Tart-itis

I worked on Baby Tart this week. Baby hats are a one night project, or at least they should be. I somehow have managed to turn a simple dessert shaped hat into a knitted culinary epic. Though, knowing me this should not astound me as much as it does. I had to restart the berry topping of the hat three times as the pattern was not functioning as I thought it should. I finally replaced the author's bobble pattern with the blackberry stitch as found in Vogue Stitchionary V1, recalculated decreases and such. My mother visited and found the sight of a TI-81 calculator funny. She insisted that I take a picture of her posing with the calculator and hat. I was not so amused, but took the picture anyway. She left and I began knitting (calculating) away again. High school math would have been much more exciting and applicable if they had only taught abstract math in relationship to sizing garments. That whole mathematical proofs thingy would have been much more understandable. Heck! You could use gauge and yarn replacement to explain dimensional analysis in chemistry, much better than Avogadro's Number. (BTW, cooking helped clarify dimensional analysis better than my chemistry professors in college.)

Back to knitting...

As Baby Tart was nearing completion (read: frustrating search for the correct size dpns) I realized that my drawer of knitting needles was in complete disarray. Upon this realization, I knew it would fruitless to try to continue knitting until my needles were somehow more easily accessible-I had to make a needle case. The start of a new sewing project being immanently more exciting than continuing on Baby Tart. Such are the symptons of start-itis.

I have always loved Knits 'n Grits beautiful cases and bags. I thought to myself, I can do that. This is what the product will ideally look like when I finish with the binding around the edges. I had all the materials at the house and even managed to dig up a handsome gray ribbon (which more than likely I hoarded from a wedding gift sent from Riches, now that I think about it.)

Instructions: The stripey fabric and floral fabric were fat squares purchased at Wal-mart in 2 four packs, that I later learned were too busy to use together. The good news is that the other two colors, a purple floral and a green floral can be used to make another needle case!!

Unless, you're a perfectionist just iron the 2 fatty squares (one for the inside and one for the outside) and line everything up along the bias edge. I used a low loft quilting batting to give added stability. "Quilt" the fabric in your perferred pattern (I used long strips, due to the stripey nature of my fabric). The outside is done.

Fold an extra square in half (once again along the bias so that you get an even edge) and "stuff" with the batting for extra stability. Sew the bottom half of your pocket in place by "quilting" a line about 1 inch to 1.5 inches apart (smaller to larger pockets). This creates about 17 to 18 pockets.










Once you cut all the edges straight and even. Add a binding to edges and sew ribbon to the middle as a tie. Then you're all done!