Catching up on some knitting

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving, if you celebrate it. Our household was under the weather with a bout with the dreaded stomach flu. It's no fun of course but I have been catching up on some knitting. I have two projects going, one is a second Equinox bag, the other is a present for a family member. I've really been trying to get one done so that I can finally knit a scarf and hat for myself. I got some new yarn for those projects and I am very anxious to get to use it!

Custom Order

I'm super excited because we got our first custom order!  She wants a bag to carry her baby chihuahua in...awww.  It's going to be brown and gray because she wears lots of neutrals and we found the perfect yarn.  I've already started it and hope to have it finished by the weekend.  I'll post pics when it's complete.

Have a very Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Some of our new bags

Just a quick note to share two of Mel's latest bags, The Gingko and a yet unnamed blue bag. They are already spoken for but if you are interested, just send us a convo on Etsy. In fact, if you ever see a bag on here that you like but don't see listed on Etsy, please contact us as we do take orders!
Thank you!

Choosing Needles

I'm a fan of bamboo needles. I like the way the feel. They aren't heavy. They don't make noises when I knit. Plus, they look nice. I didn't see myself using anything else. Then I started a project using Lion Brand Homespun yarn. If you haven't seen it already, its a pretty loose yarn. Plus it is made with acrylic. I'm not a fan of knitting with plastic like yarn. Its a huge difference after you've been knitting with 100% wool for so long. But I thought what the heck! It looks nice and its very economical. Well, after knitting the first part of the project, I was ready to toss it out the window. Then I did some reading online and I thought I would try metal needles. I know, I know, but I love bamboo! Well, what I learned is that sometimes you have to adjust and be willing to go outside what you think you like. Because guess what? Knitting the Homespun yarn with metal needles is an entirely different world! The yarn doesn't squeak anymore (I know it sounds weird but believe me, it does) and it flows nicely from one needle to the next. I can actually enjoy knitting with it! Who'd of thought? So the moral of the story is do a little research if you are getting frustrated. Chances are someone else is too and has a solution! Happy knitting!

Yarn Fever!

So Mel posted recently about going crazy at the local yarn shop. Well, I did the same, but it was online. There are a lot of great sites out there that offer amazing deals on fabulous yarn. For instance, the site I was on (www.yarn.com) does daily deals through a Facebook page. They post the deals on Facebook and you can use the code to buy online. I ended up buying 10 skeins for $10. What an awesome deal! Then they had a great Noro yarn that I plan on using for a chunky scarf for myself. I'll post pictures when it is done. I'm so excited! Also got some yarn for Christmas gifts at some great prices. Always check the clearance or bargain area. You just never know what you might find!

Here's the yarn for my scarf!

Went a little crazy...

Okay so I had some time by myself today and went to a couple of yarn stores...I don't think it was the best idea I've every had.  Don't get me wrong I had a blast, but my credit card is suffering!  14 scans of yarn, fabric to attempt my first ever skirt, thread, stitch markers so I don't have to use bobby pins anymore, and cabling items...let's hope my husband doesn't find out or he's going to have a fit ;)  Most of it is for Christmas presents anyway so we'll just blame it on that!

Happy Knitting!!

Have you tried to knit?

I started another Equinox bag today (the first one sold, yeah!). The great thing about knitting is that it is something you can do anywhere. I've knitted in the car on the way into town and on longer road trips to different states. I've knitted on my lunch at work or while waiting at the doctor's office. How many hobbies can you literally bring anywhere?

When you bring your hobby anywhere, you are bound to get comments. Most people say their mother or grandmother knitted. Some look at you like you are the strangest thing they've ever seen. Others tell you about how they'd love to take up knitting but can't for one reason or another. Well, you can. I am not a crafty person. I barely sew, pretty much just enough to get the basics taken care of. I can hem up pants, fix buttons, shorten curtains, make a pillow, and fix various stuffed animals but that is it. Knitting is different. Once you learn to cast on, knit, and bind off you are all set. There are tons of things you can make. Once you learn those, you can keep on going because you remember how easy it was to start!

I struggled for a bit, I'm not going to lie to you. I swore and grumbled. However, I'm a determined little girl. I stuck with it and within a week or so, I was hooked. Hope I can get other people to grab some needles and get hooked too!

P.S. If you are interested, just search for learn to knit. There are some great resources out there both written and video. Check it out!

More Bags :)

I felted a new bag yesterday.  It's lemongrass and moss green and it came out awesome.  We're going to call it Ginkgo because it reminds us of that tree's leaves.  I also added a pocket in that bag and it's perfect for holding all kinds of little items that us girls carry around and if you're like me all of the husband's and children's stuff too!

I also started a new bag yesterday and I'm really excited about it.  The yarn is gorgeous with different shades of blue and brown.  I can't wait to see it felted! I haven't come up with a name for it yet.  If you have any suggestions please let me know!! The yarn would also make a fabulous baby blanket...hmmm gift idea maybe :) 

How we got started...

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So how did we get into this? 


One day in July, Mel called me and asked if I would be interested in taking a knitting class. I was hesitant. I’m not a crafty person. But since I had nothing better to do, I said what the heck! We took it with Mel’s mother and had a ball. We signed up for a class at our local yarn shop. Our first project was a felted bag. I was shocked to find knitting fun and challenging though I did a lot of swearing in the beginning.


After finishing our bags, we received many compliments and suggestions that we should sell them. With encouragement from friends and family, we decided to go for it and Etsy seemed the best way to go! We slowly started working out the details of a shop and how we were going to go about it all. Etsy’s Seller handbook was very helpful in answering our questions and helping us feel at ease. The next part was the fun part: making bags. Almost immediately, we began making custom bags for friends and family. Our family and friends have been the inspiration for many of the bags we’ve made. In fact, many bags are named for them. We will feature them in future posts!

Welcome to LittleDropOfSunshine!

Just a short introduction: We are two high school friends that are practically sisters. Mel works part time and has two little boys. She enjoys knitting bags and hats and anything else she can think of. She also loves doing mosaics and stained glass. If she’s not playing with the boys or crafting she’s reading volumes of books. I work full time and have one little boy. I enjoy being outside biking or hiking with my husband, son, and border collie but when the Michigan weather turns sour (as it often does), I retreat inside to knit, digital scrapbook, or catch up on my favorite TV shows like Chuck, Bones, Smallville, and Fringe.

Our shop currently offers tote bags that have been knitted then felted. Felted wool has been machine washed and dried. This creates a tightly woven material that does not fray and is very strong. The transformation is quite impressive. I've added some before and after pictures of my first felted bag.
 

In the future, we hope to add other knitted products such as scarves, hats, purses, and whatever else ends up striking our fancy! Mel may strike out beyond knit products and introduce you to stain glass and mosaics, a new obsession she has began! 

Before:

After felting: