Here I sit trying to frantically finish up Mother's Day gifts so that I can mail them this week to arrive all the way back to the East coast in time...
While my MIL was here visiting I wanted to work on a project that didn't require my concentration, something I could do while talking at the same time. For me that meant some simple knitting. I looked over my mini stash and my '2010 Need to Knit List' and chose to knit C's Trick or Treat bag using this pattern.
The pattern is knit with big needles and three strands of worsted weight yarn and when it is finished you felt it. When I say big needles I mean BIG needles. I have never knitted with such gigantic needles before, they are seriously as fat as my fingers. It took a bit for me to get used to them.
But by the end of her visit I was just about done with the knitting portion, and it was looking cute. Big, but cute. I mean, look at how ginormous the bag looks hanging on C's doll high chair.
I felted it yesterday and luckily it shrank quite a bit. It should be a good size for C's little hands.
As you can see I still need to trim some strands and block it, though. I am having the hardest time trying to figure out how to block it because all of the pumpkin's sides want to cave in as I try to dry it. Any suggestions?
For the great outdoor challenge I thought I would share a few pics of my little monkey yesterday...
climbing upside down
making sure she has three limbs always touching (just like my dear friend Tiffeni taught her)
building more and more confidence all the way.
I hope you are all having a great week.
Happy creating!!
37 comments:
I'm guessing you won't have any, but if you do try some plastic bags wadded up inside. I would think even washcloths would work.
oh my goodness!! i couln't love that pumpkin more!!
*three limbs always touching*. that is great advice! thanks for sharing.
Oh! and the bag is super, super cute!
That is awesome! I love the colors.
She has such a sweet face, happy kids you have there.
I LOVE the pumpkin basket for trick-or-treating! So, so, sweet!
I know nothing about blocking or felting knitted items - I only just learned to knit last week! I think I understand that blocking is generally done on a board with pins. But for something three dimensional... couldn't you blow up a balloon inside of it to hold shape while it air dries?
That trick or treat bag is great! And I love the climbing pics, what a sweetie.
Oh my goodness, that pumpkin is perfect. I am a total novice at blocking, but are you stuffing it with a towel or something to keep its shape? Anyhow, great job!
For blocking, could you blow up a balloon inside, to hold the shape as it dries?
Plastic grocery bags are wonderful for helping with drying things just like this. Just crumple them up and stuff them in. And when you are done...you can still reuse them for something else too :).
And I am totally going to find that pattern...that is *darling*!
Love the 3 limbs touching. I'll have to remember that.
Peace friend,
H
Try stuffing it with wadded up grocery bags, plastic works better, if you have them, paper sometimes get soggy. The bag looks awesome, I think it's going on my must knit list, too!
Could you use a balloon to help block it? Other than that I'm not sure. It's completely adorable though! I'll have to check out that pattern. :)
That pumpkin is so cute!!!!!!!! You really need to open an etsy shop Nicole!
Oh Nicole, that pumpkin bag is just perfect! I love it!
That is so cute! What a great idea for a Halloween bag.
How about stuffing it with a towel to block it? It will probably make the drying time longer, but it would work.
Or, you could stuff it with a towel and put the whole thing in a pillow case (to hold everything i place), tie it up carefully and then put it in the dryer for a few minutes. I have put a lot of felt projects in the dryer and they always come out great.
I love the pumpkin bag! I love the transformation that occurs with felting. No suggestions for the blocking, however...
All the gifts and photos are beautiful. My favorite photo is the last one--- what a precious spark your girl has in her eyes! She looks like she would get along quite well with my monkey-tree-climbing boy, Kai.
Stuff the pumpkin with towels. That is what I do to my felts. It also helps to dry them faster to.
What a sweet tree climber! We have a wonderful grapefruit tree that would be perfect for climbing, but we have a staghorn fern right in the middle of it ( I hate that fern, it's ugly, smelly and takes up SO much room) and our landlord will not allow us to take it out.
Ack! I forgot about mother's day! (that is, in reference to mothers other than myself). I don't think you should block the pumpkin--it's perfect like it is; pumpkins are naturally lumpy and assymetrical. However, if you want to block it anyway, do you have a ball that would fit inside and fill up the space (or how about a balloon)?
fill the basket with balls?
It looks lovely!!
What a cutie, and that pumpkin bag is great.
I like that a lot! I'm thinking I might have to make some of those.
For blocking: stuff it tightly with plastic bags until it's the size/shape you want.
I love the trick or treat bag!
I looooove the pumpkin bag. It looks great even unblocked! Isn't felting fun?
Love the pictures of your girl climbing in the huge rhododendron. I'll have to remember the "three limbs always touching" rule. Her headband is great. Makes me want to knit one for myself :)
I love the pumpkin and the head band I'd like to make some of those for my grand daughter.
Holly
I love your daughter's headband. Do you have a knitting pattern for that? I would love to make my dd a few, she might actually keep something like that in her hair ;)
Oh, how I love that pumpkin! I think my queue just got a little longer ;-)
Hmmmmm .... I happen to have a fat little tea pot, would something like that would to mold/hold it while it dries? I'm sure you'll find the perfect solution.
Best Wishes! I always love seeing what you have in progress.
Neat treat bag! I was thinking about the balloon as well for the bag as others have mentioned.
And I love K's calorimetry! My daughter is currently wearing longies in the same colorway, isn't it lovely?
Cute, cute. Have to add that one to my list!
Oh, I am so in love with that pumpkin bag. It makes me want to learn knitting!
wow that is one cool pumpkin bag.
I didn't read all of the comments, so don't know if this has been suggested... but I made the :felted baby yoda hat: (on ravelry) and it suggested to make a solution of elmer's glue and water and dip the ears in it to make them stiffer - could try that, the glue didn't show, and you can wash it out if you want to...so, dip in the glue solution and then dry with the plastic bags inside. :)
The pumpkin bag is so cute, I can't believe how much it shrank.
Your little one reminds me of Fauna, she was in the trees climbing like a monkey at a young age too. Now Araina, on the other hand is just start to feel comfortable with it. She's a little less of a risk taker than her big sister.
lisa
So good to be in trees :)
xo
I was going to suggest a balloon, but I think towels would work too! I have GOT to knit these up for my three little ones. I never think of each holiday until it's a week away...like the idea of getting started on these NOW and having them ready for October!
Thank you so much everyone! I am trying towels right now for blocking it *fingers crossed*
The headband is the calorimetry pattern, I adjusted it to fit her head: http://www.ravelry.com/projects/FrontierDreams/calorimetry-2
I was too afraid as a child to climb trees (not any more though!) so it makes me so happy to see how fearless and at home K is in the trees. She is truly one with nature :)
Thanks again everyone!
XO
Your pumpkin is amazing! The felting worked so well. I've had a couple of felting disasters so I'm a bit mystified by it. Yours is perfection!!! The climbing pictures are awsome. The three limbs rule is a great one, I'll rmember it next time my little ones are playing on trees.
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