My morning vest

Okay, my older children's school was off this week and I've spent a fair amount of time goofing off, eating ugly-but-tasty cookies, walking the dog, shopping for dance dresses and . . . Face Book Farming. Yes, the snow has done nothing to quench my urge for spring - I want plants now!

When not goofing, I was knitting - a little.



If I hadn't been reading a book last night instead of knitting, this would be a finished vest. I just need to knit up the front straps and then connect it. Perhaps tonight I'll post a finished vest. Of course, that means GFMelissa won't be able to kidnap me for a long ski trip later this morning. A short one would be fine!

Sadly, this morning I read of the death of poet Bill Holm. I highly recommend his last book "The Windows of Brimnes."

Here is the Friday Film, a clip of Bill Holm talking about the late Senator Paul Wellstone:

The String Bag rises!

I had Mr. Daisy take this photo as I was busy trying to show the "bag" shape of my Stow Away Shopping Bag. For some reason, I had a terrible time picking up the edge stitches that make the double bottom but I finally achieved some sort of edging and got the pattern started. I think this might be a problem for other knitters as well - I found out a lot when I Googled the pattern.

But, my new Harmony needles are really helping. Instead of pulling my hair out, I am actually enjoying watching the shape of the bag grow out of that mass of red string!

String bags must be on other knitters' minds as well - it turns out that the Double Ewe Yarn Shop in Circle Pines, MN. is having a "knit a string bag" , get a discount on yarn kind of sale. Actually, their web site says "During the month of February, knit a string bag, then sometime during the week of March 4th - 8th, bring in your bag, fill it with yarn, and get 20% off. It's that simple."

There are some other rules as well but the weird fact is that this is the store where I bought MY string bag pattern and MY Cotton Fleece yarn. I have only been to this shop once and that's all I bought. I must have been ahead of the knitting curve for once in my life! Check out the store - it's a very nice little store and they had a nice selection. It's just a little out of my easy shopping range.

I worked a little on my sister-in-law's scarf tonight when I went to hear author Bill Holm speak at a library in Saint Paul. He has an excellent book called "Windows of Brimness: An American in Iceland." It's part travel - part memoir and he was an excellent reader. He called it "the best yet" when I talked to him afterwards - I'll have to work my way through his other works and let you know! The scarf is about 10 inches long so far - very pleasant to work on.