Tote Exchange

As we are wrap up Tote Exchange 1, I have been anxiously awaiting my bag. Well, I was THRILLED to receive the coolest package today. Check out my bag and all the goodies in the picture. I think the bag is a Noni pattern - Baguette and it is such a clever design. My partner, Miriam, knit it from Karaeoke and some other yarn i wasn't familiar with.

This bag is so cool that even my 15 year old snooty daughter likes it. How 'bout that!

We are gearing up for Tote Exchange 2 once we make sure everyone was taken care of in Tote Exchange 1. If you're interested in participating in the next one, send an email to: toteexchangehostesses@gmail.com. We hope to kick off in the next week or two.

Knitting Tote

I finished my friend's birthday present. I made her a tote to carry a knitting project or two. The fabric was purchased at Hancock's (the lining is a coordinating fabric with knitting needles all over it) and the pattern is McCall's 5082. I used some of those magnetic snaps (purchased from an ebay vendor for less than $1 each) for a closure; the giant button is just for looks. This is the third bag I've made from this pattern. I like it a lot for a basic pattern.

Speaking of Hancock's and McCall's patterns, I received a Hancock's flyer in the mail today and patterns are on sale at various times in August. The McCall's patterns are less than $1 a piece.

To complete her present, I knit her a dishcloth with a martini glass on it and I'm also going to make one with a bee on it.

Recycled Sweater Purse

I went to the thrift store looking for wool sweaters to felt to turn them into bags. I found this sweater which was not wool but I thought it would make a cool bag. The lining fabric has shoes and glitter on a black background.

I just cut the sweater into a rectangle and made the lining the same size. I used more of the lining to make the little handle holders as well as the "scarf" accent.

The supplies cost:
Sweater: $2.99
Lining: $1.60
Handle: $2.00

Total: $6.59

Pretty cool!

Is It Hot Where You are?

Conversation between the 12 year old mouth and me.

Mom, I am SOOOOOOO hot. Can I PLEASE jump in our pond.

No, you'll scare the fish. How about going to the neighborhood pool?

I can't find the key to the gate.

Mrs. Friendly Neighbor from 5 houses up called and said you can go swim with them.

Nah, I don't feel like walking down there.

How about the City pool?

None of my friends are there.

Sorry, I don't have any other options.

Hey, I have an idea.....


Gee, I'm so proud. Mom of a genius.

[Edited: I believe the temperature hit 94 degrees today. And don't even ask about the humidity. The heat index topped at 99 degrees.]

Craftiness

I don't know what has gotten in to me but I have been all kinds of crafty lately. My friend and I painted some wine glasses for our other friend who recently celebrated her 10th wedding anniversary. Nothing terribly clever but we sure were smitten with ourselves! We purchased a lovely drink tub and put the glasses along with 3 bottles of wine in the tub.

Next, I found this very cool but ever-so-simple idea on someone else's blog. I am not quite finished so I'll only show you the raw ingredients for now. Scrapbook paper... Floral glass marbles... Glue... Adhesive magnet strip... Hole Punch... Whatever will this be? Can ya guess?

Finally, my good friend Linda's birthday is in about a week so I am making her a knitting project tote bag. I have to wait until my magnetic snaps arrive from the ebay seller before I can sew it together but you can get a general idea of what it will look like.

Caps for a Cure - off they go!

I finished the fourth and final hat from my two skeins of Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece. This last one is a simple roll brim hat (cast on 90, knit in the round for 6.5", decrease every other row) made from caramel with lavender trim. I will be sending these four hats off to this month's Caps for a Cure recipient.

One of the coordinators was nice enough to send me 6 more skeins of this nice yarn so it looks like I have 12 more hats in the works. I am making Shedir next in Tangerine.

Freezer Stash Flash!

I decided to figure out exactly what was in my freezers today. Oh boy oh boy! There was a whole bunch of stuff.

Oldest Item: Round Steak from 2002
Best surprise: Two cans of frozen Bacardi strawberry daiquiri mix (Happy Saturday to me!)
Worst surprise: A loaf of delicious chocolate zucchini bread..... dated 2003!

Here is just a sampling of what I found:

• 5 Ribeye steaks in various packages that weigh at least 3/4 lb each
• a 5.5 lb beef tenderloin
• approximately 10 lbs of ground beef in various packages, both cooked and uncooked
• 6 loaves of bread, one from 2003 and 3 packages of dinner rolls, 2 packages of the Costco garlic bread, bread sticks, corn bread, Naan, tortillas
• two whole turkey breasts
• 4 types of frozen fish plus some shrimp
• 7 packages of boneless chicken breasts
• 3 packages of meatballs

The upside is that it motivated me to create a freezer inventory form!! There is a picture of it that if you click on it, you can see it. You draw a slash next to the item you have and when you use it, you draw another slash in the opposite direction (making an X) to indicate it's gone. Pretty cool, huh? In other words, if you have 5 steaks (like me), you make 5 slashes in columns 1 through 5. As you use them, you make X's. If you want a copy of the excel file, email me.

I'm so pleased with myself and now I'm off to browse recipes for using up all this stuff.

In the meantime, considered yourself freezer-tagged! Flash your freezer stash!! Leave me a comment if you do!! Oh, and don't forget to tell me your OLDEST item, your WORST surprise and your BEST surprise!

A "BUSY" Tivoli / A Bizoli!!

Is anyone else drawn to multi color yarn but actually like the look of solid color clothing best? That would be me. I purchased the coolest yarn back in the Spring - Classic Elite Fame - in a lovely varigated purple colorway. The yarn is a nubby silk / rayon blend that is oh-so-soft! But dang! It is very busy when made into a top. Had trouble finding a project that I could get gauge until Tivoli. (see the Ribby top that was almost finished? I could have fit a friend in it with me!)

I started the Tivoli right before vacation and finished it on the drive home. I love the fit and I'm "ok" with the color. I decided I'm making another one in a solid color!!! With the picot trim, if I can ever figure it out.

Please ignore the fact that the top doesn't match my denim capris. I will wear the top with khakis.

Back from vacation!!

We took an 11 day vacation and went to the Delaware shore as well as a lake in the Poconos. Saw lots of family and friends and did lots of...... NOTHING!!!! YES! I did get a lot of knitting done and read several books (Home is where the Heart is by Billy Letts, True Crime #9 by Ann Rule, Mary, Mary by James Patterson; Oh my Stars by Lorna Landvik; and Sweetwater Creek by Anne River Siddons). I'm not finished with all the books and some I had started before I left.

My knitting progress included starting and finishing a Tivoli top (see next post), progress on an airy summer poncho; start of a Soleil in Elann Summer Sonata; and start of a cable front pullover tank from Yarn Girls (which I will likely frog cuz I'm not digging the yarn for it.) Oh, and I worked on another chemo cap.

Here are some random pictures of the vacation.

1. huge jelly fish in the river - approx. 1 foot across
2. my son on the dock at the lake;
   
3. Martini after being introduced to the lake - she did not like it!!
4. Tubing - be sure to click on photo to see psycho facial expressions!
5. my daughters and me
6. Martini after a little digging action on the beach
   
7. the kids posing with the dog at Dewey Beach