Another Package!!

When I arrived home, last night, my mail box was stuffed full! I opened the first padded envelope and found the Sweater Stone that I had ordered. The felted bag that I received from the ITEIII was picking up balls from other fabrics, so I used the "Stone" on it. It worked great! The bag looks like new, again. I still need to do a tiny bit of mending by stitching the lining down in a few places. (I am very hard on this bag. It goes to work with me everyday and is often over stuffed. I can't say enough about Jen's knitting ability that it has lasted so well, and still has much, much more use left in it!!)

The second package was a puffy from Gail for the Things Knitters Want...Exchange. She sent 2 sets of markers (1 for tiny needles, like when knitting socks, and the other for a little larger needles.) They're perfect! The extra stuff was so much fun, too!

I've continued to work on the first River Valley Sock and have the cuff almost half done. The knitting is going a little more quickly than I thought it would, especially after knitting the last pair of socks with such thick yarn.

Lots and lots of knitting!!

This weekend, I took Saturday as a day of rest and knitting...I finished both sleeves on the Curvalicious Cardigan! After all the ripping I had to do on Friday, I was a bit discouraged, but now I have a sense of accomplishment. (The cardigan won't photograph well as I have it scrunched onto a 24" circular. Once I get to the hood, maybe I can get a picture posted.)

On Saturday, I received this in a package from my "Think Green" Stitch marker exchange. My partner even sent some of my favorite flavor of tea! I've even had the opportunity to use one of the markers while knitting my sleeves on Saturday. I'm hoping to finally send out my exchange packages to my partners, this coming weekend. (Packages for both the Tote Exchange and the Stitch Marker Exchange.)
Also, in Saturday's mail were my KnitPicks needles for the Civil War Shawl KAL. Just looking at the cables is enough to make me fall in love with these needles. Typically, I use bamboo needles, but with the increasing size of the shawl, I think that having an interchangeable cable size will be more cost effective than having to buy 3 different needles for the varying widths of the shawl. I'm really hoping to get my cardigan finished before Thursday, when this KAL begins.
Today, my husband will mail out the 2 squares that I finished for the Gracious Parcels Project. I hope that Firefly receives them in time!!

Stitch Markers

Last night I finished the bag for the Tote Exchange. It looks great.

After finishing, I started to work with some wire and beads. I want to make myself some stitch markers and found some jewelry findings at Michael's last Sunday that should help. Here are the finished markers:

They were fun and quick to make. I may have found a new hobby!!

Lining Fabric Chosen

Here is the lining fabric that I've chosen. With such a busy weekend, I didn't have the time that I thought I would to get the lining finished. However, I did get the handles sewn on. After sewing the handles, I started to line the bag, but made the lining too big, and it looked really sloppy. I took out the stitches and then cut the lining fabric down some. I will probably work on this more, tonight. Then, I'll just need to finish a few little goodies to send with it!

Great Mail!

I had a busy morning today. All the stuff I had planned were things that I really wanted to do, but there was just so much. First, I met my mom and swimming partner for 45 minutes of lap swimming. Then, I rushed to get showered so that I would only be 15 minutes late to the church musical practice. Afterward, I stayed after the practice for the women's fellowship time at church. I was so blessed to have a long conversation with my friend Julie. I finally arrived home about 2:00, pretty tired out. But, when I opened my mailbox, I saw the large envelope from The Knitting Guild Association. I ordered the pattern for the Civil War Shawl Knit Along. I was starting to open it, before I even had the door to my condo opened. However, before I did get to look through the magazine, I found a package on the counter from my upstream partner in the International Tote Exchange III. She sent coffee, chocolate and a large travel mug. Since my favorite one just broke, this could not have come at a better time!

Once I got over the excitement of such a fun package, I began to look through the back issue of Cast On that I had ordered. I was, then, a bit disappointed. I ordered the issue from 2002, instead of 2001. So, I am now in the process of ordering a pattern from the author (which is what I would have done in the first place, if I had finished reading the blog entry before ordering!) I also stopped by my LYS, Village Yarn & Tea, to see which lace weight yarns they carry. They had the Jaegerspun Zephyr, but wanted 16.95 (plus 9% tax) for 4 oz! I had already checked out the prices online and knew that I could get it online for around $35 (plus shipping, but no tax) per 16 oz. I know where I'll be buying it from, if I decide on that yarn. It is a beautiful yarn, and it probably is the one that I'll end up with, but I have to consider all my options. (Isn't that part of what its all about when you have almost a month to get the materials?) I am very much looking forward to beginning that project, but must get some others done first.

Fulling finished!

Here is the fulled bag. (It is still drying & so you can see a little of the Tupperware container that I'm using to help it keep its shape. This weekend, I plan to sew on the handles, and sew a lining into the bag. At that point, I'll really be finished. I hope my secret pal loves this bag as much as I do!

While the washing machine was working on the fulling, I made some more progress on my cardigan. I am almost done with the decrease rows for the waist shaping.

Tote Knitting Finished!

Here is the finished tote before fulling. It has been fun working with this pattern. I plan to full it tonight & then I'll have the real finished photos!

A Wedding and Knitting

This weekend, my oldest, younger brother was married. Since I needed to be there 3 hours early to be in some of his pictures, I took my tote along to knit while waiting for my turn & then to wait for the main event. I did get quite a bit done, see?

I think that I have about half of the knitting done, then there will be felting, adding hardware & a lining and then to top it all off with some decorative felted knitting! I am so excited for this and am really enjoying watching it take form. I may even have to make one of these for me. I'll definitely knit myself a bag at some point, though maybe a different pattern, as I do get easily bored on the second of anything. (This is why I often take forever to finish both socks! Right now, I have 1 sock done in a pattern, but have not even cast on for the second, yet.)

I've also realized that I love working with this yarn. I see a sweater or shawl knit in it, at some point in the future. Being half alpaca, half wool, it felts beautifully and is sooo soft and warm. Like I said, "I love it!"

Another New Project

Last night, I went shopping for yarn for the Tote Exchange III. Getting to spend an hour in the store looking at everything and talking to the store keeper, was very relaxing and exciting at the same time.

I started a swatch. Since this will be felted, the swatch needs to be, too. And, I have some elements on the bag that will be cut from the felt, so the swatch is usable...I think that's great!! I hate wasting yarn to swatch felt.