Nearly Finished!

Oh yeah, thats right, I am just about finished with that tote, my very first knitting exchange project. Its just about finished, a wee bit of hand felting and it will be on its way, bamboo handles and all. Those handles rock by the way. Whoot!

I'm completely loving the shape it took, well rounded, like the body of a guitar or tulip. It has an almost spooky amount of interior room, easily big enough for any project one would want to tote about with on a given day. The pattern was a complete joy to make up.It started with Noro Krayon and size 10 needles. CO 64 and knit 17 garter stitch ridges(or 34 rows, however you happen to count. I put in 4 stitch markers to note where the sides were at the bottom. Picked up all around (162 sts) and knit for 6 inches of material.
To start the body shape, I popped in a purl on the inside of each stitch marker every row. Knitting 2 together on the outside of the marker every 4 rows. It slowly develops its hip shape, gracefully moving in, but with that purl edge keeping it looking clean.
Knit up about 4 more inches of material.
Now, iff'n I was to do this bag again, which is completely likely, I would begin ribbing on the edges only. By edges I mean the sides of the purse, not the front or back, I realize I can be confusing. Bear with me, its the first pattern I've ever tried to write out for others to try to read. ;-)
Knit up another 3 inches only this time ribbing all the way around. I prefer K2P2, but whatever floats your boat.
Now, as you are closing in on the size you want, knit one round into the front and back of every single stitch, yes ALL the way around. This adds that wavy "I'm a flower" effect. CO in preferred method.
I lined up the bottom 1/3rd of the round handles with those purl stitch edges and sewed them in.

Have I mentioned I absolutely loved making this bag. It was a total and complete Mary Poppins kinda happy feeling to knit up. Don't cha just love knit projects like that? My lil butternut was helping me with the sewing up part, a knitter in the making......

Now the only REAL question left is, "What goodies do I hide inside?"
I was thinking of taking my beads and making some stitch markers, but the little people in my house are overly helpful in that area and make things that only gramma would use, not a total stranger LOL. On the upside I've been spying on my victims blog and see she is into meditation, so I have a fantastic book by Ravi Zaccharias I'm thinking about sending. Chocolate is a given, maybe some tea.........

Dark Chocolate

I think its the time of the month I need to dine soley on dark chocolate.

*ahem*

I managed to get two more logs on my lil cabin blankie of cuteness last night. was watching Lost and needed mindless knitting for that. I was pleasantly suprised by the episode, the first 6 episodes of this season being somewhat tiresome. I honestly expected to watch last night and be able to say "Yeah, I am totally done with this show" because I'm just one of those people who actually care about a good plot line MORE than who is going to hook up with who. I totally saw Jules's Ex getting hit by the bus coming though muhuwahhahahahahaaaaaa

This morning I forwent my usual routine of getting slogged down into the internet and went directly to my cardigan. I couldn't bear to frog the precious knit, so I just cast on a new cuff heh heh. Now that the ribbed colorwork is done, it was easy for me to start the frogging process. Because I had cast on the bad sleeve too large to begin with, I can easily reclaim the yarn and not worry about it being too short for new sleeve. yus? We shall see. Meanwhile, My lil blondie of cuteness is asking me to a tea party, so off I go.

;-)

Sometimes

men are such stinkers
and other times so fantastic
Sometimes its hard to remember
we are just like em.

Sometimes my heart flutters
when he walks through the door
my cheeks blush and my arms tingle
I recall how blessed I am

Sometimes I just want to toss a pie in his face
and be sure it gets in his ears
and up his nose
And let him clean up the mess like I clean up after his messy children.

Sometimes I look at him and see
a strong, intellegent, providing family man
Other times I peek at him and see
A little boy in a too big body that needs my protecting

Most times its wonderful being married
being one
sharing children, dreams, love and laughter
making all the other times seem too small to matter.

And sometimes its a good thing to write about it.