I am so pleased!
The newest offering from Straight From the Designer’s Hip group has just been released.
It’s Strapped for Bags Volume 3,which can be seen and ordered at Ravelry or at
Straight From the Designer’s Hip
It includes my design for a very cute little  crocheted copper wire bag.
When I was thinking about the bag that I wanted to design for the book,
it was important to me to come up with a unique and fun little bag that would
be an invitation for the readers to try something new.
I love crocheting wire and have made lots of jewelry with it,
so it was the …read more

A couple of days ago, I wrote about designing and crocheting a simple little ‘jazz cap’ for a friend who runs a wonderful bistro.
I got all excited and finished it up-
I was so inspired that I crocheted one for Jim, too….
No, that’s not Jim…. it’s one of our furkids who was insisting on being in my lap while I worked on the cap, so whaddya gonna do?
It’s his way of paying rent.
Anyhow, Jim wore it to his gig today. (At our friend’s bistro)
I was all excited about giving Harold his new cap. He put it on and said:
‘Nope….. it’s not …read more

For months now, I have had a cap sitting in the studio, whining at me to finish it.
I have carried it around in bags, moved it from table to desk and back, taken it out, put it back, taken it out again, sighed, and put it back …. and  just haven’t been able to finish it.
Why, why why, I snivel? It’s a simple little cap!
Alright.
Yesterday, I read a note about March being crochet month. I even joined a Ravelry group in celebration of Crochet month!
I decided- this is it!
Crochet Month is here- I am gonna finish that cap in honor …read more

I am making a cap for a friend. He wants it in synthetic yarn, and it has to be quite thin yarn, so I went mooching through my stash looking for the perfect yarn.
I had some discontinued Caron Shadows that I had used in another project that was rejected, so I figured I would be eco friendly and recycle and upcycle the yarn.
By splitting it, I was able to divide out the color shifting sections and use them in the design of the cap.
Splitting yarn is a pain in the neck if you don’t have the secret to doing it …read more

Of course, I couldn’t stop at just one bracelet…
so I made a second one:

Because I had a plan…. bangle bracelets look better when there are more than one….
(BTW, the flash does nasty things to the bracelets…. in real life, they look smooth and kind of irridescent. The flash seems to expose their undies. How rude!)
AND, because I love Furoshiki.
What’s  Furoshiki?
It’s an ancient and elegant Japanese solution to carrying things in the greenest possible way.
Here’s a link: FUROSHIKI
I’ve impressed the heck out of all kinds of people by whipping a headscarf out of my purse and tying a couple of knots …read more

There was a Blogtoberfest contest on my blog last week.
And here is what the prize is:

Name of prize:       3 Hats of the winner’s choice
Link to the source page:  www.charbridgeknitsandgifts.com
Short description:      Hats are custom made to the winner’s wishes. Any size and colors. Please allow 1 week for completion.
Suggested retail:        $50 which includes shipping
Images:                     Bridgett has attached sample pictures, but the winner can choose whichever ones they like

Bridget Ann Parsell
CHARBRIDGE KNITS & GIFTS
www.baparsell.etsy.com
www.charbridgeknitsandgifts.com
And who was the lucky winner?
the winner was #43 Theresa Shaffer.
Congratulations, Theresa!

 Yesterday, I posted about the photo shoot that I was at all week in Cincinnati.
It was for my  new book, The Woven Bag.
Here’s the photo studio at F & W Media where we were working:

There are the tables with 35 woven bags, looms and other equipment:

This is Christine, ace photographer and Jenni, editor extraordinaire, playing ‘Vanna’

Here’s Jenni at her lappy and Christine at her huge screen computer.
The camera is digital, and cabled across to Christine’s computer so we could see the pics up on the screen.

And, here I am, getting ready for a ‘how to’ shot.

Another shot of the tables …read more

I can  F I N A L L Y  tell you the title of the book that I’ve been working and working and working on!
I’m so excited! They have confirmed that the title is: (drumrolls, puhleeze…….)
The Woven Bag: 30+ Projects from Small Looms
I am publishing it with Krause Books, which is part of  F & W Media. And, yep, the publisher chooses the title of the book.
I am really happy with it because they’ve nailed it. yay!
I am sad though, because the release date has been moved to November of 2009 from July of 2009! boohoo!
anyhow……….
Last week, I was …read more

What could be better than wrapping a friend in your loving thoughts and stitches?
Check out: Friendship Shawls

Last summer, my dear friend, Terri went to Japan to participate in some wonderful Saori weaving events.
She brought back this lovely bag:

The butterfly outline was satin stitched with the weaving behind the cotton. Then the black cotton was carefully cut away to reveal the weaving.
This is a variation on Mola or San Blas appliqué technique.
Terry made a lovely T shirt using this technique….. here’s the link: Terri’s dragonfly shirt
and a neat shirt that has a woven appliqué image of the map of Salt Spring Island: Map shirt
I think that this is a great way to use treasured bits of …read more