Saturday, August 25, 2007

"The Bag"




Here are the bags that I made for Kristie over at Chickbags. The felted clutch on the bottom was a simple knit and full. I love the way these bags turn out. I've made a quite a few and love how every one turns out, but I'm really fond of this blue/green color combo. The knitted bag, quite a different story. For being such a "simple pattern" this bag gave me a quite a few challenges. As you can see the bag is a combination of knit, purl, cables, and seed stitch, easy enough. HA!
Although the pattern is simple, getting ALL that purling to look even was not! After I finished the knitting there was the sag factor. With suggestion from my knitting group girls, we decided that I needed a liner. GREAT IDEA! Oops, wait I don't know how to sew.
So the lovely Taryn brought her sewing machine and the ever so helpful Laurie brought her sewing skills. Put these two together and what do you get? A liner for the bag!
Laurie gave both Taryn and myself a basic lesson about the machine since neither of us had a clue, though we both own brand new sewing machines that we've had for over a year!
Taryn machine sewed the liner together, and then I hand-sewed the liner in to the knitted bag. The funniest part of the process: the manager at Panera's looking at our knitting circle, wondering why there was a sewing machine on his table, as well as a swift and a ball winder.
The best part: the wonderfully friendly, helpful, and craftastic girls I've met at my Wednesday nite knitting group! You guys R-O-C-K!!!

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

All Grown Up?...






I'm not sure how this happened, but my baby is entering the 1st grade. I think I was more anxious than she was. She popped out of bed, ate her breakfast, got herself dressed. She even brushed her teeth and did her hair without me asking, and in our house that's a big deal (or usually an ordeal.) Today it was her Dad and I who were running around like chickens with our heads cut off. Where's the backpack? Is her info packet filled out? Is she having hot lunch or should we make her something? I'm sure it had something to do with the ridiculously early time they have to start school that threw us, 7:45 a.m. what the ----!
Anyway she made it on time, she got to see all the friends she missed over summer, and she got right back in to the groove without missing a beat. The smile in this photo is forced because she only wanted me to take a picture of her backpack, but after a little begging and pleading, she decided to turn around.
As for me, I'm sure I'll need a little more time to adjust to the time difference. But when I do I'll actually gain an hour before I have to drive in to work. Perhaps some extra time to enjoy my coffee and get some knitting on.

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Today's post brought to you by the letter...





FIBER= Handspun by Yarn Ball Boogie, the most mellow combination of avocado and sky blue, thick and thin
FELTED= Clutch I made for a crafty girl over at Chickbags
FRIEND= A fawn necklace for a best friend from Imogen
FRANK= What can I say, I'm feeling a bit nostalgic
F= Letter from a FedEx sign we drove by after dessert tonight