Knitting Burn Out (or Yes, I can sew)

I've been feeling a little burnt out with knitting lately. I am sure that I will be over it soon. Especially since I just started Minnowknits Sugar n' Spice out of Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino for a store model.

However, since I have been feeling burnt out I thought I would put my mind towards making myself a new knitting bag. The one that I have been using was my first attempt at felting and it didn't work too well. It is handspun and it really didn't want to felt. Also, I don't like it because needles poke out of it and I occassionally loose things. So I decided to see if I could sew a new one myself. This is the bag I made:


I like it a lot. I made wide handles that will sit comfortably on my shoulders and a bottom that will sit flat (though you can't see that in the picture). The outside is a slubbed silk that looks more purple in some lights and more silver in others. It is simply gorgeous. The unfortunate part is that knitting needles go right through silk, even two or three layers of it.


So, I came up with a solution. I bought some light weight denim awhile back to recover my outdoor chairs. It is a really nice light weight and a pretty lavender color (my favorite) and best of all no knitting needles can get through it! It is sooo cool. So I lined the inside with denim. Actually, thanks to my mom (the sewing wonder), I made the bag so that it is completely reversable. She told me how to do it and I went from there. Part of me really wanted to make this bag to show my mom that I could sew, because she is so awesome at it.


I also added pockets to each side of the bag on the inside. The pockets looked so plain I decided to screen my dancing sheep on them, in purple of course. The screen is left over from my college days, where I first drew my logo. I feel like it makes it that much more personal and they are hiding on the inside, like a secret or an inside joke =)


Last, but not least, I added a flap so that it can be buttoned down and closed at the top. This is one of my favorite buttons. I was saving it for another art deco bag, but I figure that I can always buy another one later. It made the perfect finish to my bag.

I am so happy because I now have a perfect bag for all my knitting needs. Also, I am quite proud of myself that I thought it through and managed to make it all myself. I am going to work with my mom for my KSKS bag, because she is a sewing genius and it would be nice to do a project with her. She used to make wedding dresses from the sketch up when my brothers and I were little and still in peanut butter and jelly phase. Talk about nerves of steel =)

PS. I have been meaning to mention this for awhile: Krafty1 knit up some really awesome socks out of my Americana Yarn. Go and check them out because I think they rock!