the Felting Continues, plus my Art to Heart quilt

 Alongside the crocheting I was doing, I also keep a knitting project going.  I have been making a tote bag using 6mm needles and two strands of Cascade220 in this striped pattern.  I had started it from a book I have,

  



But when I started it the first time, It had said to cast on 150 stitches. I did this, as you can see above, and I knit about 5 inches before ripping it out.  When I took the needles out, the circumference was about 60 inches!! So, I took it down to 80 stitches and started again.
 This time, things went a bit more quickly.

unfelted

felted

 

 

I washed it up and was quite pleased with the end result!  It measured about 14 inches wide and 19 inches tall when it was unfelted, and now it is still about the same width, but it is quite a bit shorter. 
What I particularly like is the way that the handles curled over to make a nice rounded piece to hold onto.

 And on the sewing front, lest you think that I have forgotten my quilting--
Yesterday I worked on the border for my Sampler with blocks and applique:

 I had finished all the buttonhole stitching around the appliques, but realize that some of my birds have no legs. :-(

 I decided to do quite a simple border.  I had sewn a whole bunch of the squares, because I thought I would put on 2 rows of them in a little running four-patches border.  When I put them next to the quilt they were a bit too heavy, so I dropped it back to one row.

 I got it basted as well, so hopefully I'll get to some quilting on it today!

 Have a great day!