Show-and-Tell: the Bertie Clutch

I always have oodles of ideas for knit projects: for my shop, for my kids, for my friends, and for myself.  I am not terribly organized with said ideas, and I feel like I really should be more diligent about documenting all of them.  To that end, I have created Show-and-Tell: blog space to document and share my latest original knitting patterns, concepts, and ideas.  "Bertie" is a pattern that I began toying with after completing a modified version of the Picnic Bag from Mason-Dixon Knitting Outside the Lines.  That is a fabulous pattern (and a really fun book, at that), but I was wanting something a little more dainty that I could whip-up for a birthday gift or carry with me on date night.  So, without further ado, I present:

"BERTIE": The Ollie Bee Felted Clutch

Materials:

   1 skein each of three colors of Stitch Nation by Debbie Stoller Full O' Sheep yarn
   Size 7 straight needles
   2 size 7 double-pointed needles (dpn)
   Tapestry Needle
   Fabric (for optional lining)

Abbreviations:
K=knit
P=purl
K2tog=knit two together
P2tog=purl two together
dpn=double pointed needles

Purse body:
Cast on 40 stitches with color A.  Work even in stockinette stitch (knit right side, purl wrong side) until piece measures 8.5 inches from cast on edge, ending with a purl row.  Purl next row.  Switch to color B, purl next row.  Knit next row and continue evenly in stockinette stitch until piece measures 8.5 inches from turning purl row.  End with a purl row.  Purl next row.  Switch to color C, purl next row.  Knit next row.  Purl next row.

Assymetrical flap:
*K1, K2tog, knit to last 3 stitches, K2tog, K1. 
Turn for next row.  P1, P2tog, purl to the end of the row.
Continue in this decrease pattern  (from *) until 3 stitches remain.  Bind off.

I-Cord Trim:
Cast on 3 stitches on dpn.  *DO NOT TURN, but rather push stitches to the right side of the needle.  Pull yarn around back (as if to work an I-Cord).  K2, slip 1, pick up and knit one stitch from the top edge of assymetrical flap.  Pass the slipped stitch over the most recently knit stitch. Continue in this pattern around triangle of assymetrical flap.  Bind off.

Felting and Finishing:
Sew-up side seams of bag using mattress stitch.  Now it is time to felt the bag, which means we are going to shrink it (were you wondering why that "clutch" could fit your firstborn, your cat, and a picnic lunch in it?).  You can find detailed instructions for felting here.  I have a front-load washer, so I usually just toss it in with super hot water and a little detergent and let it go.  Sometimes you have to repeat this process a few times; I only had to run it through once for this project.  Prompty remove bag from washer and lay flat to dry.

Finally, use a bit of whatever colors you have on hand of your Full O' Sheep stash and embroider a pretty picture on your clutch with a tapestry needle.  Feel free to copy my bird, or I think a monogram or pretty flower could be cute, too!

Here is my seven-year-old's photography debut of me and my clutch:

**********************************************************************************
I hope you make this pattern and have great success with it.  I also hope you share it with all of your knitty friends.  However, please be sure to credit Ollie Bee knits or link-up to this page when you do.  Thanks!
**********************************************************************************

The art of giving...

Meet Amy Angelfish.  She is from Amy Gaines amazing Amigurumi pattern book, Little Knitted Creatures.  I made her especially for a friend of my boys, E, who saw a picture of Amy and begged me to make it for her.  Melt my heart, a child wants me to knit for her!  SOLD!

And while this is a relatively easy knit, there are really very few things out there that can be called "quick knits."  Amy took me about 5 hours from cast on to weaving in ends, and I knit quickly.  More than once while I was making her (and postponing other projects that I probably should have been working on...) Jim questioned whether or not I should be working so hard on something that I am just going to give away to a six-year-old.  A valid question for sure, since my own kids aren't too impressed with what I make and couldn't care less if it was knit by hand or came from the claw machine at the supermarket.  Could Amy Angelfish, the result of hours of the careful work of my own hands, become a *gasp* cat toy?!?!  His questions got me to thinking about if and when it is "worth it" to make something for someone rather than buy it.  Should there be a special criteria for the recipient of what you make when it is being gifted?

I think so.  I believe that it is true that "it's the thought that counts," and there is no greater thought put into a gift than when it is actually made for a person.  However, there is a big difference between making something for a person and making something for a person.  Example: when I first learned to knit and was really finding my groove, I made a scarf for Jim.  It was my first "splurge" yarn purchase and was a horizontally constructed, garter stitch stripe piece that was GORGEOUS.  Chocolate brown and blue cashmere.  I was so proud.  And then he opened it and the look on his face melted whatever pride I had in that scarf in about .38 seconds.  You see, Jim wears flip flops in 40 degree weather.  He wears a light jacket in a snow storm.  The man does not do scarves.  While I am sure that he was proud of me for finishing a product that was wearable, he was not going to be the guy to wear it.  Not everyone wants what I make.  Lesson learned.

And then there are the people, bless them, who have no idea what it takes to make something from nothing.  They do not see or care to see the difference between homemade and handmade.  That high school graduation party you were invited to?  Chances are, Prom Queen of the Class of 2012 doesn't care that you handstamped those earrings for her, she wants earrings from Tiffany's, you cheap idiot.  This is not Prom Queen's fault, she just doesn't know any better.  I don't want to say it's not worth your time and effort to make something for these people, because you love them, too (despite their complete lack of craftiness and appreciation).  It is so nice of you to love them and want to show that love with what you make.  But you need to value what you make, too, and have the confidence in what you create to know that it should be appreciated and treasured.  (And apologies to the class of 2012 or any Prom Queens out there who happen to be crafty: you will be getting all kinds of Etsy-terrific things from me when you invite me to your graduation parties...).

Finally, there are people like little E, who have just enough craftiness to know what kind of effort goes into making something (E and my boys recently constructed an airplane out of tree branches and rocks: the girl has some serious craftiness in her).  These people love something MORE because it was made by an artist rather than a machine and is one-of-a-kind in its imperfections.  These people cross their fingers and hope you will be so generous to make something for them when their birthdays roll around.  When you think of them, you think of what special item you can make just for them.  These should be the recipients of your work.

I gave Amy Angelfish to E, and she immediately squeezed her in that awesome smash-it-to-your-face kind of hug kids are so good at.  She beamed, and I did too. 

So yes, Jim, I should be working so hard on something for a six-year-old.  Because I am making it for her.