Monday, October 6

Kenaf Spike Stitch Bag


Kenaf Spike Stitch Bag, originally uploaded by skamama.

My contribution to Shannon Okey's book Alt Fiber: 25 Projects for Knitting Green with Bamboo, Soy, Hemp, and More is the Kenaf Spike Stitch Bag. A year ago, Shannon IM'd me to ask if I could create an African inspired spherical bag using Kenaf fiber. Hell Ya I can.

The fiber was thinner than I expected so I doubled it up and combined it with some stashed jute fiber, left over from my book Uncommon Crochet, for a dash of color. I crocheted the whole sample on an 18-hour drive from Seattle to L.A. As I was preparing to pack it up for the photo shoot, my step-mom, and jewelry designer, Beth Armstrong thought it needed a little something more. She dug into her massive bead collection and found some amazing beads that fit the bag's style perfectly!

1 comment:

Ellen Bloom said...

Excellent design, Julie. Love the shape of the bag.
Yes, my buddy, Beth has an excellent eye for details...the beads are perfect!