Finished Object Playful Messenger Purse

Yay for finishing something! I finished this purse about a week ago, but with the craziness of Thanksgiving we were seperated for a few days.



This purse is handknit (and a little crochet) with fun colors of wool yarn and then fulled to make the fabric sturdier and turn it into felt!
Here's a view of the inside and pocket.



This is the side.


This is my fancy strap. The strap is adjustable. I knit it a bit long so that it could be folded over to change the length. I made these adjusters out of wire and beads.



I will be selling this purse in my Etsy shop.
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=8137165

Soap Sock Pattern

My totally awesome soap sock pattern deserves to be out there for people to enjoy and make cute little soap socks!

I had some small bits of cotton yarn sitting around and I wanted a pattern that I could use those. This pattern is perfect for that. Even if you don’t have enough of one color for the body of the sock, you can easily make it have stripes.

This is a great project to learn how to make socks or a new sock technique, like magic loop. You don’t even have to make a second one if don’t want to so no worries about second sock syndrome.

Soapy is great for small pieces of handmade soap. It’s a washcloth that you put the soap into, and now its not so slippery.

SIZE
holds a 2.5 by 1 by 1 inch piece of soap

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS

Bottom of sock: 3 inchesHeal to top: 2.5 inches

MATERIALS
MC (green) and CC (light yellow) Sugar and Cream (cotton; 70.9g/2.5 oz per skein) or a cotton yarn of similar weight

1 #4 US circular needle of a long length

The finished soap sock is 13 grams

notions required
tapestry needles

GAUGE
19 sts/33 rows = 4" in stockinette stitch
Soapy itself isn’t even 4 inches and unless you’re knitting this for a specific bar of soap, the gauge doesn’t have to be exact.

This sock is knit toe up on one circular needle.

PATTERN

CO 8 sts using magic cast on (4 sts on each needle)

If you don't know how to do the magic cast on, check it out here:
http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEspring06/FEATmagiccaston.html

K around
K1, M1, K2, M1,K1 – Repeat on second needle
K around
K1, M1, K1, M1, K2, M1, K1, M1, K1 - Repeat on second needle (20 st so far)
K around
K1, M1, K1, M1, K6, M1, K1, M1, K1 - Repeat on second needle (28 st)
K two rows

Switch to MC
Work 12 rounds
Switch to CC

Short row heel

K across bottom of sock until 1 st remaining
turn and bring yarn to back, purl (This makes a YO or extra loop)
P normally until 1 st remaining on needle
turn and bring yarn to front, K1 making the YO
K across row until just before the ST with YO
turn, yarn to back and P, then P across row until just before the ST with YO

Continue making the shorter rows until 4 st remain in the middle
K4, K the next ST, turn the YO ST around so it faces the right way, K2TOG
turn, yarn to back and P like before across the row until the YO
P2tog through the back loop
turn, yarn to front, K across, now there are 2 YO’s, turn them around and K3TOG
turn, yarn to back, P across, P3TOG through the back loop

Continue until all the short row have been worked ending in a P3TOG

Switch to MC

Yarn to front, K across row, K2TOG (the YO and the 1st ST on the waiting needle)

K2, P, K3, P,K3, P, K2, K2TOG (last ST on the needle and the YO)
P, K3, P, K3, P, K3, P, K1

Continue the K3, P1 rib for 8 rows
K2, YO, K2TOG repeat 4 times
K1, YO, K2TOG repeat 4 times (8 YO’s total)

K 1 row
bind off

FINISHING

weave in ends

Make a braid about 14 inches long and thread it through the YO holes

Tie a knot at the ends of the braid.

by: Melissa at RainyDayArt

© 2007 RainyDayArt. All rights reserved. This pattern may not be sold, or posted to any website, or copied, without the written consent of the copyright owner. You may use it for your personal use and you may print it for your personal use.

Etsy Fast Truck Show Contest

Etsy Fast is having a contest to go along with the trunk show in New York. Check out the contest here http://etsyfast.blogspot.com/2007/11/find-flyer-etsyfast-trunk-show-contest.html

Search through the shops listed to find the flyers hidden in the listings. The prizes are a knitting bag, a scarf, and spinning kit, and a goody bag from Etsy Fast sellers.

Etsy Wish List

Did you know that you can share your Etsy favorites? You can easily use it to share your holiday wish list.

Just log in to Etsy, browse around, and when you see something you want just click on the “Add Item to Favorites” link on the right side of the page.

You can then share your list with anyone who asks. You can give them your etsy username http://username.etsy.com. If you don't have a shop there will still be a link to go to your favorites. Or you can go to your favorites page and copy the link at the top of your browser and then email it to people who want to know what's on your list.

Be sure to keep your list up to date. As things sell, it will say "SOLD" in your favorites.
You can also ask your friends and family to make lists to make your shopping easier.

Have fun. :)

Reasons to Buy Handmade

CozyCat over at Etsy came up with these great reasons to buy handmade that I wanted to share.

1. Handmade products are unique. Do you really want the same scarf, mug, earrings, necklace or other item that 20,000 other people have? Of course not! Handmade items are always unique, even if they are the same type of product because they are not made by machines they are crafted by human beings so each piece will have its’ own unique characteristics.

2. Handmade items have personality. Life is not about being blah. Life is about expressing yourself and to do that your things need to have as much personality as you do. If you are happy with buying mass produced items that have no personality off a shelf at Wal Mart think about what that says about you. Don’t you want to express some personality?

3. Handmade items are special. When you get a gift don’t you feel a little bit more loved when someone gives you a handmade gift? Everyone loves getting handmade gifts or wearing something that was made just for them.

4. Handmade items last longer. Because they are made from high quality materials and handcrafted by trained artists items that are handmade last longer than low quality imported mass produced items.

5. Handmade goods are high quality. If you are a person who values the quality of an item more than the price then you already know that handmade items are far superior to mass produced items. While a mass produced item may be cheaper initially is it really cheaper when the item needs to be replaced a month later? When quality matters, go handmade!

6. Handmade items are not made by children in sweatshops in Third World countries making 10 cents a day. Experienced and trained craftspeople make each handmade item. So while you might pay a few dollars more for a handmade item it’s because you are paying for quality, experience, talent, and craftsmanship. Isn’t that worth paying for?

7. When you buy handmade you are supporting traditional arts and crafts techniques that have passed down through generations. In today’s high tech world the old arts and crafts traditions are being replaced by mass production but when you buy handmade you are saying that you prefer your items to be high quality pieces of art instead of mass produced trinkets.

8. When you buy handmade you are supporting local and small businesses. By paying artists and craftspeople for their goods you are supporting them and all the businesses that they do business with. If you are a person who believes in supporting your community economically then buying from local artists is a great way to support your community and make sure that your money goes to support local businesses.

___________________________________________

I love to buy handmade. Many artists do custom work so you can get exactly what you're looking for. You know where your money is going, to support the artist.
Now I just need to sell some more so I can buy some more. :)