What weird thing is this you ask? It’s the honeybee and honeycomb project I’ve been working on and nope, it’s not some kinda of covered ball or round cushion, it’s a HAT!

So what exactly is going on here? I read the other day that a good way to block a hat is by drying it over a balloon. The honeybees really need to be blocked for the wings to show and make them recognisable as bees.

I really like the way I decided to decrease the top of the hat. Final images should be coming soon – once the hat dries and I secure my model (she doesn’t have much choice since she’s my daughter).

My husband changed the design of his cell phone stand to a narrower, two piece item. So this meant I had to come up with a new design for the bags. I needed something that would be quick to make but still look good. I decided that the less sewing the better and that meant learning a new skill – double-knitting. This means no side seams to sew or using DPNs (which I normally love but they are slower to knit on). I joined Lucy Neatby’s Double-Knitting Class on Craftsy a while ago but haven’t finished it. I’ve taken the knowledge I have a started this new design:

 

I love the modern look and I can wait to come up with some other graphic style designs.

Although the thought of being stung by a bee isn’t nice there are plenty of nice things about honey bees, like honey, honey comb, bees wax and the great things they do for our environment. Last weekend I managed to get several great photos of some bees collecting pollen in my backyard (which looks like a messy jungle right now).

This bee image is a great lead into my latest knitting pattern since it’s all about bees and honey comb. I choose this yellow as the final colour for the piece. It just felt right. It’s a little like the yellow of a bee, of honey and honey comb. The finished item should be ready to be revealed soon. The pattern for it will be available for sale on Craftsy (Good Knit), Ravelery (Good Knit) and Etsy (Good Knit Things).

 

What have I been up to? Well I got a little side tracked from my main project to make this:

What is it? It’s a carrier bag for this beautiful cell phone stand my husband made by hand out of oak and woodworking tools. 

When he was making it I thought about how nice it would be to have a handmade bag (knit by me of course) to carry the two pieces the stand becomes when it is unassembled. The bag is a great way to take the stand to work or on a business trip. You could even fit your cell phone in the bag with the two pieces of the stand.

This bag was the prototype and I already have ideas for making it better and more interesting, like getting my hubby to make wooden buttons and I can knit in a button hole instead of using velcro like I did for this one.

Isn’t great when two creative people come together to make useful, handmade items? I can’t wait to make more.