What's in Your Bag???

This week we're looking at knitted hand bags and taking a survey. Etsy knitters will be spotlighting hand bags and telling us what they always carry in their bags. We also have a poll running to determine what our readers believe is their most important item they carry in their bag. Please take a moment to join our poll to the right.

Starting things off, I'd like to spotlight 2 bags that are beautifully designed and can hold a lot of items:

The Felted Stained Glass Fan Bag by Knittingdream. Madeline of knittingdream designs and sells the knit patterns in her etsy shop. I have seen these bags in person, as I have the fabulous pleasure of knowing Madeline personally! I have also knit one myself as a Christmas present this past season as a gift for my Mom. Believe me when I say that these bags will hold a lot!! And, they are gorgeous!

One of my other personal favorites, and is on my list to try for myself is Tyger Lily's Wishbone Cable Handbag. This beautiful pattern designed by tygerlily is available for sale in her etsy shop as a downloadable PDF file as well. You can make one for yourself!

Now, empty your handbags and tell me how much stuff you carry in it!

Right now, mine is pretty much limited to a wallet that I carry my cash, cards, and business cards in. When I do carry a bag I've been using my Spinnin' Wheels Backpack. I love how much stuff I can fit in it! I carry my phone, wallet, sunglasses, notebook, digital camera, and my 'Wee Wallet' stuffed with business cards. The PDF is available in my shop for the backpack pattern.

What's in your bag?

Wedding White

The first color that comes to my mind when I think of a wedding is white. I suppose it is because the bride traditioanlly wears a white gown.

Though I detest the color white in my day-to-day routine - good luck finding it in my closet -, I wore white the day I was married eight years ago. Like most brides, I still have my gown tucked away in a box. One day I hope to have the courage and creativity to reuse the fabric.

The Etsy Knitters Team has no lack of creativity. Below are many hand knitted wedding accessories in a treasured white.

For more wedding accessories, please search Etsy with the tags "ido2008" and "EtsyKnitters Team".

Beaded Knitting??? Talk about beautiful!

Knitting with beads? Or knitted items with beading embellishment. Either way, it's all gorgeous!

This weeks theme- Knitting with Beads, led me to find some beautiful beaded wedding items from our great team members participating the I DO 2008 Wedding Challenge.

First is this gorgeous blue beaded garter from Knotty Stuff.

Hooked out of soft mohair & sparkly novelty yarn and trimmed in a sky blue cotton blend. It features a corded elastic woven into the top of the garter so it stays in place! Glass beads are crocheted into the flower centers. It's very dainty and Knotty Stuff accepts custom orders for other colors.








Continuing with wedding garters, here is a knitted garter with festive violet butterflies featuring freshwater pearls by Bubolina. Hand knit in cotton, Bubolina also offers this garter with blue butterflies, as the wedding 'something blue' item.







Perfect for a night out on the town, or I think even as a bag for the wedding night or honeymoon, this little bag by Hand Mades by Lori, is handknitted 100% cotton bag/purse is 9 cm or 3-1/2 inches square in stocking stitch and finished with lace and pearl beads. It has a little picot edging with a loop over a pearl bead to close.

Every bride needs to carry her essentials...






While these fun foot thongs are silver, they look perfect for a beach wedding! They are perfect for going barefoot while it looks like you're wearing flip flops.

Crocheted in metallic silver yarn by A Needle in the Haystack, they feature tourquoise beads around the ankle.


Let's see what the week holds for knitting with beads. Stay tuned for more fabulous features!

It's Not Easy Being Green

"It's not easy being green.
It seems you blend in with so many other ordinary things.
And people tend to pass you over 'cause you're not standing out like flashy sparkles in the water - or stars in the sky.

But green's the color of Spring.
And green can be cool and friendly-like.
And green can be big like an ocean, or important like a mountain, or tall like a tree."

an excerpt from Green by Kermit the Frog and Jim Henson

This song was the first thing I thought of when "Green" was announced as the theme of the week. I remember where I was when I first heard the song. We were living in Erie, Pennsylvania. I was still in elementary school. Kermit sang the song on TV while sitting in a canoe in the middle of a pond. The song fascinated me. I wanted to hear it over and over again. Many years went by and except for our trip to Disney World, I never heard the song again until last year. During one of my shopping sprees on High Street in Pottstown, I found an old LP titled The Sesame Street Book & Record. Not only did I buy the LP for myself right then and there, but I went on an extensive search to buy the very same record for my cousin.

Below is a small sampling of Etsy Knitter members using Kermit's trademark color.



Upper Left corner: A Walk in the Park Wrap by KnittingGuru
Upper Right corner: Green wool hand knit hat by JMillenLovesToKnit

Middle Left: Georgia Row Counter Braceletby JeanetteJed
Middle Right: Jasmine the Birdie by KoolKookyKreatures

Bottom Left Corner: Hand knit GREEN shrug wrap by PSBBdesigns
Bottom Right Corner: Eat Your Greens by StickyFingers

Green with envy

This week's theme, chosen by me, was inspired from all the greens that surround us here in the Redwood National Forest. Here in the Pacific Northwest we are green. BIG green trees, butterfly bushes and blackberries. Anything that grows in the forest is now green and bursting with activity. Take a walk outside and enjoy your 'green' day.

Here are a few of my green picks for this week.



Made by Clarissa68









Made by Fernwood Woolworks



Made by handmadesbylorri



Made by BurryBabies

We're Going G R E E N this week...

Glorious Green!

Considering we are just stepping into spring here in Maine, green is a fitting color... we're finally starting to see some! We had so much snow over the winter that I thought we may never see it again. This is one view from my deck:


Now the grass is green and the wild turkeys are in my back yard once again:

Green is definitely a welcome sight! When I visited the various members of the Etsy Knitters Street Team in search of various green creations, I came across some beautiful items!

1. Froglette by Bubolina
2. Shawl by Norske
   
3. "Love Me or Leaf Me" Carpet Bag by The Tyger Lily
   
4. Cotton Baby Booties by MF Crafts
   
5. Seaweed by Must Keep Knitting

Visit the Etsy Knitters Team members at www.etsy.com and type "EtsyKnitters" into the search box.

Enjoy our G R E E N week...

Jodie
FuzzyBunnyKnits

Etsy Knitters Team Says 'I Do'

... To Etsy's 2008 Handmade Wedding Series.

The Etsy Knitters Team, an international group of talented and successful knitters, has challenged its members to create items that represent the love and beauty of a wedding through the art of knitting.

Throughout the month of May 2008, members of the Etsy Knitters Team will present handmade wedding items to the public through Etsy.com. These items will certainly encompass a wide range of wedding finery including bridal accessories, traditional wedding fare and even special gifts for the honeymoon. The stipulation to each member is “If you can dream it and it can represent the art of knitting, then one is encouraged to partake in the ‘I Do’ Wedding Challenge”.

The catalyst for the Etsy Knitters Team’s ‘I Do’ wedding challenge was Etsy.com’s Handmade Wedding Series. Rather than participate individually, the team felt that they could be more successful promoting their hand knit wedding items if they worked together. Thus, the idea was born. After countless hours of designing and knitting, the Etsy Knitters Team is proud to present the ‘I Do’ Wedding Challenge.

To search for challenge items, please type in the words “ido2008” and “etsyknitters team” into Etsy’s search engine or click this link. Members will be listing their offerings to the challenge throughout the entire month. Each item will include a special ‘I Do 2008” Wedding Challenge graphic as one of the photos. Be sure to visit Etsy and search often.