I have more bag news for you. I am really enjoying experimenting with different bags and have even got my sewing machine to work. I don't really know what I am doing with a sewing machine and last time I used it, it ground to a nasty halt, which put me off using it for quite a while. My lovely LYSO informed me that I probably just had the tension turned up too high, and you know what, she was right. I managed to sew the lining for my friend's birthday bag using the machine, with NO PROBLEMS!!! Woohooo! This is going to vastly improve the look of my bags. I am also going to be tempted to have another go at sewing things and have already succumbed to buying some more pretty fat quarters to play with when I have some spare time.
Back to my bags......
This was an experimental bag. It is small pouch style bag made using Artesano Inca Cloud alpaca wool. I have never felted alpaca and I am quite pleased with the way it worked. It is not a smooth felt, but I quite like the texture and have decided that the colour and texture requires no futher decoration.
This is my friend, Rachael's birthday bag. It is beautifully soft and silky and as such doesn't make for a great felted item. The colours are beautiful and the bag does demand stroking, but it will probably need quite a lot of TLC to ensure it retains its beauty.
I have used plastic reinforcement to give the bag structure, which shows off the colours to their best.
I have also lined the bag with a vibrant coloured poly-cotton.
You can't see very clearly from this photo but the fabric is mottled and adds real depth of contrast with the colours of the felted fabric. I sewed the lining using my sewing machine, a bit of a first for me and then hand sewed the completed lining into the bag. I have actually managed to hide the stitches that anchor the lining, which I am pleased about. The internet is a wonderful place to learn things!
I am sure that Rachael will love her bag, especially as she chose the yarn and the handles, but I am particularly pleased with the finish quality of this bag. I am definitely improving in this field of endeavour.
When I ran my felting wash earlier in the week, I also added in some more slippers, using my Let's Knit Chilko pattern. This time I used self striping wool, and they have turned out quite funky, if a little uneven.
I don't think I will need to make many more of these slippers for a while, now I have three pairs to wear out, but I don't think I would use this wool again for slippers. The felted fabric is quite scratchy against bare skin, however that means they will probably last longer. I shall just have to wait and see which slippers wear the best over the coming months.
I think this is most of my news, except I have cast on my lovely pink silk sock wool. I am trying to knit two socks at once for the first time. I'll let you know how it goes.
