Soft Drawstring Pouch

I made one too (large size).

It is fun to check out how others have made this project (Last Minute Knitted Gifts, p. 85). Mine is a little different as I didn't want to make it in a pastel colour. This is part of a birthday gift for a friend. She is not a girlie-girl and I thought an ultra femme pastel pouch would be a tad over the top for her. For me, my inner princess (known to very few) wouldn't mind a pastel pouch - in softest bamboo of course!

Unfortunately the colours are all wrong in this photo. I blame the flash. To see the true colours of the Estelle Mystik DK I have uploaded the swatches for you to check out below.

Emerald Green 066	Salmon - 005

Estelle Mystik DK is 54% Egyptian Cotton and 46% Viscose. It has a lovely sheen and an elegant drape. In general it is a pleasure to knit with. Two things that made my work a little more challenging than usual: the slipperiness of the yarn, and how easily it separates into its separate threads. Still, the finished result is worth these minor irritations.

I found this project that is also made with Estelle Mystik DK. It is simply lovely. This Sizzle pattern (designed by Wendy Bernard at Knit and Tonic, and available here) is knit up by the extraordinarily talented Felicia Lo (she is modeling her work). I think she used Rich Wine 062 or Berry 050. Felicia's blog is called Sweet Georgia, and although she is taking a hiatus for 6 - 12 months, her blog is definitely worth a read!

Adding beads to knitting
How do you like the beads on this bag? It was fun and easy to do. There a few ways to add beads to a project - I followed the hooking as you go directions from the Knitty.com article: Seduced by Beads written by Sivia Harding. Sivia's diagram is found here. The trick is having a crochet hook small enough to fit through the bead! I used an antique hook that was passed down to me (previously used for making lace). I think it is about 1.5 mm in diameter. I took my stitches off of the knitting needle to place the bead. Sivia is right, once the bead is in place you will not lose / drop the stitch. After seating the bead I put the loop back on the left hand needle and knit as usual. My beads are 4mm and wooden (very inexpensive).