It’s taken me too long to write about my wonderful visit to Gabriella’s Yarn shop in Naples, Florida. I was there toward the end of February teaching a Pick A Nonibag, Any Nonibag class. In this workshop, participants choose to make any of my designs. The bulk if not all of the bag knitting was done before the class and folks bring damp bags in on the first morning.
We spend the majority of the time working on turning the bags from ordinary to extraordinary, from schlumpy in some cases to pretty darn spectacular. We work on creating structure for the bags using stiffener, designing embellishments, choosing the best flowers for the bags, beading, adding handles, lining bags, putting in magnetic snaps or other closures, such as zippers.
I tend to forget about the camera and focus on the people in the class and their projects. This, I have discovered has its pros and cons. I work on people’s bags myself, do a lot of hands on demonstration, help people with new techniques. . . this is all very good. And energizing for us all. But what I missed this time (and in the past) was taking before and after pictures. This is a pity, because what is not captured, then, is just how much progress everyone makes during the 12 or so hours we are together.
Next time, I’ll Take The Before & After pictures! . . . I resolve to do better, and next time I am teaching a workshop I will make it a practice do take a BEFORE picture of the bag, lumps and all, just like they do at the gym when you go in for personal training. And then, at the end of the class, I’ll take an AFTER picture as sweet evidence of how much work was done, and how beautiful the bags turned out.
Adding structure to the tulip tote
A medium carpet bag with beaded hydrangeas
A small cherry blossom bag in process with branches and flowers pinned in place.
Beading a Camellia Flower using the sprinkle, pin, sew on approach
Before and after pictures next time, I promise. . .
Now, About Gabriella’s Yarn Shop
Gabriella’s is a cozy, new shop in a warehouse-ish part of Naples (off Old Rt 41). Notable contents: Jade Saphire yarns, including cashmere (yummy!), lots of great sweater samples hanging on the wall, lot of Noni, great felting yarns, and Addi Click needles. If you’re down in Florida, stop in. Gabriella is great and there’s always some delectable wine on the menu if you are there late knitting (her husband is a wine distributor, so she’s got serious connetions!). The store is already slated to expand, so maybe when you stop in it will be a little too big to call cozy. I can’t wait to visit again.
The Noni Blog 
Love the carpet bag pictured that my friend Maggie made. I can’t wait to see it with the lining. Thanks to Maggie, I visited Gabriella’s shop, bought lots of patterns and yarn, and have just finished my third bag. Since I live in Virginia, I am looking forward to some workshops in the Washington DC area …………..or I just might have to fly back to Florida!
Hi,
I also loved the carpet bag. I’m really starting to like the beads in knitting. Were the beads on the carpet bag knitted in or were they attached later? Do you know what size bead was used?
Were a size 11 bead used on the Camellia flower?
Thanks,
Laurie
P.S. In this day and age of ordering from the internet, would you be willing to include the type of yarn and quantity of yarn used for a project in the project discription on you site? I try and wait for my LYS, but they sometimes don’t have what I want and or / need.
Laurie,
We are working on putting into the description what the sample was made in. As a general rule, I use worsted weight yarn from the following companies for my felted projects:
Plymouth Galway
Louet’s Riverstone
Shepherd’s Wool by Stonehedge Fiber Mill
Tilli Tomas Flurries (with beads) or Whistler (with sequins)
For the flowers you see on Maggie’s Carpet Bag, those beads were added later one by one. The sizes is 2 – 3 mm.
My tip for getting a beaded look without going for solid coverage is to drop the beads or sequins, pin them where they fall, and then sew them on one at a time. You get a nice beaded look without worry.
If you have specific questions about yarn content in a specific pattern, please write to me at nora@nonipatterns.com while we work on getting all that information on the site.
Nora
Hi – I’m new to felted knitting bags and was wondering what that product is that’s in the picture; adding structure to the tulip bag.
thanks, Melissa
I need one more skein of sublime baby cashmere merino in a baby blue. My shade and lot # are as follows: Shade:0100, Lot: 33595.
Do you have any to sell me?
Let me know and I would appreciate it.
Thank you,
Hi:I am making the Petit Four Felted bag and am unclear how to sew the bag to the frame. The directions say to insert the needle thru at an angle in both directions? Can anyone explain this to me. Many thanks…Hermine
How do you needle felt flowers after washing for a more felted look? Also can you advise on lining small bags?
Hi Andrea, I would recommend putting the flowers back in the washer on very small load size and having them agitate in lingerie bags for longer to get a more felted looks. As for needle-felting the flowers, I’m sure that will work. I have not done that so I can’t offer advice, but maybe another knitter/felter can weight in here. My take away: go for it. I’m sure it will work. Report back! Nora