I-Cord - How to Knit one and How to attach an I-cord to a knit purse

First of all decide if you're felting the fiber once it is knit because felting shrinks the length by 1/4 to 1/3.

To make a hefty i-cord, start with 4-6 stitches, cast on, and knit, then move the stitches to the left needle, repeat knit and move to left needle, this places the loose yarn to the left but the first stitch is on the right, bringing the stitches around into a tubing effect. Knit the piece until it is 1 and 1/3 the length of the finished desired piece.

To attach to a felted bag, I use grommets, they come with instructions and in various sizes, and need a little grommet tool for each size, and a hammer and a workbench surface. Make the holes in the felted bag by using graduated sizes of metal needles to poke the holes in the fabric.

THIS IS A GREAT LINK TO HOW-TO MAKE AN I-CORD

Once the holes are the right size, add the grommets, thread the felted strap through and use your yarn to sew the two ends together with a darning needle, the yarns match the strap and using invisible stitches (hiding each stitch inside the two ends of the strap, the strap becomes one continuous loop - make sure it is woven through the grommets first though, or you'll be cutting it apart to fasten it to the bag.

To felt the strap, you must use 100% wool yarn for it to work effectively, place in a pillow case, fasten closed, throw in a pair of jeans and the case wash in hot water about 8-12 minutes. When done, stretch the strap very tight, and often, and let dry completely. DONE!!

NEW CONCEPT - Market Bags - FREE PATTERN

Here in Denver, CO, you have to pay for each plastic bag you need to walk out of the grocery. So-o-o-o I have a special order from Jenn to make a Market Bag. It will be similar to the large denim bag I made this summer, but will have a flat base about 3 inches deep, then be every bit as tall and wide with large wide straps, This one is about 16" high and maybe 15" wide with no base, just a big deep bag that holds a laptop a three-ring binder and variety of samples for the distributor. It could be a market bag also.

The newest addition will be in a color called Harvest from Patons. The finished piece will have the triangles that form from the short striping effect of the yarn, and large bands of RED, LIME GREEN and PURPLE. Awesome colors, getting started now.

VERY IMPORTANT: Knit the entire project holding two strands of yarn together.

(unless you go with size 5 bulky yarn rather than the suggested size 4 merino wool).

Here's the basic pattern, Circular needles size 13, Patons Classic Wool, (2) Harvest (1) Red, (1) Green (1) Purple

Cast on 80, slip the first stitch (with yarn held in front) in each row and knit all remaining stitches. The base will be about 3 inches, so once there is a 4 inch (allowing for shrinkage in felting process) base, pick up and knit a stitch in each of the end "slipped" stitches, your count may be different than mine, and pick up and knit a stitch in each of the 80 cast on stitches, then pick up and knit the same number of "slipped" stitches on the other end of the base, you now have 160 stitches plus the number of stitches on each end. Now knit in the round on your circular needles.

The height will shrink more than the width. Nearly 1/3 of the project so keep knitting away. It will look 1/3 longer than it is wide when you are ready to cast off and make your straps. Cast on 11 k1,p1 every row, until the straps (make two) are 1/3 longer than the desired finished length.

Sew on straps, felt. I know this is basic enough, but if you have questions on any of this, COMMENT!!

One of my favorite things.

I really have several favorite "things." My favorite people know who they are, I hope!!

A few of my favorite things are fields of wildflowers in bloom, trains, miniatures, weaving, pottery AND ...

Yesterday, in South Dakota, in a truck stop, the hubby came in to the convenience store to get me, he said, "Put down the Sprite and pretzels we'll come back and buy them in a minute, you have to come out here to see something."

I stepped out into the parking lot and there were several semi-trucks each with extremely large white (wide-load) items on them. At first glance, I knew I was seeing the Wind Mills, in pieces.

Each piece was larger than a double length semi-trailer and each piece had it's own escort vehicle. We had just passed a massive Wind Farm where the mills were being assembled, and I mentioned I'd love to see these up close. Well, we walked the length and width of one blade, and I couldn't say how long they were but as we were walking back to get my sprite more trucks convoyed in with the generators that go on the top, and they were larger than our camper ...

I know there is some controversy over these big guys, but my thoughts are if we can make energy for cities using these - depending on how long it takes to recup the cost of a wind farm - then why aren't we using them anywhere there is a constant wind? How can a wind farm mess up the view any more than casino billboards, oh my lands they are everywhere.

I want a windmill.

Starting a Business/Giving Gifts and DIGITAL PHOTOS

I really have a goal of starting a business with these bags I'm designing, but so far each item I've made has become a personalized gift. I know, I know, I'm better off selling the patterns, so I'm keeping track of all the changes I'm making to existing patterns, to put them into a little ebook, I even have a cover design in the making for my first pattern book.

see:
http://3knittingsisters.blogspot.com/2008/05/my-next-project.html

But progress is slow as far as documenting each item, tracking the changes I make to patterns to make them unique, and getting pictures along the way is my weakness.

The hubbies most recent digital camera makes me crazy. I cannot take a picture without the old hands shaking, so each pic is a major blur ... this slows progress on pic taking, I also had hoped to do videos of my work, but I found great videos of knitting on-line. I'm well on the way to setting this all up, it really is coming together....look out ETSY here I come!