KnittingHelp.com

For all my knitting friends out there, I wanted to give you this link to KnittingHelp.com. Even if you’re a fantastic knitter, an expert at all things yarn, it’s sometimes helpful to return to your roots. Or, if you’re like me–barely above mediocre–these videos will help you to learn the basics and then some. They have several techniques for each tip, and it’s good to have choices. And the videos are short. If I can’t learn it in under 5 minutes, it’s not worth learning.

I’m personally working on increases and decreases, and because I knit kind of funny (different than anyone I know; that’s what I get for being self-taught), the videos help me to modify the instructions I’ve been reading in my Stitch ‘N Bitch book. I’m very much a visual learner, and this website feeds that need.

I purchased these pretty cardboard boxes at IKEA months ago. I thought I would use them as pattern boxes, but as I stood in the aisle at the store, I couldn’t be certain if the patterns would fit. Lo and behold, they are perfect! And at $3.99 for a set of 2, I can’t go wrong. I picked up two sets, and I am using the other two to hold my smaller, “in progress” projects. It keeps the mess at bay around my kitchen table, and it jazzes up my sewing area.

One for clothes.

And one for everything else.

(P.S. Sorry for the blurry second photo. That damn natural shake of mine doesn’t exactly lend itself to crisp photos. But you get the point.)

I took the time a few weeks ago to sit and organize my fabric, patterns, and sewing notions. I made a mess, but everything got put back together…eventually.

I have a lot of projects I’m looking forward to working on. I have to finish my father-in-law’s Christmas present first. I’ll post photos of that once it’s completed. Then I’ll get my mother-in-law’s done, and then I will start working on stuff for myself. I’ll get a few more gift bags done up between projects for Christmas. I already have my bro-in-law’s Christmas present, so I’ll be making the bag for all that first.

Here are the first two gift bags I made. They’re super easy, and I’ll be making plenty of these in the upcoming months, I’m sure.

This bag is awaiting Erin’s arrival this evening. It’s stuffed full with her birthday present (a sweatshirt), her graduation present (a t-shirt and stationery set), and a few books and cards I’ve picked up for her along the way. She’s on the train here as I write this, so I have no concern that she will be reading this before she gets here. Needless to say, these gift bags can hold a ton!

I haven’t decided if I’m going to use this bag for my friend, Brooke’s, graduation present and housewarming gift, or if I’m going to wait and make a smaller one for her. I added the buttons, as I purchased two huge jars stuffed to the brim with buttons at an auction a few months back, and I need to use them for something. I love buttons. They’re an obsession of mine, and I think they add a lot to a simple project.

I know I’m not terribly exciting these days, but now that I’ve finished a few things for school, I feel like it’s OK to sit down and get some crafty stuff done.

And I know my mom and older sister and cousin read this, and they totally appreciate crafty stuff. One of the reasons I love them all.

Application

I applied for a job today. One that I really, really want. You know what that means?

I won’t get it.

Because I want it too much.

Oh, well. It was worth a shot.

So, I’m back. Very busy couple of weeks. We drove out to see my parents in ND. We spent five days there, and then we were swept off to MN for my little sister’s wedding. Then we drove down to my older sister’s house for a couple of days, and then took the train back to MI yesterday.

Oof. I’m tired writing about it. Anyway, here are some pictures from the wedding. It was beautiful; the sisters were beautiful; it was good. That’s all I’m going to write for right now because I’m still bushed from all the traveling.