Christmas in July

While it is true that I can rant with great negativity about retail outlets already touting the season of the Turkey, I have no negative comments about yarn-a-holics busily working on seasonal gifts months ahead.  After all, loving hands need time to create.

This is my current quick crochet project.   It is a simple beverage bag made in a nice washable acrylic with a thread of sparkle twisted about the string.  Two are completed and I have the yarn for two more.  

These will either be used individually as gift bags during the holidays.  Or, and this is my inclination,  the set of four will be used as presentation covers for a wine tasting party.  So much more festive than a paper bag with a big number scribbled on it, don't you think?

Wet and Wooly

Think ahead. Knit or crochet fast - as in maybe a mistake or two and then felt, felt felt. It is so easy to whip up a rectangle that is too big to be useful and then felt it to fit your favorite bottle. I’ve made a slew of these in a color way that will make any UCR friend happy.

It does seem that for stripes to felt and still have color “pop”, it takes at least two rows of knit or a good double crochet. My current no thinking pattern is to produce a nice rectangle measuring approximately 15 - 16 inches wide and about 12 inches tall. Then use a good single crochet to seam the cast on edge to the bind off edge and close up a bottom. Of course if you crochet the whole thing, sew the beginning chain to the last row. This is done so that stripes run vertically on the finished wooly sack. I even like the little feet that you see in the photo above.

Don’t like the feet? Then fold up (or to the inside ala fake gusset) and stitch down.

Guess I got to feeling a bit cocky. Fast knit, fast felt, fast dry was not good enough for me. I could do better - more fancy. Turn the whole thing on its side and look at it differently. You should have seen the Birthday girl’s face when she opened this purse and found a quite special bottle of Merlot. OH, Wow! This brown one is knit like a clutch purse in the style where you bind off the center stitches on one row and then cast back on on the next row. This results in a “self handle.” I did make contrasting side gussets that were only about 1.5 inches wide prior to felting. The whole thing is even lined with a fabric to match the gusset merino and closes with a zipper! Felted i-cord can make any design you want to add on and VOILA! Gift wrap to equal the gift inside.