yarn is even prettier in person than it was online.  I loved it!

Both my niece and my friend love their gifts.  Here is my niece modeling hers on Christmas Day:

This is what I made for my friend with the Red Heart Yarn.  I used my mannequin, which has no head, to display it, so it looks a little funny.

I had a lot of yarn left, so I decided to make a simple scarf for my brother's girlfriend for Christmas.  I wanted it to be light so that she could wear it inside, so I made it narrow and just used a simple garter stitch, but I think it looks awesome because of the yarn.

Introduction

Hello, anyone who might have stumbled upon my new blog.

I decided I would like to write about what I make.  I couldn't think of a title because I knit AND crochet--I don't just do one.

Then I went to my English teacher life and decided to go with a pun--"yarns."  Since I live across the street from the Atlantic Ocean, I had to include that, so I settled on "Yarns by the Sea."

As soon as I finish all my Christmas projects, I'll post what I've made lately.

I had foot surgery on November 13th and have been home from work, unable to walk, since then, so I have had a lot of time to knit and crochet.  I've had to rely on Amazon and other sites to get my yarn, which is not what I prefer because, like most people who knit and crochet, I like to feel the yarn first.

Ordering from the Internet has worked out, though, except for when I accidentally ordered yarn that is 53% wool.  It's awesome yarn, but I'm allergic to wool, so I was a bit ill during that project.

Back to knitting for me, and then soon I will add some projects that might give others some good ideas.