Knitting Class

This year, after moving and dealing with certifications and legal drama, I took a job in the fall as an after-school instructor at a local middle school.  One of my responsibilities there is to create 6-week enrichment classes, and without further ado, I present to you the results of my first class: Fiber Works!

In this class, students were challenged to start by learning either knit or crochet, and then to build upon their skills by making a series of blocks, each with a different design, stitch, or style, which they would put together at the end to make a pillow.

There were certainly moments that were frustrating, but the most amazing part of the whole class was to see the kids who were really struggling, and who really just couldn't get it down, succeed, and finally break through.  Realizing that their hard work had paid off, it was often those kids who were the most behind that ended out on top.













We had some pretty creative projects, and though I can't show you their gleaming faces as they hold their productions for confidentiality's sake, I can certainly show off how amazing my kids are!














Here's just a sample of what was accomplished those six weeks, and I hope you enjoy remembering all the times you learned and pushed through to complete something you were passionate about.

(Often, two pictures that are on top of each other are the front and back of a single project.)

UPDATE: One of my students took a video explaining how to knit and put it on youtube to send to her grandpa - and ended up getting hired at a local yarn store to teach a youth course!  YAY!

School-ID Lanyard

I desperately needed a lanyard for my school ID, key, and whistle (to keep those kiddos in line!) once I finally got my teaching job, so I whipped this puppy up.

I repeated the same pattern that I had used previously for Debbie's Lanyard, except I did a right-side-out i-cord, and I was using a lighter weight yarn, so I used more stitches (I cast on 7 and did 4 on each strand).

I like the way it turned out, and I was able to (almost) use up the scrap from the Erie Canal Block, so that was another bonus.



Don't mind my picture!

Ravelry Project
Ravelry Pattern

Carry-On Bag Liner: Instructions

Before I left for my fantastic family reunion, I whipped up a quick Day-Bag to take with me as my carry on, based on the DayTripper Bag I found on Pinterest.  However, I knew that my bag needs were left desperately unsatisfied by the liner provided in the bad tutorial, so I designed a new one.

Here is the pattern, as promised, for the new bag.  In this tutorial, I will be re-making a half-size version of the bag as I go using paper.

All seam allowances are 1/2" unless otherwise stated.

Materials:

• 1 yard of the main fabric (brown fabric/ printed paper)
• 1 yard of the lining fabric (yellow fabric/ plain paper)
• 1.25 yards of stiff, iron-on interfacing, such as the kind that comes on a bolt
• .5 yards of thin, iron-on interfacing, such as the kind that comes in a folded package in notions
• two buttons
• thread

Directions: Bag Outside

Figure 1

• Cut your fabrics into 15" x 22" pieces.  You will need (1) piece in your lining color and (3) pieces of your main color.

• Iron the thick interfacing onto (1) of your main color pieces and (1) of your lining color pieces.  Iron your thinner interfacing onto (2) of your main color pieces; these two will become your "front-pocket" pieces.  Set all un-interfaced pieces aside.

• (Figure 1)

  

  Figure 2

  
  Place your two front-pocket pieces right sides together and fold them in half to measure 15" x 11".  Measure 3" down the folded side and mark; then, draw a curved line from that mark back up to the corner, and seam along that line.  Cut the excess off, trim the curve, turn the pieces right-side out and press.  Top-stitch at 5/8" and 1/8".  This will become the front pocket.

• (Figures 2 and 3)

  

  Figure 3

  
  Place the lining piece with interfacing on the table with the right side facing up, and place the front pocket on top of it.  Then, place the main piece with the interfacing on the pile with the right side facing down.  Line up the pieces as precisely as possible and pin them together.  Then, measure, mark, and cut two three inch squares out of the bottom corners of the pile.

• (Figure 4)

  

  Figure 4

  
  Seam across the sides and bottom of the pile, and then square the corners.  Turn the piece right side out.  The inside will have the interfacing showing.  You have now completed the outside of the bag.

Directions: Bag Lining

• Cut your lining fabric into the following pieces:
• (2) 18 inches x 15 inches
• (2) 10 inches x 15 inches
• (2) 7 inches x 7.5 inches
• (2) 11 inches x 5 inches
• (2) 8 inches x 7 inches

• Take both 8x7 pieces and seam them, right sides together, almost all the way around with a half-inch seam allowance.  Then, turn this piece inside out, and seam it all the way around at 5/8" and 1/8" from the edge.  Repeat this with both the 11x5 inch pieces and the 7x7.5 inch pieces.

• (Figure 5)
  Place the larger lining pieces right side up, and lay these pieces on top of the corresponding pieces, as seen in Figure 5-a, b, and c, and then sew over the pre-existing 1/8" seam, as seen in Figure 5-d, so that these smaller pieces become pockets.  If you prefer to divide the pockets, particularly the larger one, for phones, pencils, or whatnot, then simply add an extra line where you want the division to be.  Be aware, though, that the more you separate them, the less the top will open, so, particularly for pencil-sized pockets, you might want to ruffle the bottom a bit so you get more room.
• Note: if you prefer to have the pocket for the "smaller" section on the outer edge, you can complete the next step first for the 10x15 pieces, and then return to attatching the pocket over the seam.

Figure 5

• Place the two 18x15 lining pieces, right sides together, and square the edges, as with the outside sections.  Repeat with the 10x15 pieces.  Sew the seams open at 5/8" and 1/8" on ONE side seam of each pocket.

• You now have two pockets that will fit exactly in the outer shell.  Press the top edges over half an inch.  Line the two pieces up, un-sewn-seam to un-sewn-seam, and sew at 1/8" and 5/8" to join the pockets.  Place your finished lining in your outer shell, and whip-stitch by hand across the top layers, keeping the ends tucked in.  Seam the top edge again at 5/8" and 1/8".

• As a finishing touch, measure how long you want your straps to be, including 4-5 inches extra to attach them to the bag (mine measure 29-30 inches).  Cut two pieces of main fabric 4 inches x length measurement, and fold them each in half lengthwise, with right sides together.  Sew along the edge, with a half-inch seam allowance, almost all the way around, and then turn them inside out, so that you have two strip-tubes that are 1.5 inches x length-1inch.  Press them flat and sew a seam at 1/4" from each edge.  Measure and mark where you will attach them to the bag, and then do so, sewing 4-5 horizontal lines, about 1/4" apart, on each strap-end.

Congrats on your finished bag!

Tennessee!

I went to Tennessee a few weeks ago for a class trip.  While we were there, we found this adorable little yarn shop put in what used to be an old house called "A Likely Yarn."  I got some nice wool yarns there and one of my professors got some hand-dyed yarns for his two teenage knitting daughters.  After that trip, a friend asked me to teach her how to knit.  I had some extra yarn and extra needles, so I did, but we were on a bumpy car ride and both the needles and the yarn were sock weight, so she made a valiant effort, but didn't get very far.  Instead, she made an accidental alien!  We all loved it though, so I cast-it-off and she took it home.  Overall, it was a lot of fun.