Hey hey hey!

Hope all three of you are well!! I am resurrecting this newsletter because I have so many crafting ideas lately. I am fully aware that ~realistically~ I will not be able to do every project that I want to do but someone should benefit from my heavily researched ideas!

Today I want to share a very specific fixation I’m having — felted bags! My daily driver Baggu is starting to look a little dingy and it’s time to give her a break! Over the years, I’ve made quite a few bags but I have only made one felted bag and it didn’t turn out as expected. Therefore, I’d like to remedy that by making a new every day bag!

My process began as it often does, with a Ravelry deep dive. If you do an advanced search and select category>accessories>bag and then construction>felted/fulled, you’ll get 3,694 knitting and crochet patterns. I went through a lot of them — I tapped out after page 35 of 77. So there’s a chance that I missed some good ones, so I encourage you to look! But below are my favorites and there are a lot of them!

Maybe in the next newsletter, I’ll share how my project is going but here is my rough plan: I am going to make a bag that looks like the Pink Lady bag pattern (pictured below). But I’m going to use Laerke Bagger’s Fancy Bag (from her second book) because I already have it and I think it will be close enough! I want a simple over the shoulder bag that I can cover in pins or brooches. I am going to make it in this delicious chocolate brown yarn I thrifted that is way too scratchy for clothing.

If felting isn’t your thing, may I tempt you to purchase one from an independent artist like Haricot Vert or Carboot? Or you can scroll through eBay for an affordable one-of-kind option. This one is excellent!

Without further ado, here are 30+ purse patterns for you to felt! Many of them are wacky because if I have the energy to make a second felted bag, it’s definitely going to be a fun one. I also found some awesome bags whose patterns have been retired. I included them at the bottom for inspiration’s sake! Enjoy!

{If you have never felted anything before, all these patterns were knitted/crocheted and then felted in the washer or drier. I usually prefer the drier method for a faster and more precise felt but either works!}

Let’s pour one out for Ravelry’s fallen soldiers (aka retired patterns)

I know that Ravelry photos (especially from the early 2000’s) leave a lot to be desired but I hope you see the potential in some of these ideas! Some of them just need different color schemes or a cute outfit to make them feel modern. If you’ve made any of these patterns, comment and let us know how it went!

Smell ya later!
Libbie

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Hello! 

Welcome to the first installment of the Libbie’s Lab newsletter!! I definitely intended for this to be released on Monday but alas, life has a knack for getting in the way! 

Because this is the inaugural email, I think it would be best to catch y’all up to where I am at. Right now, I am in a knitting rut. I have little to no interest in any of my projects at the moment despite thinking they’re all really cute! This tends to happen when life gets chaotic. I can’t quite relax into the soothing clicking of knitting needles when there is a wedding to plan, a business to run, classes to plan, freelance work, and the whole ordeal of making sure my basic needs are met. No complaining because #blessed but you know how it is! 

So to cure my brain fry, I am going to show you what’s in progress for me and maybe it will make them seem exciting again!! 

Firstly, I have been working on this Stripe Overload Polo for several months now. It went into my Time Out pile after I mis-measured the length and basically made a sweater-bra. It was such a rookie mistake that it took a while to bring myself to rip back the ribbing and lengthen it. 

Recently I was finally feeling brave and fixed it but then the ribbing did that annoying thing where it puckers and becomes wider than the sweater…??? I have no clue why this happens but I simply can’t live with it. So I ripped the ribbing out yet again and plan to reknit it. I will obviously need to finish the sleeves as well but what a frickin’ ride!

My second project is this blue, recycled cotton sweater. It’s definitely the only one I genuinely feel like working on. That’s likely because I casted it on mere days ago with the arrogant assumption that I can finish it before I go on trip next week(lololol). 

I am winging this one which of course makes it more appealing to my brain. I am basing it off of the green Toast sweater(above) that I looooove but does not fit in my budget. I am going to shape the sleeves like white sweater(above) though because it will be a fun detail on an otherwise very simple sweater. 

Thirdly, I am crocheting this cotton tote out of a bunch of random balls of cotton yarn that I hate knitting with but love the color.

Cotton is nice and durable for something like this but I am finding it so tedious to work with right now. The only thing that is keeping my hands from cramping is this silicone chunky boy that is holding my crochet hook. 

I am planning to pick up these crochet stitches and just knit them… it might be ugly or cool. It could truly go either way. Regardless, this project is definitely one where I hate the process but want the result so bad that I haven’t ripped it out yet. 

Of course I have a pair of socks going as well. These are an on-the-go project though so they will take a while and I am okay with that!! The pattern is the free Basic Ribbed Socks pattern by Kate Atherley.

Lastly, I casted on this fluffy sweater a couple months ago and never really kept at it. I love the yarn and the colors but for some reason, I haven’t made my way back to it. I bought the yarn on a visit home to Minnesota last year and was so excited about it. It’s being knitted on 9mm needles which should make it a quick win but it’s just like that sometimes!! 

Finally, I want to end each newsletter with some things I want to make or find inspiring right now so here they are. 

5 Things To Make Or Be Inspired By <3 

1. The Lonely Leftovers Vest(!!!) is freaky cute. I saved this version on IG and have been wanting to make it ever since!! 

2. These jeans that @natalie_ebaugh made on IG. I have plans to convert an old pair of skinny jeans to straight legged jeans.

3. My friend Glenn’s newsletter called Junior Year is very fun and she always gives the best style advice!!

4. I loved the recent series on the Clothes Horse Podcast about the ethics of secondhand reselling. It’s long but worth a listen!

5. I might be late to the party but I just finished season 2 of Next In Fashion on Netflix. This season was good but I liked the first season way better!! Minju forever <3

Thanks for reading!! Maybe some of these will be FO’s by next month’s newsletter! <3

Ttyl,
Libbie

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This is the new home of all my fiber and sewing projects! These days I spend a large amount of my free time adding to my wardrobe. Primarily, I knit but I also crochet, sew, and most recently, spin yarn! My goal for this newsletter/space to become a diary of my work and to share my process. I hate creating in a vacuum and would love an excuse to share all my ideas and projects! Thank you so much for being here. I can’t wait to share my creative chaos with you.

Some housekeeping:

If you can’t find this newsletter in the future, check your spam folder and mark this email address as ‘not spam.’ If it isn’t in your spam folder, then take a peak at the promotions tab. 

If you hate inbox clutter, you can always check libbieslab.com for any updates! Please share with friends or interested parties if you’re enjoying it. <3 

The dirty, stinking details: 

What is Libbie’s Lab?

This is my virtual atelier ($10 word) and a space to share my work with like minded folks. Personally, I think there is a lack of fiber/sewing people who also have an interest in current fashion trends and clothing as art. I hope to bridge the gap and make diy-ing your own wardrobe really approachable. 

Who tf is Libbie?

Libbie Bischoff (aka me) is a type and graphic designer by day and wannabe fashion designer by night. 

At the teeny age of 8, my grandma Doris taught me how to knit and the basics to hand sewing. Ever since, I have maintained a knitting hobby and have dabbled in sewing. During the pandemic, I fell head first into clothes-making and can’t seem to get enough!

It began because I can’t ever seem to find clothes that fit my body, my budget, and ethical standards. And what do we do when we want something done right? We do it ourselves! 

Can I read LL for free?

Yes! The monthly email will always be free but there may be additional themed emails behind a paywall in the future. 

How often will I receive your newsletters?

Short answer: The third Monday of each month. 

Long answer: I am going to start with a monthly creative update including WIPs, finished projects, and what’s on my pattern list for the future. My goal is to add additional segments each month that include mood boards, my own patterns, and trend predictions related to the diy clothing scene! I will share more details on this later. 

Thanks for reading! I am so excited that you’re here. <3
-Libbie

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