Feb
28
The weekend’s spoils.
I know when I started liking pink and pale green/turquoise together. When I was about 12, my gymnastics team got new uniforms. Previously we’d been wearing all lime green leotards with two diagonal stripes. One gold, one white. Unfortunately, we didn’t have much say in the design of the new uniforms, and they ended up being a dark green, a minty blue green and pink. I was sure they would be hideous, and they were, but most leotards (or leos as we called them) were pretty hideous in the mid-eighties. Still, the colors bring back good memories.
But, I digress. I spent the weekend making this new needle roll because my first one was already falling apart. That, and it really wasn’t well designed anyway. I actually sat down this time and measured everything I wanted to fit, and planned and drew sketches to scale and finally cut and sewed this sucker from 2 1/2 fat quarters. And I’ll tell you, all that’s left of the blue floral is the selvage edge. I managed somehow to squeak out all the pieces I needed. Which is actually a miracle in itself as I really didn’t plan the cuts.
I love that everything I need fits neatly inside, and I don’t have to go running down the stairs juggling a ball of yarn and knitting on the needles in order to fetch a crotchet hook to pick up a dropped stitch. I love the little zip pocket that holds those end caps and size tags perfectly. And all of my needle tips and DPNs fit, with room to grow. I also added a couple of strips near the top for hanging stitch holders and stitch markers (on binder rings – Target has the coolest colored ones!)
So, it’s not the really cool needle book idea I had planned out before. I’ve been working on that, but I might give it up as it is kinda cumbersome, even if it is really neat. But it works, and I like just looking at it all rolled up. Maggie Righetti, who taught me to knit through her book Knitting in Plain English, says to always take time to stop and admire your work, because it will give you satisfaction, and encourage a job well done. And there really is nothing more satisfying than seeing something completed.
That is one fantastic needle case! I’ve been needing one of those, but am not adverturous enough to make my own… And even without memories of bad ’80s “leos” I love the colours! :)