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

Purse for Mom

I finished this purse for my mom today. She loves yellow so I hope she really likes this bright summery purse. I lined it with a lime green / lemon yellow print and trimmed it with yellow piping and green grosgrain ribbon.

Bee Party

Last night, I co-hosted a 10th anniversary party for our Blue Ash Bees group. What fun! There was a trivia game, a costume contest and a bee-themed gift exchange. The two smaller group pictures show the original group ten years ago (I'm the one squatting down with the red sweater in the old photo) and then again, last night. We arranged everyone in the same order. We haven't aged a bit!!

The other group picture includes some of the newer members. Check out the bee cake. The felted purse is what I gave in the exchange. I took home some adorable tea towels (which I stole from someone else in the Chinese gift exchange!) Also pictured are my friends Linda and Nina who were the other hosts.

Chemo Cap # 2

I posted Cap 1 and Cap 3 but forgot about poor little Cap 2. And it turned out so cute!!!

Pattern: Cable Knit Cap
Yarn: Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece in Caramel (LOVE this yarn!)

Once I get number 4 finished, I will send them to the cancer center featured in Caps for a Cure. (Do join! It's a chance to put your creativity to good use.)

Socks... Finally!

These socks took forever. I'm embarrassed to admit that I started this pair on June 1st, 2005. That's not a typo. Over a year ago, peeps. I finished the first one and the dreaded "second sock syndrome" hit. I had little interest in finishing the second one. But I've been trying to finish up projects so I made myself work on these.

They are kind of cute but I still get the dreaded ladders when using DPNs. Any hints?

The details:
Pattern: Knitty Broadripple
Yarn: Cascade Fixation in varigated purple
Needles: 1 1/2

Vegas Baby!!!

I had the opportunity to go on a last minute getaway weekend with my friend. We went to Vegas to celebrate our friends' 10 year wedding. They had a vow renewal ceremony. It was gorgeous and the whole weekend was a blast. We stayed at the Bellagio and went to a very cool club called MIX at Mandalay Bay as well as enjoyed a fabulous dinner at Il Mulino in the Caesars Forum Shops. The ceremony itself was on a balcony at the Bellagio with the fountain show in the background. The rest of the weekend was spent lounging at the pool. It was nice to get away and relax for a weekend. Oh, and I only lost $20!

Doesn't my friend look beautiful!!!! The other two pictures are of me and my other friend - one with the Bellagio found behind us and the other is overlooking the Strip, looking down towards the Stratosphere end of the Strip. I think you can see the Venetian across the street from us and the Wynn down a bit.

Father's Day

After being away for the last two weekends, I was looking forward to a leisurely weekend this past weekend. I figured I'd make my husband a nice dinner for father's day. But NOOOOO, at 11 am on Saturday, my mother (who lives 10 hours away from me) calls me and says, "Dad and I are planning on stopping in tomorrow. Is that ok? Oh and your aunt and uncle are with us." GULP. "Of course, Mom!" Don't get me wrong, I miss my parents and welcome any opportunity to see them but my house was a WRECK and I panicked at the thought of getting ready. But I rallied the troops and we all worked furiously cooking, shopping, cleaning, crafting, laundry, etc. And when they pulled in at noon on Sunday, we were ready!!!

I will be seeing my parents in a few days so I planned on a belated Father's day gift. i.e. I had not even started the BBQ apron that I was going to make him (sort of a joke.) Well, I couldn't very well have my dad show up and not have a gift so I quickly sewed his apron in the crab fabric! Then I thought my uncle is a dad, too. Quick, go in the stash, find some flag fabric... poof... another apron! Well, shoot, what about my husband? YES! I find jalapeno fabric. So I was stitching the straps on the last apron when my parents and aunt/uncle pulled in. We had a great visit and as you can see, the manly men LOVED their aprons (not!) LOL!

One more hat

I finished a third hat in the Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece. This one is a 2 x 2 rib knit in which I knit some contrast stripes. One more to go and I can send the four hats off to this month's cancer treatment center. I think the final one is going to be a simple rolled brim hat; main color will be the caramel with a contrast stripe in lavender.

I finished one bag today

The finished size is approx. 15" wide (at the top) and 9 " high. Quite a roomy bag actually. I used McCall's Pattern 5082 and some nice cotton madras. I used a magnetic closure and some bamboo handles that I happened to have in my sewing room. Not sure if I'm loving the fluffy trim but I wanted to experiment on techniques. I suspect one of my daughters will like it.

Total sewing time was about an hour. I think I'll be able to cut that down substantially on the next one now that I've familarized myself with the construction.

I ended up fusing interfacing to the back of all the pattern pieces so they'll hold up for a while. Tomorrow I plan to sew a yellow bag in the rectangular shape - lemon print fabric and lime green lining embellished with grosgrain. It will be for my mom when I visit her next month. She loves yellow and it will make a nice size tote for her knitting projects.

Total Cost:
Handles $5
Madras $1
Pink Lining $2
Pink Trim $1
Magnet closure $1
Interfacing $1

Total $11

Headbands Galore

My daughter started making these headbands a few weeks ago and has been selling them for $5. She's sold 25-30 of them. They are very simple but quite cute - can't beat that!

Betcha Can't Eat.... er... Make Just One!

Does anyone else suffer from a hoarding ailment? Does anyone else walk into a craft store with the intention of making ONE project but leave with enough supplies to make... say TEN projects. Cuz ya know, JoAnn fabric and Wal-Mart might sell out of all their fabric before getting back to buy supplies for the other nine.

See the lovely stash above. Inspired by a very fun grosgrain trimmed purse that I recently purchased as well as Creative Little Daisy's FANTABULOUS bags (how fun... I just noticed I purchased the same daisy trim that she has on her black gingham bag), I decided to make a purse some purses a sh*tload of purses. They had the funnest fabrics at Hancock and the best trims at Wal-Mart (many on clearance!)

Oh and did I mention the $100 I spent on grosgrain in the last week so my daughter can make headbands to sell? She has already sold about 30 of them. She is saving money to go on a cruise to Hawaii with her friend and her friend's grandma. (Remember when we were kids and we saved so we could buy a new record or better yet, a pair of Levi Cords? Ok, I'm digressing and starting to sound like my mother...) Anyhoo, where was I... Oh yeah... the ribbon. I found a vendor on ebay who has a great selection and good prices. So I bought a whole bunch for more headbands and potentially purses once I figure out how to do it.

I should get off the computer and start cutting...

Random Garden Photos

Anyone else getting spring fever? My husband and I have a win-win system. I like to design the garden and he likes to plant it. Gotta love that! Today, we purchased a new tree for our front. It's a dwarf lilac that has been grafted onto a 4 foot trunk to give it height. Doesn't it look cool? We even bought a mini spot light to shine on it at night. My parents had a HUGE lilac tree (we used to climb in it) and every spring when I smell the lilacs, I'm taken back to spring days as a kid. Now, I'll have my own lilacs to smell!

We also purchased some tomatoes, cauliflower, bell peppers and jalapeno pepper plants. The other photos are wisteria blooming for the first time (I think it's 3 years old) and some assorted perenniels that happen to be blooming now.