Why today is fabulous...

1. I finished lining my lunch bag and it looks amazing!  I love it so much, I may be afraid to actually pack my lunch in it :)
2. I rediscovered some vintage ribbon from my Maw Maw (other grandmother) … She used to work for Shadowline and was able to stock up on sample lace/ribbon before retiring.  What I found looks pretty vintage (a la 1970) and it is satin with embroidered flowers.  Now please, tell me where you can actually get that today without just an ink printed pattern?!   I’ve used it on the lunch bag so check it out when I put up pictures.
3. I got mail! Have I ever mentioned my Aunt B. works for textile giant Coats & Clark?  She is why I have most of my knitting/sewing things! Earlier this week she mailed me quite a few knit & crochet magazines.They came yesterday and look awesome!  I can’t wait to go through them and will be sure to tell ya’ll about my favorites.
4. I am working from home today! And as a result can actually cook myself lunch… which pretty much makes any day better :)
5. I had an idea! One of these weekends where I actually have time - I’m going to the antique mall to look for vintage fabric.  Why buy stuff that only ‘looks’ vintage when the real thing is cheaper and more interesting?  I can’t wait!

Road Trip

We took a little trip for Easter this past weekend to visit the in-law’s (sans the brother gallivanting in Denmark).  They were down in HOTlanta and yes, I was a tourist…. Despite the 8 or so hours in the car, we had a fabulous time. Good food, great company, and fun tours around town.

Amongst my brother-in-law’s history lessons (ha, that may sound like I am joking but really they were very interesting/enjoyable)… we got to talking about how Atlanta held the premiere of my favorite movie ever: Gone with the Wind. Ever since - I have an unshakable desire to watch it and pretend to be Scarlett… in the parts where she was nice and had beautiful hoop skirts of course.

Anyhow - all that aside… I am supposed to be talking about knitting. So here goes:

8 hours in the car = completely knitted lunch bag

I will be felting it tonight, so get ready for pictures!

Knitting in the round

Well, I got started on the new lunch bag last night.  And so far I have learned one valuable (though slightly humiliating and simple) lesson!

The bag starts off with a simple garter stitch (K every row) that you knit back and forth making the base of the bag.  Next, you pick up stitches on the edges using a circular needle and begin knitting in the round. 

I swear I have knit in the round before… but here’s where I lost my mind.  The pattern says use stockinette stitch.  This USUALLY means knit one row, purl one row when knitting back and forth and flipping your work at the end of the row. Silly me thought it would be the same pattern in the round… well NOT so much!  I kept getting confused that I was ending up with garter ridges, not a flat knit. 

For your reference,

 Stockinette looks like this:

Garter Stitch looks like this:

Lesson Learned:  When you knit in the round, you do not flip your work.  SO, you do not have to change between knit and purl rows to get the ‘stockinette’ look.  When knitting in the round you actually have to knit each row for stockinette. 

Hopefully someone else finds this tip helpful and doesn’t just think I’m a spaz :)

Green Baggin' it

…My lunch that is! Yes, I am one of those people who brings their lunch to the cube everyday. I enjoy stinking up the office with my ‘healthier-than-Salsarita’s’ lunch!

As a result of its constant use, lately my lunch bag is looking a little down in the dumps… SO I found this awesome pattern for a felted ‘brown bag’ from knitty.  I think it is pretty darn inventive, and plan on using my leftover green wool and lining fabric from the Kelly bag to make it! 

Hence, I’ll be green baggin’ it hopefully by next week :)  More to come!

Oh- and PS - I also finished the Zig Zag afghan last weekend… so I’ll try to put up full pics soon.