Ilga's Knitting World

Friday, December 04, 2009

Distant Hills

Since I have discovered the joy of felting, I use any opportunity I can to felt something. It explains why I have begun to include some patterns for bags within my design offerings. For the Landscape Collection, I offer Distant Hills.

I was intrigued by this Navajo-style motif, so suggestive of a mountain range with a flowing river below. So I was delighted when I felted a swatch of this pattern to see that it held its own, even after felting. The Fair Isle knitting employed in the colourwork section of the bag adds to its sturdiness as well as being responsible for its unique shaping.

It is worked in the round from the base up and includes long, doubled handles that form part of the motif itself as well as an inside pocket:

The instructions for Distant Hills are detailed for each step of the way. The stranded colourwork section is shown as a chart, but includes the written directions for each round as well.

Illustrations and instructions guide you in constructing the inside pocket as well as the handles, not to mention all the finishing.

This sample of Distant Hills was expertly knit by Julie Rosvall of Wolfville, Nova Scotia. Her stranded colourwork section was so beautifully done that I was tempted to turn the bag inside out and show it that way.

Thanks for the great job, Julie!