Knitting bag

One of my friends is a very clever doctor who likes to knit in her spare time.  I often get her knitting books, yarn or knitting notions for her birthday and Christmas presents.   For her upcoming birthday in April I decided that I wanted to make her a knitting bag for travelling with.  Something just big enough for a smallish project - like a sock - and the yarn and needles that she is currently working with.

When I was in New York in December, one of the knitting stores, Knitty City, had several little knitting bags on display.   I picked up one of the bags but I couldn't get out of my head the message on the other bag, which unfortunately was not for sale.  The message seemed so appropriate - but absolutely politically incorrect - for my friend.  So, this weekend I made part of her birthday present AND ticked off another Little Things to Sew project!  

I used a knitting themed fabric and made the back of the bag as one piece 

  

back

front

I printed the message onto TAP paper using a font I found at Fontspace.com called ransom note.  The white fabric I used for the front panel had white swirls on it - perhaps a little like tangled wool…. 

I used a white lining fabric for the inside of the bag and red twill ribbon in my stash for the ties.  

This isn't the first Oliver + S project I have made for my friend.  About two years ago I made her the Straight Stitch Society orange sewing kit which is also small enough to travel with

This sewing kit is much smaller than the doll sewing caddie I made her about seven years ago…

legs are pink cord for storing cotton reels; hands hold rings for storing rotary cutter and scissors; pins are tied to the front of the skirt;  multiple pockets on the dress for sewing machine needles, hand needles and ruler

all of the fabrics in her dress have a sewing theme

'Shirley', as she is known, was very loosely based on a commercial pattern for a doll-shaped sewing caddie I bought from one of the Big Four sewing companies but I thought I could improve on her.  

I am not sure how useful Shirley is, but the knitting bag I made this weekend will hopefully be an improvement on the plastic bags my friend currently uses for her knitting.