Lined Drawstring Bags

I'm enjoying sewing fabric drawstring bags for my granddaughters.  These are quick and easy to make.  I used Jeni Baker's Tutorial from her blog, "In Color Order." 

These are fully-lined bags, and you could add a pocket or two if you'd like.  The pattern would make really nice knitting bags. 

Wisconsin Sheep and Wool Festival 2017

This year was the 16th Annual Wisconsin Sheep and Wool Festival, and it was as wonderful as always.  There's something for everyone who loves fiber arts, fiber animals, and fiber:  lots of classes, vendors, competitions, sheepdog trials, sheep, and more.

The festival is held at the Jefferson fairgrounds, and the weather was perfect this year.  Before the festival, we stopped in at Bon Ton Bakery for donuts.  Bon Ton is celebrating their 100th year in business.  Jefferson is surrounded by other small towns where you can find lots of nice shops and restaurants.  The town gets into the spirit with yarn displays around lots of trees in the center of town.

A display of old time tractors is featured near the entrance to the festival.

I took a Celtic Cables class from Melissa Leapman, a well-known New York designer and author.  We focused on knitting cables that can be inserted anywhere in a garment, so they weren't like a typical vertical cable.  Melissa wore a beautiful sweater she made which featured a Celtic Cable on the back.

                                                         Melissa's Celtic Cable Sweater

We learned to increase a lot at the base of the cable and to decrease back down to 1 stitch at the top of the cable.  So, we increased from 1 stitch to 7 stitches for the cable.  This ensures that the cable won't pull in so the garment will be the correct width.  We worked on 2 samples in class, and I finished the 3rd large cable motif at home.  I learned so much about reading a cable chart also.
 

                                          Samples 1 and 2 at the lower edge; sample 3 on top

                                                                Sample 3 Finished
I also really enjoyed Nancy Shroyer's band weaving class using a rigid heddle.  Nancy brought a beautiful paddle loom (knee loom) to show us made by Jonathan Seidel.  Paddle looms were commonly used in Colonial America.  She also brought an antique rigid heddle.

                                                                      Paddle Loom

                                                                 Antique Rigid Heddle

We worked on a simple plain band and a pick-up band.  The rigid heddle is from Schacht and is like the segments of their variable heddle.  It has 8 slots/holes per inch.

                                                                       Plain Band

                                                                       Pick-up Band

And of course, there were lots and lots of sheep. 

Unfortunately there weren't any lambs born at the festival this year.  Most years, there are lots of newborn lambs.  But, there was a month-old Shetland lamb.

The Sheep Shearer, David, was busy shearing lots of sheep during the festival and explaining his method of shearing to the crowd.

The festival is put on by over 100 volunteers, and they did a great job.  It's a wonderful festival.

Guild Program: Stitch Markers!

Stitch markers are fun and easy to make.  We'll be working on stitch markers for our Sept. program at our fiberarts guild.  We'll make beaded stitch markers and add small charms, and we'll also make some stitch markers with letter beads.

                                                          My Stitch Markers

If you make stitch markers, you'll need chain nose pliers, round nose pliers, and flush wire cutters to cut the wire or head pins.  I also have a pliers to open split rings, which makes it so easy to open them.  When I use jewelry wire for stitch markers, I use size 20 gauge wire from Michael's.  If I use head pins, I use 3" head pins because the longer length makes it easier to make a wire-wrapped loop.

I bought the crystal and silver beads and charms at Michael's for the beaded stitch markers.   I used 20 gauge wire and made a small loop at one end of the wire and attached the charm using the jump ring.  I made a wire-wrapped loop at the top and added a split ring.  You can use various size split rings depending on the size of your knitting needles, but I used size 9 mm split rings. 

                                                 Crystal Beads and Charms Stitch Markers

You can use wire or head pins to make the letter stitch markers.  I used a size 6 seed bead before and after the letters to add some color, and it also makes sure the letters won't slip off a head pin. 

                                                              Letter Stitch Markers

Stitch markers can sometimes get accidentally knitted into your project.  To keep this from happening, always have the stitch marker facing the side you are knitting.  Then they will be much less likely to get caught into your stitch.  This will be a fun guild program!