So FINALLY we get to the Sheep in Sweaters Tote!  When I started the previous post, I discovered I’d never blogged about the turquoise tote, which is the forerunner and partner of this one!  I will say now that I have finished this post (Part 2), it is LONG–but I wanted to be sure you got ALL the good info. If you’re here for just the totebag part, skim the embroidery bits! Thanks for reading!

Those of you who get my newsletter (sign up in right sidebar on this blog or the bottom of all the other website pages–if you prefer enter 12345 as your zip code when it asks) or follow me on social media (@sarahannsmithq and @sarahannsmithartist on FB and @sarahannsmithdesigns on IG), may remember that in 2022, older son Joshua, daughter-in-love Ashley and I spent two weeks in Scotland.  While there Ashley spotted a hilarious totebag with this illustration.  It was a soft, squishy tote, but inexpensive so I bought it and vowed I would convert it into a bag I LOVE!

I forgot to take a photo before I picked out the side seams, but you can tell it is pretty supple.  Great for packing flat into a suitcase, but collapses and not so comfy when full.  In a minor miracle, it has only taken about a year to re-make it.  In the last post, I mentioned that I really like bags that stand up on their own, and that I wanted at least one pocket large enough to hold a knitting pattern in a page protector and/or an iPad.   FYI:  links to supplies / info on products is at the VERY end of this post.

The overall size of this tote was determined by the size of the image in the photo above and the width of the fabric I purchased to go with the colors of the illustration.  At Fiddlehead Artisan Supply (online shop, but if you EVER get anywhere near Belfast, Maine, you MUST go–quilting and garment fabric, books, art supplies galore, craft supplies…. LOVE), I found a Rifle Paper Company fabric with just the right colors.  Since it was about 43-44″ wide, that determined the circumference of the bag (didn’t want to buy a whole extra 27 inches to get just a short side panel!).  As with the turquoise onions tote, I quilted the fabric first, using cream thread and going around the motifs in the print.

I DO recommend clearing the area of stray stuff, like paper….that you really didn’t intend to quilt into the bag.  Ahem. Another truth-in-teaching moment……

At least you can see the lovely quilting pattern?

This year, as a Janome Artisan, I am one of the very few who was unbelievably fortunate to receive the new, top-of-the-line Janome sewing, quilting and embroidery machine, the M17 Continental.  I was determined to overcome my trepidation and learn machine embroidery.  OMG–yes I am affiliated but I’d say it anyway–the fact that I could get this outstanding a result on literally my first attempt says a lot of very good things about the machine and software as my skill level was way low (but I’m learning!).  I purchased an 18-color-change Tula Pink design from the Moon Glow collection at OESD.  I adjusted the colors very slightly (my blues are darker) due to the bazillion threads I already have and to better blend with the fabric colors.

The Janome software now works with both Apple and pc-based platforms.  You can use the Janome software to digitize your own designs and such on the computer, buy designs etc., then air-drop / send by wifi to your tablet AND to the SEWING MACHINE!  No thumb drives!  No compatibility hassles!  Just boom–you input your WiFi info into the sewing machine, and it talks to your iPad, which you can carry around the house with you as the design stitches!   There are also several free Janome apps for sketching, monitoring, accessing manuals and other helpful info.  Anyway…. here’s the screen

From top to bottom you can see

• the recommended hoop size for the design
• the proper embroidery foot
• the dimensions of the design ( I think you can also change the settings so it displays in inches, not cm, but that may be a function of the design)
• that tension is adjusted to manual
• automatic cutting is on
• speed of stitching is set to 600 stitches per minute (you get tension issues sometimes if you go too fast depending on the design)
• minutes remaining until stitching is complete
• Below the image, you see how many stitches have been sewn out of the total of 38,665 stitches.   The + and – sign are helpful–if the thread breaks or bobbin thread runs out, you can back up a few stitches so there aren’t any gaps in stitching!
• To the right of that section, are the thread color (sequenced) and the thread color number if you are using a color supported in the software.  It is displaying the Janome thread colors but also supports major embroidery thread brands (but not alas the Superior Threads trilobal poly of which I have hundreds of colors, so I just winged it and chose colors, marking out which color corresponded)
• A progress bar for stitching is below that.
• In the very bottom you can see a square with arrows–that is to baste near the outside of the hoop to secure the stabilizer and fabric before stitching, and the brown box with a needle pointed at an X is to help you precisely position the design within the hoop.

Yes, as a total newbie to embroidery, I had to learn what all those things were, how to adjust this and that, but the fact that *I* could do it successfully on my first outing is a testament to good planning and design on Janome’s part.  Here are some photos from the embroidery process:

First, the design stitches a grid in a thread color to match the background fabric.  I am assuming this is to stabilize the fabric and prevent directional distortion from the way the stitches are programmed.   The first two layers were the dark gray, which is a pebble texture, then the darker blue in an extra long satin stitch that looks oh so lovely when all is done.

A lot of the stitching is now complete.  Having offset, duckbilled scissors (these were a gift from my dear friend Marie Z) helps a LOT when trimming threads close to the surface while still in the hoop).

The design is now completely stitched out and I am releasing the hoop from the carriage (on the left).

This is the back of the design… which frankly I think looks pretty good.  I used a soft shot-cotton plus one layer of sturdy stabilizer. I was a little concerned at some buckling despite hooping very snugly, but it pressed flat very nicely.  However, on a design as large as this one, about 4×5 inches, I might add a second layer of stabilizer next time.  I used the triple-stretch stitch to decorate the rest of the pocket background–this is a common utility stitch on many machines.

Next was assemble the parts.  In the photo above, you can see that I used a strip of print fabric cut 1″ wide, with edges folded to the center, to appliqué the Tula pocket (and also the front of the original totebag to the front of the bag).  The Tula Moon Garden Flower 3 (link at the end) embroidered pocket is on the side that faces my body…sized to hold my cell phone and safe from pickpockets by being on the inside.  I like the idea of a wipe-clean base for my bags–there is a lot of scuzzy, icky stuff out in the world.  AND by having something sturdy cover the bottom 1/2-1″ of the sides, it protects the corners from wearing out.  I used cork fabric from FabricFunhouse (a wholesaler, but they also sell retail–click on the link in the name).  The inside pockets were sewn on first (see photo below).  There is a single patch pocket behind the sheep-in-sweaters that is slightly narrower, so the stitching doesn’t show on the outside.  On the other part of the interior, I used leftover canvas from the original bag and the pretty selvage as a trim.  You can see my chalk-,asked guidelines.

It was on the printed pocket that I had my brainstorm!  I wanted the pocket to stand up and not flop, but if I had used the Soft And Stable all the way to the edges of the pocket it would have been way too thick and lumpy and hard to sew.  SO!  I cut the Soft and Stable about 2″ narrower than the full width of the pocket!  That meant I would have just the fabric on the edges, allowing me to sew the pocket in place, making a little pleat on either side.  Easier to sew and lets me slide my iPad inside without bulging. Mo’ bettah! (see second photo)

Here’s that side of the bag after it was completed:

Then I added the outside pockets.  The Tula flower pocket was sewn on so that the stitching created divisions in the interior pocket.  Here’s what it looked like when done.

Once the pockets were sewn it was time to add the cork on the outside/base and close up the bottom.

All these layers on the bottom made an extremely thick base, but a good sturdy machine like the HD9 from Janome (does only straight stitch, reasonably priced) or models like the 6600, M7 and so on, are all plenty strong enough.  See some caveats below though for safe sewing!

When sewing on cork, use a longer stitch. If you use a short stitch, it can perforate the fabric and it will tear like paper in a spiral notebook!  I think I used 3.5 length.  Notice that the right side of the Acufeed (Janome’s integrated dual-feed “walking” foot) is just OFF the cork.  I am using the inside edge of the foot and the precise positioning possible by moving the needle to one of the 19 positions to get perfect stitching alignment along the edge of the cork.

Once the cork is applied, I folded the bag so the vertical seam was in a corner. Boxing the corners is a bit of a heart-stopping effort for me.  I folded the corners to “box” it, making sure everything was squared up correctly.  That is a crazy thick amount of fabric on those corner triangles:   two of lining, two of the Soft and Stable, two of the linen-cotton light-canvas print, two of cork).

Here I am starting to sew from the outside edge to the center at the corner with the vertical seam (which extends to the center of the bottom of the bag).  I like to put something like a needle case or folded fabric about where my finger is pointing to get over the thick hump.  Clover Wonder Clips hold things way better than pins and don’t bend and distort.   I work from the outside to the center on each side of each triangle to avoid having to sew through the impossibly thick center seam.  Just sew up to the seam, HAND WALKING THE NEEDLE as you approach the center seam.  The machine is plenty strong enough to send the needle through, but needles are actually flexible and can BEND and “deflect” (get pushed sideways) just going through all those layers.  If that happens, then they hit the throat plate, break, yada yada–you don’t want that to happen!   So just hand walk those last stitches, then push reverse and hand walk going backwards.

PHEW… always exhale when this part is done.

A close up to show how snugly I have the foot up against the seam.  Gulp. Onward to finishing!

I trimmed away about 1/4″ of the carpet binding tape and put that raw edge next to the top of the bag on the inside and stitched it in place. I turned the tape to the outside and sewed it down using a cream colored thread which matched the zipper flaps.  But looked awful elsewhere.  Pitt Artist Pens (like Pigma but more colors–I get mine at Dick Blick online or at Fiddlehead) to the rescue!

Once again I used that carpet binding tape (think for rug hookers and such) as the straps.  I had the fun idea to use a strip of the print, just as I had used to appliqué the pockets in place, down the center of the handles, which otherwise were very brown and kinda overwhelmed the bag (no other color available at the time worked as well).  I LOVE the final look of them.  I stopped the strip up above the hardware to make it easier to sew.  In the photo above, I am using the other end of the handle to hold up the back of the presser foot and level it out, making it easier to sew to the very edges of the straps.  I used folded print fabric to make the tab that holds the hardware in place.  I could have sewn the straps directly to the bag, but if anything is going to wear out, it would be the handles.  This way I can replace the straps easily.  AND they hang down nice and flat by being attached with hardware instead of being sewn directly to the bag–that may not matter to you.  Do what works for you!

And Sorry this is SO LONG–want to get it all into ONE post.

You can see how I stitched the handle to the hardware, and the hardware to the cloth tab to the bag.  The cloth tab is partly hidden by the large outside pocket.  The top of the pocket gapped, so I used magnets again just at the center top of the bag.

For the closure I only had one yellow zipper and wanted to finish the bag in time for a trip, so instead of the double-zip I opted for this:

The ends, unlike the turquoise bag, are open.  I left the zipper tail LONG so that when full unzipped the flaps fold flat inside the bag and the tail hangs down out of the way (look at the pocket photos above).  I used a scrap of the cork to cover the end of the zipper.  Lesson:  it is good to have a stash of zippers on hand!  Time to order more from byAnnie— by the way Annie Unrein is one of my favorite people in the industry.  I love her patterns and the quality of the items she sells is top notch.

Final thoughts:  I still prefer the East-West orientation of the turquoise tote–the overall size and shape I like better.  But this tote size was dictated by the fabric and original tote, and it works also.  I LOVE the variation on the pockets on the sheep-in-sweaters totebag and will definitely use that un-padded edge trick again.  I prefer the two-zipper closing because …well… CATS chewing yarn is not fun.  Or healthy for them.  But for most folks the simple version I used on the sheep tote is just fine and dandy.

THANK YOU if you actually read all of this marathon of a post.  I hope you got some good ideas! If you design your own tote, do send me pictures!

SUPPLIES AND LINKS:

I used the following supplies–note, you can find hotlinks to some of these products on Amazon by going here:

• Fabric from Rifle Paper Company and purchased totebag
• Cork fabric for the base from Funhouse Fabrics
• byAnnie Soft and Stable for the “batting”–it is a foam with a peached (softly fuzzed) fabric that looks like nylon tricot but soft and grippy
• Polyester and cotton threads
• Carpet binding tape–I folded this in half, sewed at the edge and presto, nearly perfect handles that are soft, sturdy and comfortable.  Purchased at Fiddlehead Artisan Supply but not on their website alas.
• Bag rings/rectangles–I bought mine from byAnnie but Sallie Tomato also has a good selection
• Zippers from byAnnie –these zippers have wider tape and sturdy teeth that are perfect for bag-making
• Magnets from byAnnie
• OESD Tula Pink Moon Garden Flower 3
• Corrugated plastic:  looks like cardboard but made of plastic, available at art and/or craft stores.  Cut to size to make a base for the bag.  Cover in a tube of fabric or leave as is.  Fabric is nicer, but…..life happens and sometimes that tube happens later!  Makes a fairly sturdy base, inexpensive, easily found.  You could also use cardboard or mat board, but they are more likely to bend eventually.

Talk about COZY and warm! I fell in love with the relaxed and comfy look of the Sunday Cardigan (on Ravelry) mohair edition and regular edition immediately and knew I wanted a slouchy, oversized hug-of-a-sweater. So I made one! And then I made another. Here’s the second one, which is what I was craving:

Now I KNOW many of you are thinking “mohair…ITCHY!” I agree. But this one is made with Rowan’s Kidsilk Mohair, a blend of mohair and silk and it is heavenly soft and doesn’t itch me!

BUT, before I got to this one, I used up some stash. Yes, I used yarn stash! I had this alpaca boucle (according to the receipt in the bag) about a decade. Ahem. I wasn’t sure if I would have enough, so I made a size medium just to be sure. I couldn’t believe how quickly it knit up. My previous sweater was 24+ stitches to 4 inches. This was 12 (!!!!) stitches to four inches. And it knit up in a matter of a few weeks! It is quite fitted, and I’m fine with that. I like the sweater, it is comfortable, and looks good. But I wanted that huggy-oversized look.

So I bought new yarn at Heavenly Yarns in Belfast, Maine. Thankfully, they got in a new order of the Kidsilk before the current shelter-in-place-followed-by-quarantine-then-extended thing. I wanted mine quite long, so I used just over 4 skeins of Cascade 220 in an oatmeal color (reasonably priced) and four skeins (down to the last 30 inches) of Kidsilk (honestly, a bit expensive) in a soft white. If you want to geek out and are a Ravelry member (free to join), you can see project notes here. The blue version is here. I could have done the math and made a different size of the regular version, but I sprang for the whopping $6 for the mohair edition pattern which did the math for me. My version is a bit of a hybrid: I made the mohair version using one strand of Cascade 220 held together with just one (not two as recommended) strand of Kidsilk and got the gauge of 14 stitches to the inch. Given how warm it is, I’m glad I don’t have another strand of mohair in there!

I opted to make the fold-over collar from the standard version and sew it down as in that pattern (even though I didn’t sew down the collar in the blue one!) and add buttons. I followed the directions in the standard pattern for opening up the stitch rather than making a proper buttonhole. Since I had no idea how long I was going to make mine, that was easier. However I think next time I will do a proper buttonhole that looks better. I also made my sweater longer, with sleeves that are neither snug nor full.

So that’s what I’ve been doing in the evenings while watching Midsomer Murders on Amazon Prime on my iPad. Next up: a pattern hack of Jeri Riggs’s stunning Lily of the Valley vest. I’m attempting to do my own thing and make a linen t-shirt with two columns of the Lily of the Valley motif up the center front, mimicking one of my favorite cloth shirt patterns that has a square neck and short sleeves. The Quince and Co. linen yarn isn’t fun to work with my arthritis, but everyone tells me I will LOVE the yarn once it is all done and washed. About 24 stitches to the inch, so it is slow going, but I’m about 6 inches up from the bottom. Hopefully it will be done by the time it is warm enough to WEAR it! And hopefully we’ll be able to go out!

So those of you who follow me on Facebook know that I’ve been doing a fair bit of knitting this past two years. A while back while browsing in Pinterest, I saw an ad asking for beta testers for a new knitting app by Bellish. I signed up, made a sweater, LOVE the app and as of today! it is available in the App stores, and is currently free (but will probably go to paid at some point). I have been telling local friends and shops about it because it is amazing.

As an intermediate, perhaps advanced, knitter, this app lets me do what I’ve always wanted:  customize a design for my taste and figure, and it is EASY.  I signed up as a beta tester when only one base design was available.  I was easily able to turn a crew neck pullover into a cardigan with lace panels on either side of the button band and down the back, add waist shaping, and it fits **perfectly.** 

The row counters are so easy to use—keep the phone by your chair—and keep you on track.  So does being able to check off a section done and using the Checkpoints to make sure you have the correct number of stitches.  I’m looking forward to even more base patterns.  I’ve recommended this app to friends and in knit shops whenever I can.  Imagine being in a shop, falling in love with a yarn, and right there in moments generate a pattern that tells you how much yarn to buy!  LOVE it!

SO, if you like to knit, open up your App Store (both Android and Apple/ iOS) and download this currently-free app! Yuppers, it’s five stars from me. I’m a happy sweater-wearing camper! I’m waiting for top-down cardigan with set in sleeves as a base…fingers crossed 🙂

Back view, Sarah’s shrug, which is major modifications on the Biston shrug pattern (c) Mercedes Tarasovich, variations (c)SarahAnnSmith2018

So, once again, I can’t quite do things the way the pattern says LOL!  Last summer, I knitted Ashley a gray shrug using the Biston pattern on Ravelry.  It was lovely and knit up very quickly and easily (especially since Ashley is a size 2).  Thought I’d knit up something quick for me this summer.  Right.  Not.  Bought this glorious yarn, Malabrigo Rios in the Indiecita color way, which has blues, greens and some purple (but not an obnoxious amount of purple).  After doing a test swatch in various stitches, I chose a stitch that showcases the yarn but is rather slow (at least for me, I’m not a fast knitter).

Sarah’s test swatch included from top to bottom: 1×1 ribbing, linen stitch in three different gauges, a broken rib, the broken/chevron rib from the Biston pattern, a knit-purl diamond motif, seed stitch, stockinette and a garter stitch at the start/bottom and edge.  So glad I did it because I wan’t wild about the look in stockinette (hence all the other variations), and was able to learn that the linen stitch on smaller needles resulted in a fabric felt stiff.

Detail of the linen stitch I selected and the 1×1 ribbing I decided to use.

Yarn wound into a ball, knitting commences

As of this week DONE! I used the basic measurements from the Biston pattern, but instead of knitting cuff to cuff in stockinette, then seaming and adding the nice chevron rib collar, I wanted the direction of the linen stitch to run horizontally across my back. So I cast on for the lower center back, increased 10 stitches at either end of each row five times, then 15 stitches twice, until I had enough to go almost from wrist to wrist. I alternated skeins/balls every 2 rows to prevent color pooling from the dyeing pattern on the hank.  The cloth ended up being thicker and warmer than I had realized it would be, so it became a winter shrug, not a summer bolero.

From the front. Because the yarn relaxed a lot with blocking, it does seem to slip open a bit–it fit perfectly before washing. I may try again and see if I can wet and block it again and make it not-so-large!

That meant I knit until the whole main part was 16 1/2″ long, then started tapering down to equal the increases. I did a slip stitch at each end. I bound off for the length of the sleeves, but kept the remaining stitches live on the needle. After testing on the swatch, I decided a simple 1×1 rib would look best.

After sewing the sleeves, I knit the cuffs. I calculated how many stitches I wanted to fit my thin wrists (32 I think) and picked up a stitch in every other slipped stitch, which gathered the sleeves in nicely. In a better universe, I would have tapered the sleeve portion more, but I wasn’t about to frog a summer’s worth of knitting and opted for a gather. 1×1 rib for 27 rows which is a bit under 4 inches long.

Collar came next: I picked up some stitches around the seam area, then picked up stitches one to one. Knit 27 rows, bind of in pattern.

Linen Stitch Shrug in Malabrigo Rios Indiecita done! (c)SarahAnnSmith2018

Blocked. I have learned that the super wash yarns apparently have a propensity to GROW and get LONGER. I’m fine with the extra length down my back, but I have about 4-6 more inches in length from wrist-to-wrist than I had before washing. I will try to shorten this with blocking shorter (have asked for foam blocking squares for my birthday), but I am falling out of love with the concept of superwash if it always grows like this. Even washing and blocking your swatch doesn’t really convey how MUCH it will grow when a full size garment.  If anyone has any words of wisdom, please DO share!

Still, I love this and know I will wear it a lot in winter. I love the look of the linen stitch on the hand-dyed wool, so I just need to find a hand-dyed wool that I like the feel that doesn’t grow.

Weighs 491 grams, so that is allegedly just under 5 skeins, but I actually used just a bit over (plus the amount for the swatch). Don’t mind that I have nearly a skein leftover–it will be pretty in something.

I’m on Ravelry — if any of you are over there, you can find me at https://www.ravelry.com/people/SarahAnnSmith