Thursday, May 26, 2005

And now, for your viewing pleasure, I present......

Yep. I did it. I made a Sophie. Wait, that sounds too close to "I made a doodie!" So, I knit up a Sophie bag. My mind is way too twisted to post anything seriously today. Everything I type just sounds so....dirty in my head. But we shall forge ahead (snickersnort) my little stalkees.

I'm rather proud of my Sophie for several reasons. It's my first knitting project on my Denise circulars. It's the first time I've had to pick up stitches in knitting. It's my first finished project made with wool yarn. It's the first time I've done serious color changes where a mistake would be oh-so-visible and it was my first time felting, ever. So see? It was a milestone project. I'm still not seeing fair isle or socks in my future. It's just not gonna happen. Sock knitting looks like a Chinese torture device while it's in progress. And I don't have to worry about any of you trying to ensnare me into knitting socks because none of you know my address to send me hand knit socks and suck me in. HAH! I'm safe. Besides, who would I knit socks for?? My feet are square. They are as wide as they are long and it would take too much pattern changing to make a pair. There's not a chance in hell that I will knit socks for the hubby. He wears a size 17 shoe. It would take 3 skeins of yarn to make one pair. Not happening.

Knitting Sophie up wasn't so bad. It gave me a better grasp of decreasing and it went really quick. I knit all of the heather green section and 2 rows of the amethyst in about 4 hours of Songburst. Rather quick for me. I also discovered that to get from my house to work with T driving, is one cigarette and a row of Sophie away. Now, felting the bag was nerve wracking. It took everything I had not to call information for the number of a certain Blog Mistress and say "Hi this is Stalker Angie and I am felting Sophie and will you hold my hand please???" So Sophie went into the washer with hot water and a pair of jeans. And there was some hovering involved. I didn't leave the washer throughout the entire process. Each time I would pull it out and think "Is it enough? How small should it be? Is it supposed to look like an amoeba on crack??" After only 4 cycles in the washing machine, Sophie was felted. Then she was blocked and dried which took another 24 hours. T did the grommets because I was sucking ass at grommetting (is that a word?) and couldn't get the little buggers to stay together. So without further ado...here she is. Ms. Sophie v1.0. Click on picture for bigger view as usual.


Do the Sophie! Do dodo dodo dodo do dooo.... Posted by Hello

She was knit with double strands of Cascade 220, on size 10 Denise circulars. The handles are from Kim, of course, over at Gibson Girl Designs. She does beautiful work over there. Sophie was presented to my MIL for Mother's Day and she was well received. I know there's another Sophie Bag in my future because I want to make one for T's sister for Christmas. Right now I'm in a rut with no project started. I have yarn block or something. I have the yarn and the needles. I guess I just need the right project and no, it won't be socks. What I think I want to do is make a shawl. One of the kind you can wrap around your shoulders or tie around the waist that looks more like netting than anything else. And I want it fringed for that cute swing. And it has to be knit (Stop laughing at me, Ms. Ryan) because the yarn will NOT lend itself to crochet. I have tried. Anyone know of a pattern I can use? I just want something very open. *Sigh* I'll find what I want at some point.

Hope everyone has a great day!!

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

The purse looks wonderful but I'm thinkin': a purse, your first knitting project on your Denise circulars, the first time you've picked up stitches, your first finished project made with wool yarn, the first time you've done serious color changes, and your first time felting--sounds like we have successfully sucked you into the world of knitting and that your undying commitment to the world of crocheting is, well, a thing of the past... ;-)

Stalker Angie said...

Pffft. Dream on Stalkee Ryan. I shall defend crochet to the bitter end. I'll have you know I just bought 6 gorgeous crochet patterns for shawls and ponchos. A thing of the past, indeed. Now, I may consider myself a knitter at times, but I will still enjoy crochet and give each hobby an equal amount of time. So, umm...there. And stuff. And gloating isn't pretty. :P

mira said...

Sophie is just beautiful. Dang, now I need to make one. *sigh* adding to the endless list.

And I LOVE the handle, thanks so much for the link, gor-gee-us.

erin said...

I'm actually quite jealous of your mad crochet skills. I have been crocheting since childhood. I CANNOT follow a crochet pattern.

Stalker Angie said...

Mira - Thanks! It really was a lot of fun to do. And yes, I recommend it because even for a crocheter, it's a nice easy pattern, well written and it's very calming going around and around and around...

Erin/Pinkerbell (that cracks me up)- What say we meet halfway somewhere and I'll show you how to follow a crochet pattern and you can help me decipher knitting petterns. Glee!

Anonymous said...

The Sophie is great! I have the pattern and have been contemplating it, when I finish one of the other gazillion projects I'm doing. Love the handles.

Anonymous said...

Your Sophie looks FABULOUS!! A non knitter, eh? I think we've got you my pretty.

Can I tell you how special I feel to be stalked? By STALKER ANGIE!! I mean you're famous. And you write comments to little old me.

I started out crocheting, but once I started knitting....crochet? What's that? Between Ryan & me if you ever make it to Seattle you'll be clobbered with knittingness.

Anonymous said...

Both you and Grommet-Man did a great job! That Spphie is so cool...

Someday, some way, somebody's gonna getcha with a pair of socks. It's true. You just don't know it's true. Knitting stretches...so even us chicks with Barney Rubble feet can knit socks...

And it is entirely your fault that I have "The Hustle" permanently burned in my brain this afternoon... ;-))

Anonymous said...

I meant SOPHIE. Jaysus. It's gorgeous and I can't type ;-)