We have our family Christmas on Christmas Eve, starting around 3 pm, so yesterday I was up at 6:30 am, baking a pumpkin pie and finishing Bamboozelle.
The pattern leaves attaching the i-cord until the very end. I decided that it would be a lot easier to attach the i-cord first, so the sewing would be hidden by the lining. If I’d really been thinking, I probably just would have knit attached i-cord around the top lip of the basket and saved myself some sewing. Then I started on the part I was really dreading – the internal structure. I’d picked up some buckram to use for this part.
I initially tried connecting the pieces with tape, as suggested in the pattern. It looked pretty good…
but made this weird crinkling noise that bothered me. So I stitched the corners together. (Let’s just note here that I have extremely rudimentary sewing skills. It would be swell if y’all skipped mocking me on the next bit.).
Bonus – no blood was drawn during the finishing. Some days, I guess that’s all a girl can ask. For all my moaning about this project, I’m mightily tempted to knit Bamboozelle Leatherette for myself – especially since it requires no internal structure or lining. I do love that woven basket stitch… Back to our family Christmas. My stepmom liked Bamboozelle, my sister-in-law liked the tabbycat mittens, and they both liked the wine charms, so all was well. Whew!!!
I got several great knitting gifts. The first was a copy of Alterknits. Although I may never knit a screen door (one of the projects), it’s a beautifully photographed book that doesn’t cover the same territory as most knitting books, so it works for me. And I suppose I’d better just ‘fess up before Jeanne outs me… I’m helpless in the face of a nifty new knitting book. I have a startling number of knitting books for someone who has only been knitting for five years (um, does it help that only 1/2 the top shelf is knitting related?!):
Alterknits is fun, I got it out of the library… some of the patterns are wrong, though, so be sure to check out the website for corrections *before* starting out a particular project!
A lot of the other half of your top shelf looks awfully familiar (sidelong glance at own bookshelf). Hee!
Today I got “Folk Hats” and a subscription to Knitter’s – it’s nice to have a mom who’s willing to feed my habit. Maybe because I gift her with nice wooly things? She got a Clapotis for her birthday – I wonder what she’ll want next. I think she did mention that she liked a couple of those hats…
Happy Holidays!
~Eileen
You’d think I had the pattern memorized by now. So why did I keep messing it up! Knitting through family gatherings on a pattern that requires counting is obviously beyond my abilities!
I have been knitting 5 years too. Same name, same knit history. Now if you tell me your birthday is Jan 9th I will just faint! And my knitting anniversary is Nov 28th, do you remember yours?
Sounds like a great Christmas! I also found Alterknits really intriguing once I had a chance to sit down and look through it – I love the bags cut out of recycled sweaters, although I fear that my sewing skills are way more rudimentary than yours. I also have this hopeless addiction to acquiring knitting books. They go out of print with shocking regularity, so you’ve got to get them now, right?
Oh, and my last Christmas gifts aren’t due until Friday – plenty of time, right?
P.S. Reading anything interesting right now? I had great luck knitting nad reading with a sizable paperback propped up with a pillow last night (Life and Death in Shanghai by Nien Cheng – captivating). What’s that thing you use to prop up your books?
Happy Holidays! Ok..I may need some of that creamy satin you have left over. I was waiting to see how yours came out before actually attempting it myself 🙂 Is it crazy that I’m actually thinking about buying the Alchemy Bamboo? If I get the job, it will be my “congrats” present for “getting” the job 😀 Wish me luck!
Thanks for the tip on the errata, Eileen!
Chris – Nope, my birthday’s in November (not the 28th, either!). I don’t remember my exact knitting anniversary – just that it’s near the end of October. It’d be scary if it was all the same, wouldn’t it?
Theresa – Oh yeah, you have plenty of time. Heck, you should probably start a few new projects this week to keep things really interesting. 😉
The bookstand I use is called a ReadUpon, but their website isn’t working so I don’t think it will be easy to get one right now… There’s another kind called a Peeramid, but I’m not sure how well that one works…
Um, I’m working my way through the Eve Dallas mysteries by J.D. Robb (aka Nora Roberts) and enjoying them mightily. Total brain candy. 🙂
Luck to you, Ana!! 🙂
Ooooh, other people’s bookshelves!
I mean, happy Christmas and a Chaotic new Year!
Wow, that’s a lot of knitting books!
Happy Holidays! 🙂
Heh – I’m sure we’ll have a Chaotic New Year. 🙂
good for you on the knitting book library! i’m a firm believer in books 🙂 besides, what if one was ‘out of print’? and that’s just the one you needed ?! they’re a perpetual source of reference and inspiration.
Your bamboozle turned out great! Thanks for the pointers. I haven’t started mine yet so it should be very useful once I get going. 😀