Refelting Lucy

I am going to refelt my Lucy bag. She is only a week old but her handles are already saggy . . . poor old baggy. LOL!

Right now I have three WIP. A pair of socks, well actually only one sock and the speed with which I am not completing it, I will never have one done much less two. I knit, I frog, I knit, I frog. I put it away . . . only to have it call my name in the middle of the knit.

I also have one of the Sassy, Skinny, Tube Bags on-point. I am making the biggest one. Here is the picture

http://newyorkknits.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=752

I am not doing it in pink and green. Anyone who knows me, knows that I am NOT a pink and green person. I am doing it in WoTA in coal and hollyberry with a gray and beige accent. I also have a pattern for at tote thing with a squared bottom that I am doing in the same colors. I am planning on putting a hard bottom in the base of the tote thing so I can use it for school.

I love felting stuff. I thoroughly enjoy making monster things that it is okay to shrink down. I love the feel of the wool.

falling in and out of love

falling in and out of love . . .
with knitting that is . . .
I've always done it. I'll become totally passionate about it and then need to get something done quickly (hat, scarf, afghan) and switch to crocheting . . . or be totally disenfranchised by having to frog a project and will spend a weekend working on scrapbooks or stamping.

But, just like any good love affair, I come back. I've discovered that I love quality yarns. Quality does not mean that it has to be over-the-top expensive. Wool is wonderful and you can get good quality wool without having to go into massive debt. The wool blends are great.

I do have a Kafee Fasset sweater that I was knitting when my Mom got sick and I've never finished it. It is bunches of different textures and fibers. Really, really beautiful. My Mom bought the initial yarns and his book for me. It is knit from the back over the shoulders . . . increasing to add the sleeves and decreasing down the front. Someday.

Here is my Lucy bag. I'm thinking about felting it again so that it is a little tighter.

I just finished and felted this on 4/20/06. It was very easy to do and worked up wonderfully using Cascade.

Here are both of my felted bags. The brown one was the first one that I have ever done. It was an interesting process and actually very fun!

My younger sister got me hooked on felting stuff. It is just way too much fun to make these monster sized things and then going against the grain the washing them in very hot water.

What fun!

I'm tired

I didn't knit, crochet or sew yesterday. I have a felted bag that I had been using and then decided it needed to be lined (with pockets) and I need to redo the grommets. Maybe tomorrow.

My sisters and I leave for our girls weekend tomorrow afternoon. We are all bringing a variety of projects. My sister-in-law doesn't knit or crochet but she does incredible needle work. Her eldest daughter does knit. She had just started her freshman year at NYU in mid August 2001. She lived in the building that was closest to the barriers and was, therefore, not evacuated but there were times when they (she and her fellow classmates) were not allowed to leave the building. They did wonderful things like make cookies, cakes and breads for the National Guards that were assigned to the barrier at their doorstep. Many of them tried to volunteer but were basically told that they weren't needed . . . no skills . . . only desire. I recommended that she get some yarn and needles and learn how to knit. Turned out that one of her classmates/roommates knew how to knit and taught a whole bunch of them (including many of the guys that lived in the building) how to knit.

Anyway, she is one of us and even though she is now in law school, she still travels with her knitting wherever she goes. Hopefully, I will have pictures to post after our weekend away.

I got yarn from KnitPicks

Too excited . . . oh, where or where to begin . . .

Three patterns . . . Simple Stripes Fair Isle Socks, although I do have to find the instructions and explanation that someone at knitty.com made for this pattern.

I also got the Rick Rack purse pattern. I am going to do the larger bag. The finished size is supposed to end up 7 inches high but I am going to do it a little higher. I am doing this in Wool of the Andes Hollyberry and Coal.

I also got the 2-Needle Fingerless Gloves

I purchased some sock garden yarn . . in Star Gazer Lily and Zinnia . . . I have to figure out what my ideas where for the yarn . . . I knew when I ordered it. I did get the Crayons Simple Stripes for the Fair Isle Socks.

I also purchased the three wooden cable needles. My Mom had something like these and they disappeared somewhere (I think one of the grandkiddies thought they were toys or something).

We have our girls weekend this weekend and I needed some just plain straight knitting to do so I think the Rick Rack purse wins.

oh, happy day1

My younger sister was the only girl who managed to graduate from high school without taking any home ec classes. Of course, this was 1974 and a very different time. All girls HAD to take Home Ec and all boys had to take Shop. Now, I think it is optional and interchangeable.

In any event, she managed to do this. I think they discovered a month before graduation that she had not taken any Home Ec classes. Of course, she was not interested in sewing or cooking and was, actually, quite proud of the fact that she managed to do this.

Fast forward 25 years later and imagine my surprise when she starts crocheting. Not only crocheting small things but things like afghans. It also wasn't a one shot deal. She made baby afghans and full-size afghans . . . including one for me for Christmas. I was shocked.

Then she started knitting! The nerve! She has now completed several incredible projects and was the person that introduced me to felting! My non-domesticated, non-crafty sister introduced ME to felting. I love the stuff. I have completed one bag (which I am in the process of lining), just completed another which is waiting to be felted and have ordered a pattern and yarn from KnitPicks for yet another https://www.knitpicks.com/books/itemid_50460/books_display.aspx, along with a pair of slippers (http://www.knitpicks.com/Projects/Projects_Display_Yarn.aspx?itemid=50433220&yarnid=5420143). Very cool stuff.

Is "No." a complete sentence

Do you ever find it frustrating when you have said "no" to someone and they just continue on as if you said "Yes."

A friend who thinks I over-volunteer once told me that "No." is a complete sentence. He said that if you say "No, . . ." they have you. Don't pause, don't add a comma, don't add and addendum (i.e., "but if you need . . . "). If you do, they will have you.

It makes me crazed. I don't care if it is a salesman, my hubby (although to be honest, he generally doesn't do this), my kids or friends.

I recently had a discussion with a friend. We work together as volunteers. We were discussing different areas and issues that needed to be addressed and she asked my opinion of something, telling me that she would understand if I said "no." I said "no." I explained why I said "no." She acted like I had instead said "sure, I think it would be a wonderful idea . . . even though it would involve hundreds of hours of work that I don't have."

My kids and I have a concrete rule that deals with "no." If they ask me something and I am in the bathroom, the answer will ALWAYS be "no." If you want to have some real fun, let a 10 year old try and figure out how to get the question they are answering be right so that they answer they want will be "no."

"No." is a complete sentence, I think. The problem is that some people just don't hear it.