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.

Starting anew - again!

Yesterday, I went ahead and bought the Knit Picks Options Harmony wood needles sized 13 and 15 to finish my red string bag. I spent some time on Ravelry checking out what other knitters were using to make this project and the many good comments about these needles made me take the plunge. Hopefully, these will be the pointy needles I am looking to love. Basically, this bag is just about using large needles and thin cotton to make large loops. It takes other bloggers about two days to finish. Me - I've been stymied again and again by thick, blunt needles. So, today I am ripping it back. And then, I'll start again. This bag has just been chock full of life lessons for me. Don't hurry, don't over think the pattern and do it right even if that's the hard way. I hear you, I hear you!



The "Paws to Remember" scarf for my sister-in-law has become my pick up and travel project since I finished the last pair of socks. Unfortunately, it takes me a few minutes to find my spot and get re-started knitting, so it isn't progressing very quickly. I like to pin the pattern to my chair arm and check it every so often and that doesn't make for quick knitting. It is lovely, though, and has such a nice border of yarnovers and k2t or ssk. I think I came to enjoy tidiness late in life and I really appreciate it when I see it now.



In order to have a travel project, I pulled this sock project out of my sock stash box. It's been snoozing for quite some time - I just didn't like having to stop ribbing and work the cable. Despite my misgivings, this "Cable Rib Socks" pattern by Erica Alexander from the Spring 2005 Interweave Knits made it into the IK Favorite Socks book. It is a nice yarn (Steinbach Wolle Strapaz Cotton Effekt in Kiwi Green) and makes a nice cable so, maybe, I just wasn't paying attention.

I'm really going to have to get these projects done and out of the way if my "Spring of Scarves" works out. I spent a little too much time on Ravelry this holiday season and found some great projects on an "Advent Calendar of Knitting Patterns" that someone put together. Unfortunately, many of them were not in English. So, between my limited German language skills and my mother's skillful French, I am going to have a whole new catalog to deal with. If there are any knitters out there who haven't stopped by the Ravelry site and signed up, make that your next bookmark. It is a great place to look at patterns, ask other knitters how their projects went and to window shop for yarn. I love being able to search for a pattern as well as browse the photos of many different knitters' versions of that one idea.



Youngest Child is truly growing - I weeded out three long sleeved shirts, one short sleeved tee, a pair of jeans, a pair of basketball shorts and one last pair of undies. Of all the clothing, I had to sneak out the undies. They were favorites, even if they were much too small.