Knitting Bags

When I first started knitting all I needed was a skein of yarn and a set of knitting needles.  It was simple.  However, as my knitting expertise grew, so did my desire for other products.  From knitting needles to notions, to yarn, the options available for knitters are endless.

One accessory I don't mind investing in is a good knitting bag, and there are so many gorgeous ones to choose from.  I love the bags I have collected over the years, and I enjoy using each one.  Here are a few of my favourites:

1.  This Della Q bag is great for carrying socks or other small projects in.  The handles are the perfect size to put over your arm and knit as you go.  

Currently it's holding my Saku Hat by Olga Buraya-Kefelian that I am knitting in Woolfolk Far.

Saku Hat in Woolfolk Far

2.  Every knitter needs a waterproof bag (don't they?) and I bought this one (made by Decodelire) because I loved the size and the fun print. This came from the Needle Emporium and can hold a sweater quantity of yarn.  

3.  Then there is my collection of linen bags by a Canadian printmaker named Jenna Rose. They are well made, can be used for many purposes, and come in a variety of sizes.

Fits one skein of yarn

Fits 2-3 skeins of yarn

Fits 2-3 skeins

Fits 2-3 skeins

This is a big bag that can hold  around 15 skeins of yarn.  I store all my yarn for projects in my queue.

4.  Who doesn't love a Fringe Supply Bag?  My husband was sweet enough to give me one for Christmas from Purl Soho.  I just love how vibrant the colour is. It is so well made and contains lots of interior pockets that are so useful.

5.  Finally my latest purchase...a Hedgehog Fibres Invisible Project Bag available from Espace Tricot.  It's amazing how many skeins of yarn it can hold, and I will never forget what I put in it.  

This bag fits at least 7 skeins!

I am constantly impressed with the variety and quality of bags available.  Do you have any favourite sources or brands?

A Look Back: 2015

2015 saw me immerse myself in knitting more than ever. I continue to enjoy learning about it and am constantly impressed with the variety of yarns, patterns, books, blogs and videos, etc. dedicated to this craft.  It's a great time to be a knitter and I still have so much to learn.  In honour of all things knitting I present you with my second annual list of Knitting Favourites of 2015.

Best Yarn Shop:  I had the pleasure of visiting 88 Stitches this past spring and I liked everything about it.  88 Stitches is located in Langley, B.C. and is the perfect size for a yarn shop, carrying a great variety of yarn including my favourite, Sweet Fiber Yarns. In fact Melissa Thomson's mother owns this shop. It was bright and sunny in the store and the owner was so friendly.  I truly wish this was my neighbourhood store as I would love to visit frequently.

Best Shawl: Of the seven shawls I knit this year I would have to say that Cladonia, by Kirsten Kapur is my favourite of the year.  Knit in Sweet Fiber Yarn Super Sweet Sock in Chartreuse and String Theory Caper Sock Yarn in Java, it is a beautiful combination of colour and pattern. The shape of the shawl makes it easy to wear and the cashmere in Caper Sock Yarn makes it so soft.

Cladonia by Kirsten Kapur

Best Sweater/Cardigan:  This was a hard choice for me to make as I knit four cardigans and three sweaters, all of which I absolutely love.  However, I am choosing Japan Sleeves, a sweater by Joji Locatelli because of its unique and fun construction.  I enjoyed every second of knitting this sweater.  The  lace inserts in the sleeves were knit first, and if you look at the photos below, you can see how the body of the sweater was constructed.  It was such a unique way to knit a sweater.  I hadn't had as much fun knitting a sweater since I knit Hitofude last year.  I also liked the colour combination of Madelinetosh's Molly Ringwald and Teddy Bear, creating a perfect spring sweater.

Lace panels were knit first and then the sleeve construction began

Once the sleeves were done knitting the body was knit in the round

Knit in Madelinetosh Tosh Merino Light:  Teddy Bear and Molly Ringwald

Best Knitted Accesssory:  2015 is the year I knit my first pair of socks so I must choose my Wildflower Socks knit in Sweet Fiber Yarns Super Sweet Sock. I followed Susan B. Anderson's How I Knit My Socks, a great basic pattern for newbies like me.  I have to say I surprised myself by how much I enjoyed knitting them.   But to me, the best part of sock knitting is wearing the socks.   They are so much better than store bought ones.  I definitely see more knitted socks in my future.

Sweet Fiber Yarns Super Sweet Sock:  Wildflowers

Best Yarn Brand:  My choice from last year was Canada's own Melissa Thomson of Sweet Fiber Yarns.  Her eye for colour is beautiful. But if I had to pick a new yarn brand for this year I would have to choose Woolfolk yarn. I had the opportunity to knit the pattern Pure Worsted with Woolfolk Far that I purchased at Purl Soho in New York.  It is a 100% merino with a chainette construction having a micron count of 17.5 (instead of the usual 35 which most wool products have).  I can't say enough good things about this yarn.  It is so soft that knitting and wearing an item knit in this yarn is pure bliss.

Best Yarn Colour:  This year I have continued becoming more passionate about photographing yarn and I have hundreds of photos to prove it.  There are so many gorgeous colourways available.   However, I would say that my favourite colourway of the year would be Monarch in Sweet Fiber Yarns Super Sweet Sock.  This yarn was part of Sweet Fiber's 2015 Sock Club and this is a skein that needs to be admired for a while before being knitted with.

Yarn That Surprised Me:  I tried Plucky Knitter Scholar for the first time this year, not knowing what to expect.  When you buy yarn online, without seeing it in person, it is always a risk.  However, I was not disappointed.  This worsted weight yarn is a 25% cashmere 75% wool blend.  I chose to knit Mailin by Isabell Kraemer with it.  This yarn gives you the perfect level of warmth but is not overly heavy or scratchy in the slightest.  I would love to knit a cardigan out of it but I will have to wait for the Canadian dollar to bounce back.

Mailin by Isabell Kraemer

Best Lookbook:  Although Brooklyn Tweed is still my favourite I think this year I would choose the Plucky Knitter Fall Collection Lookbook.  The Plucky Knitter has continued to make great strides this year to provide beautiful, highly wearable patterns and their lookbook shares their fun attitude toward knitting.  The use of bright colours and beautiful scenery in the Lookbook makes you want to knit every pattern that is in it.

Best Knitting Book:  I bought several knitting books this year but the one that stands out is Home and Away:  Knits for Everyday Adventures by Hannah Fettig. Often I buy knitting books that are beautiful to look at but only contain one or two patterns that I would ever knit.  However, I would love to knit each item in this book.  Another great feature of the book is that each pattern consists of directions for knitting a seamed or non-seamed sweater, depending on your preference.

Best Knitting Blog:   My choice is, without a doubt Fringe Association written by Karen Templer of Fringe Supply Co. If you haven't read this blog yet I can't recommend it enough.  Karen writes about knitting and sewing in an unique way.  For example, this year she hosted a Fringe and Friends Knitalong where she chose a sweater to knit and invited famous knitwear designers to knit the same sweater, and share their modifications and experiences.  It's a great way to learn about ways to modify and the reasons to do so.  She also has a year long hat knitalong and offered free hat patterns to knit.  I always learn a lot from this blog and the content is so varied, it is never boring.

Best Knitting Vlog/Podcast:  I enjoyed knitting while listening to podcasts as well as watching video blogs (vlogs) this year.  The one I found the most entertaining is Along the Lanes by Vero (thatcanadiangirl on Ravelry).
Born in Ottawa, Canada, Vero now resides in the United Kingdom. Although Vero only began her vlog this year her enthusiasm and expertise are evident. The vlog really stand out as being unique, creative and fun to watch, you never know what to expect.  For example, in one episode she takes the viewers along with her on a London yarn crawl.  It's a ton of fun...you should really check her out.

Most Helpful Video:  A great crafting website that I turn to for help is Craftsy. The variety and level of expertise offered through this website is impressive. The Craftsy video that I have turned to the most this year is Essential Techniques Every Knitter Should Know by Sally Melville.  Even the most experienced knitter will get tips from this Craftsy class. The best part is you can return to it again and again.

Best Knitting Accessory:  I am smitten with these lovely screen printed bags created by Jenna Rose, an artisan from Ontario, Canada.  They are just so pretty and unique.

So there you have my round up of my 2015 favourites.  Thanks so much to everyone who took the time to read and comment on my blog this year.  It really means the world to me.  The knitting and yarn world is an exciting one to be a part of.  I look forward to knitting along with everyone in 2016. Happy New Year and all the best in the coming year! Thanks for stopping by.

Jenna Rose: Printed Textiles

I have lots of things on the needles but sadly no finished objects to show you this week.  I am currently knitting quite a few projects at the same time, and since I am splitting my time up between these projects, nothing seems to be getting finished quickly.  But I love the variety!

In the meantime I thought I would share with you some new things that I have received.

First up is this beautiful bag I ordered from Jenna Rose, as a Christmas present to me from my husband.  I have one other printed textile bag from this Etsy shop and I just love it.  I think this is the perfect size to fit a number of my ongoing projects instead of having them laying around everywhere.  I convinced my husband to let me take a few photos with the leaves to show you all, and now it is put away until Christmas.  He is such an agreeable man.  :) 

And then I couldn't resist this cute one from Jenna Rose as well.  This bag is the perfect size to store my sock knitting and it fits easily in my purse.  Each bag Jenna Rose makes is so unique and it makes me feel so good to support Canadian crafters.

Front view

Back view

Today I received my final installment from the Sweet Fiber Yarn Sock Club. This skein is called Monarch and consists of a deep chocolate brown colour with a mix of orange, gold and grey. Once again Melissa Thomson has created a beautiful colourway.  I think this skein will become a shawl.  I am looking forward to seeing what patterns/yarn kits Melissa comes out with this month as she has hinted that something new is going to be announced very shortly.  So stay tuned to her website.

Sweet Fiber Yarn Super Sweet Sock

Lastly there is this lovely autumnal yarn that showed up in the mail.  Sweet Fiber Yarns Cashmere DK in Spiced Pumpkin.  It is as soft as you would imagine.  I haven't settled on a pattern yet but I can hardly wait to get knitting with it.

Other news:

Have you checked out Hue Loco's new podcast?  The podcaster, Nicole Clark, lives in Colorado, and despite having young children and homeschooling them, she has time to sew project bags, dye yarn and knit. What really caught my interest is that she just released a video on how to sew a Christmas bag. Not only does she provide the how to on the video, she also has a pdf file you can download with the pattern.  I have decided to challenge myself and try to sew a few bags. With the help of Hue Loco's detailed video I am sure I can manage it. Now I just have to locate a sewing machine.  She has also suggested that she will be coming out with a few how-to video on dying yarn, which I am also looking forward to viewing.

I don't ever talk about apps but I have to say I am loving this free Apple app called Bitmoji Keyboard. In this app you create an image for yourself and then it creates a variety of emotions/sayings designed using your character. The great thing is you can email, message, tweet, etc. these sayings.  I can't tell you how many laughs I have got from it. Now we just have to get the designers of the program to create an expression for knitters.  I probably am the last person to know about this app but if you haven't checked it out have a look.  I think you will enjoy it.  To add to the fun they also have lots of designer outfits to chose from.  Here are just a few of my favourites:

I hope you all enjoy your week and get in a good amount of crafting time.  Take care!