November 2014 – The Wool Witches of Castlegar

Houndstooth handbags for Christmas

For the past week I’ve been whipping up these houndstooth handbags to give as Christmas gifts. I LOVE the pattern, which is by Jennifer Pionk of A Crocheted Simplicity. It’s available to buy on Etsy and on Ravelry. Check out her website for more cute patterns.

I made it in three different colour combinations: tea rose (peach) and white, navy and white, and turquoise blue and white. I used the optional bow embellishment on the tea rose version, and may add a flower to the other two. They look chic without an embellishment.

The tea rose version is made following the pattern exactly, including the separate crocheted belt and bow, which are sewn on afterwards. The houndstooth stitch pattern is a simple two-row repeat. The key to getting the houndstooth checks to pop is to turn your work at the end of each round. Otherwise, it will just look like stripes. It also has a sturdy base made of linked dc which I have not tried before. The other two have slight modifications based on my personal preferences. Instead of a separate belt, I made the contrast stripe part of the bag top, and used single crochet instead of linked dc. The linked dc is easy to do and looks very nice, it’s just that I prefer the single crochet. Also, I’m not a fan of sewing. That’s just me!

The navy bag is made with acrylic yarn, not cotton, and I’m pleased with the results. It’s substantial and looks more suitable for winter because of it’s woolly texture. The turquoise bag is cotton, with a Tunisian simple stitch base. I chose Tunisian for this one because I have trouble counting the rows in linked dc – they blend together too much for my eyes. Tunisian rows are easy to count and easy to crochet into all sides. Christmas is only 3 weeks away, and I have a need for speed right now!

Here are photos of the different bag bases: the linked dc, and the Tunisian. Both make a dense fabric suitable for a bag. (Edit…2018…the other photos have somehow been lost from my media files. Not sure what happened there.)

My daughters want to use their handbags as lunch bags. Although the pattern doesn’t call for one, a lining would help keep the bags clean. I agree that a lining isn’t really necessary, but it would also help the handbags look more finished.

Overall, I give this pattern two thumbs up and will be making many more houndstooth handbags! Next up is one in Mod Green and White, using Lily Sugar’n Cream cotton, then a Holly Berry Red with white using Red Heart With Love.

Peppermint for the holidays and a new pattern!

This year, I’m in love with a Nordic-look red and white theme. I’m working on decorations and gift items with these colours – bright white and real red. Here are the first items in my 2014 holiday collection: the Peppermint handbag and wine bottle carrier set! The pattern is available in my Etsy shop and in my Ravelry store. You can make them both in a weekend using less than three balls of Lily Sugar’n Cream cotton.

Review: Craft Daily video subscription

Two posts ago, I mentioned I was doing a trial of the Craft Daily video subscription for one month. Well, the month is up, and here’s my verdict:

Considering most resource sites (like the Interweave store) charge about $19 and up to download just one video, the Craft Daily subscription was worth it. For about $20, I had unlimited access to all of the videos on the site, and I watched at least 15 of them. There are videos by big name designers for everything from basic knitting and crochet techniques to designing your own garments and accessories. The most useful tutorials for me were the Seamless Crochet in the Round with Doris Chan, the Toolbox and Tunisian crochet videos with Lily Chin, and all of the designing videos by Robyn Chachula. Although the earlier seasons of Knitting Daily TV episodes are available at Craft Daily, the newer ones are not. That was disappointing, because the show is not offered by my satellite provider as far as I can tell. I didn’t want to have to purchase them separately.

Lily Chin’s Tunisian tutorials inspired me to try a cowl using Tunisian stitch in the round. Up until then I have made them flat, like this one. My next post will feature the results of my first seamless Tunisian project. The idea for Tunisian cables came from Robyn Chachula’s unexpected crochet stitches video, and from one of her pattern books.

If you are looking for access to lots of videos, clear instructions and demonstrations of techniques and help with specific patterns, a subscription might be a good investment for you. Many of the videos come with free pattern and instruction booklet downloads. You can access the videos as often as you like, as long as your subscription is valid. It’s a great way to try out the many Interweave tutorials on the site. If there’s one you’d like to keep forever, it makes more sense to purchase that one from the Interweave store than to keep subscribing monthly. Browse through the available workshops first and try the previews before you commit.

I am not an affiliate of any of these stores, and this post reflects my own opinion. From one crafter to another, that’s my view.