By ANN PIERCEALL

Herald-Whig Staff Writer

HANNIBAL, Mo. -- Barbara Kuske knows her hands need to stay busy.

Now retired, Kuske has put the extra time she has now to good use by designing and making various types of fiber arts. Her current projects involve handbags she designs and handcrafts -- mostly by knitting -- that she displays at the Alliance Gallery in Hannibal. The bags come in all sizes and colors with designs that range from elegant to sassy.

Kuske, a Hannibal resident, got her original inspiration while looking at a craft magazine that featured a small knit purse.

"I thought 'Oh I can do that,' and as for knitting patterns there's nothing too hard for me to try," she said.

Kuske's first attempts became Christmas gifts for friends. She continued to "putz" around with the idea, and then began displaying them at the Alliance Gallery this spring after encouragement from Hannibal artist Toto Rendlen. Kuske said the exhibit and sale of the purses isn't the main purpose behind her work, though.

"The purpose is the expression of my creativity and I'm having loads of fun with it," she said.

Kuske began knitting as a child, probably learning from her mother, who still knits at age 95, and grandmother -- she can't recall exactly who taught her. She's done all sorts of handcrafts, however, including crochet, various types of hand stitching and even hooking rugs.

Kuske's work space is filled with stacks of knitted afghans made for charity and baskets of winter hats that will go to local non-profits. Bins overflow with colorful yarn, packets of buttons, handmade lace and other decorative pieces. Several pieces in progress are sitting on her work table waiting for Kuske to return to them.

"Some things I start I know what it's going to look like. I have a plan. Some things I start it's something I want to try ... I call it playing around," she said.

Kuske retired after working for decades as an accompanist and piano teacher. She's used to her hands being busy for several hours a day. Her children and grandchildren all live outside of Hannibal.

"I needed something to do. I didn't realize I had this creative thing. It's nice to have something to do that's satisfying," she said.

Kuske said she has no set pattern for how she comes up with a design. She has a "What if ..." folder in which she keeps pictures that contain possible ideas. It might be a pattern in a fabric or a painting that's caught her eye.

"I don't copy anything," she said. "I may get an idea, but I don't copy it."

Kuske said she tucks the images back and mulls over ways to incorporate whatever caught her eye into a design. She noted that as of a couple of years ago there was something like 40,000 new knitters. She said women "aren't as busy now with the necessities of life."

"It used to be when they made a quilt or knitted a sock they had to do it," she said. With more leisure time, and money, hand-crafters have been able to explore their creative side.

Kuske teaches her craft, and she's also nearly completed the work needed to be certified through the Knitters Guild of America.

"One part of it is I've always liked a challenge," she said.

The other is the doing of something by rote, which Kuske said is calming.

"I like the creative part, and I do enjoy the ability and motivation to do knitting for charity ... that's the easy stuff," she said. "I think I'm a good example of finding the one thing where my creativity butterflied out. If you don't keep trying, you never find it."

--apierceall@whig.com/(573) 221-5879