Amanda Knits

I'm currently trying to knit something that looks like this.

This pattern is from the Winter 1952/53 issue of McCall's Needlework.

I have changed the style from a box coat to a swing coat. I've obviously had to change the yarn and the gauge and the size because I am not built like a woman from the 50s. This is my first time doing all of those things at once. The pattern and the book Knit to Fit are great help, but this is, in many ways, a leap of faith.

One other problem...the yarn.

I originally started by using Austermann Barkarole, this lovely 70 merino/20 silk/10 cashmere blend yarn in a gorgeous eggplant color. However, after I knit up two balls I realized I was never going to have enough to finish the coat. I used yarn estimate charts. I did some loosey-goose head estimates. I did some more complicated pen-and-paper estimates. I pulled out pen and paper, sketched, figured out necessary yardage... Still, no dice. I was definitely going to be short.

So I dug around in my stash. I should mention that in November it will have been two years since I've bought any new yarn. I have a ton of really nice stuff in my stash, and my experience living abroad made me realize that I don't need (and don't want) any more yarn than I have. So my entire goal was to knit with stashed yarn only.

I found some Ren Ny Ull Superwash Sport in red. I bought this on closeout from Elann in August. August 2004. I had 19-20 balls. This has been partially knit into a long ago discarded sweater, so I pulled it out. I consulted numerous "how much yarn do I need charts" and decided that I might have just enough to finish the coat. As a backup, I searched around for any other sites I could buy the yarn from and didn't find any.

I'm currently converting a box coat pattern from the 1952/1953 issue of McCall's Needlework into a swing coat. It's going well so far, but I'm knitting from stash and a bit concerned about running out of yarn...

The Stranded Treasure Bag is now available for download.

Stranded Treasure Bag is knit in Lang's BeBe superwash wool. You need 275 yards in the main color, 75 yards in accent #1 and 55 yards each in accents #2 and #3. Finished project measures 13" by 12 1/4".

The eight page .pdf pattern features color charts. There is one large chart or several smaller charts; directions for both styles are included.

This pattern will not teach you how to do stranded knitting. But my "let me kick off my heels" shoe bag is perfect to practice stranded knitting tension or as a quick knit gift. Please note that this bag is not felted and it's fairly delicate. It's meant to be used as a bag to store treasures in, not as a purse!

Click on the photo above or the Patterns tab to purchase. Instant gratification!

My students always ask me when they're going to use the things I'm teaching them. We're currently working on least common multiple and greatest common factor.

Since I've decided to knit a shoe bag, I've decided to do a stranded piece. I don't want to felt a bag and stranded it will help make it stronger. I'm going to strand a piece with sort floats so I don't have to worry about snagging.

I went through my books and chose some patterns. Then, I needed to find the small repeat.

I did the math.

And the smallest repeat number needed?

Ninety-two.

This is where you will use this, boys and girls.

"Hey, can you tell what this is?" I point to a stranded piece of color work, to a bluebell.

"A fish?" says my boyfriend.

I blame his color blindness.

Forty-four fish down!