I'm back from my unintended blog break. Not sure what happened there. The end of the winter sports season took over, with swim meets and basketball games requiring me to drive all over the place. When the storm hit, I got stuck in a hotel with my daughter at a swim meet for two nights unexpectedly. We made the best of it by watching movies and eating take-out. The meet went on and she ended her season with a great time in the 200 IM.
I also took a break because I have been working on a baby blanket and the progress shots are like watching paint dry.
Then I got busy teaching a few workshops on how to make these little bags. This design is great for a workshop because you can almost finish the top of the bag in a two hour class. Then, the bottom is the same, just a little deeper, so the students have all the skills they need to finish on their own. The best part is how many techniques covered in such a small project: knitting in the round with circulars and doublepoints, colorwork, decreasing, picking up stitches, felting.
I never tire of watching students gain confidence with new skills. Most of these women lead busy lives with jobs and children so they have little time to devote to knitting. Some have a learning style that is best met in a classroom format. They will get stuck on something and wait to come to class to fix it and move on. Sometimes they even apologize for not knitting between classes. These busy women always make for lots of interesting discussion during class about what is going on in their lives outside of knitting!
My bags are stuffed with newpaper and still drying. These bags require "rigorous finishing" as it states in the pattern. They are lined with plastic needlepoint canvas for stiffness, then lined with fabric, a zipper is sewn in and then they are topped with a ribbon handle. I put all that out of my mind as I happily whipped up the bags.
I figured that the kids' sports, especially swimming, had you tied up!
I can't imagine how challenging it would have been for me to try to learn a new skill like knitting when my kids were really young. I learned a few years prior to my first child being born, so I was past the learning curve when they were little and demanding so much of my time and attention. That made it a lot easier for me to sneak in a couple of rows here and there. If I had been a very new knitter like some of your students, I wonder if I would have even stuck with it like they are doing. I am sure your excellent teaching and support helps motivate them to keep going, though.
Posted by: Suzanne | March 26, 2007 at 07:42 AM
The bags are very cute. I like the colors.
Posted by: Oiyi | March 26, 2007 at 08:43 AM
I would've knit in denial of all that sewing, too. Very cute project. Good luck with finishing them off!
Posted by: Kerstin | March 26, 2007 at 10:20 AM
Glad to see you post! Those are really cute bags and the perfect project for new knitters. Fun!
"These busy women always make for lots of interesting discussion during class about what is going on in their lives outside of knitting!"
WHAT??! You mean there is life outside of knitting (and blogging)? Shocking! ;)
Posted by: Annie | March 26, 2007 at 10:33 AM
You knit such interesting items - beautiful also. Thanks for sharing.
Posted by: Carol | March 26, 2007 at 11:38 AM
The bags are adorable! Like I need another project to start...
I know what you're saying about an unintended blog break - I think it's been since mid-February since I blogged. I'll get to it at some point - life just takes over sometimes!
Posted by: Marie | March 26, 2007 at 02:43 PM
So cute! I love the colors!
Posted by: Kim | March 26, 2007 at 05:20 PM