Nicky Epstein... Snail Mail brought at last !

It's finally arrived(ordered 19th April so took 2 weeks, not too bad)... This book is just beautiful from cover to cover with just stunning photography and designs including snipets of information about what inspired Nicky to design a particular piece. A wonderful coffee table book that I keep picking up and flicking thru again and again. There are too many projects that I really just want to make, but realistically very few that I will ever get completed but will probably attempt, along with my own adaptions, making them easier and less time consuming.
This is my first Nicky Epstein book but I'm looking to add to the collection.

Entrelac...Nicky Epstein

Yesterday I couldn't help myself and just had to buy 'On Top of the World' by Nicky Epstein from Amazon... a real bargain for £9.99 and free p&p. It'll take a good couple of weeks to get to me but I'm so looking forward to it.

I just love the projects and can't wait to get on with something a little different again from what I used to make. One of them is an entrelac number. I've mastered the entrelac skill when I made a little set for a baby about a year ago. This was in my previous life of a reborn and baby knitter, which I still do but not for profit due to the constrictions of being out here. I think I'm just about ready to endeavour on a new project involving entrelac as I found it pretty time consuming (tidying the ends up at the end of the item is a real pain !). Any way here's Nicky's and then mine:Might take a little longer than my set did.
If you're new to entrelac I'd suggest a small, simple project. Here's a link to a pretty comprehensive guide to entrelac by the blogger 'KnittyOtter'. I apologise for not using my pics but I didn't bring them all out with me ie., store on another computer in the UK !Here's the link:"http://knittyotter.typepad.com/otterknits/2007/03/entrelac_scarf_.html"
Here's another link to a basic handout on entrelac by Carol Wyche: "http://www.io.com/~cjwyche/Entrelac/Entrelac.html"

This one's just another I'm itching to get on with... saw it in a magazine ('Knitting') and been after it ever since.

Bags & Izzy's Knit & Natter Group

Have been going through some of my old stuff to get some ideas of some projects to make that aren't too big and found some of my old bags which I knitted about 2 years ago at the 'knit & natter' group I started with a friend. Irene one of the ladies with a wealth of knowledge was the pattern designer and she designed this very simple bag for the group to knit for the school's craft fayre. We made bags, scarves, socks, dolls clothes .. oodles of stuff. I really miss the group and will visit on my next quick trip back to the UK to see them all and what they've been up to. Even to get the update on Ally Pally which I'm sooo envious about not being about to get to.

Penny the 'lollipop lady' became the master bag knitter and churned out the most beautiful bags and scarves. She is a perfectionist and even though no one else would see a mistake she'd unravel and wouldn't be happy until she got 110%... oh how we all ribbed her ! hehehe 'ribbed' !

Ok here's the very basic instructions Irene gave for the bags but you might need to do a bit of your own thing to it as we did in the group to make it your own. Penny's were made with doubled up yarn (using 3 strands) and I used 2 strands through out and just a dk for the top edge. I'll try to find a pic of Penny's later.

Basically its just cast on 26, knit 11 rows, inc 1 st at each end on next and following 3rd row.
Knit a further 30 rows then dec 1 st at each end on next and following 3rd row.
Then knit 11 more rows straight.
Cast off.
Sew up then do a round of sc/dc around the top and a further 5 rows of sc/dc.
Line the bag with a colourful lining and stick a pin or button on as a fastener. For the handles just ch 3 and sc/dc as many rows as you want, then sew into place. That's the basic pattern but make any changes you want to get your own look.

If you live in the Portsmouth area the girls would love to see you. I'm not sure how much it is now (approx £2.50) but you get drinks, biscuits (usually Penguins) and use of the pattern library and the expertise of the ladies in the group. They meet on a Friday afternoon (school term time only) and are called 'Isambard Brunel Knit & Natter' in the North End area. Just email me for more details.
POSTSCRIPT:

Just found this little bag on Garnstudio which looks pretty interesting.

Its warming up ... and I have fingerless mittens !

Ok, its certainly warming up here in Saudi but I still have the urge to knit socks AND now fingerless mittens and sat by the pool yesterday finishing these beautiful soft alpaca mittens. I then (after my swimming exercises) ran onto the craft group which runs on a Tuesday, to show the girls...now they've all been pretty unimpressed with the progress of the sock knitting until they are finished and now were suitably impressed with the mittens. I think we finally have a group becoming interested in knitting something. Dishcloths were another interest shown which I can quite happily deal with as I use to make my own back in the UK and also made a couple out here too but there's more interesting things to make. Maybe in a few weeks (months more like) I'll be posting pics of the groups projects, maybe I'll do that anyway cos they're all making something, from quilting, painting, oh all sorts of things so I will definitely be taking my camera along next week.

Am at a bit of a sticking point right now as not sure what to make next as there are so many projects I want to get started on.. the only problem being obtaining the yarns I want. So going to have to sit down and make a list and buy on line and wait for 2-3 weeks for the delivery. I had started making a top for myself (also at the pool) yesterday but ripped it out in the end when I realised I was never going to fit into it ! One Size ... yeah alright ... but its not my size. Need to get some ideas on what to make with 2 balls of (50gx2) Omaghi Filati Capri ribbon yarn. Any ideas ?

Ok... stuff for what to make... then its another pair of socks !

Pattern and yarn from Alpaca Select, Fabiola Mittens.