Large Knitting Tote!

Yes, it is big!! But I plan on filling this fella full of yarn and projects so I can tote them with me wherever I go! Right now I have the outer shell done. I am working on a reinforcement for the bottom of the bag, and then a fully crocheted liner. Trust me, you could run over this bad boy with a truck and it wouldn't hurt it!

I am extremely pleased with how well the colors look together. It's exactly as I had visioned. And I would guess this bag is a good 30 inches deep. I have a pillow stuffed in it to take this picture!

I have an extremely busy weekend coming up, so I doubt I'll get to work on it much this week, and I need to put some focus on out new etsy shop...hopefully we will have some items listed this week!

An Amazing Man

This video made such an impression on me...I think everyone should watch it!

Fun Distraction

I have to admit, I have been slightly distracted the past couple of weeks! My crochet has sat next to my chair on idle for a few days now. So today I got back into the groove and am working on my granny square tote bag with hopes of finishing it up soon.

In the meantime, my sister-in-law and I have decided to open an etsy shop to sell some of our cards. I love making cards and the idea of selling them sounds like fun. From there it has grown...Rhonda was talking about recycling in our crafts and was wanting to do something with the huge mountain of plastic grocery bags she had accumulated. I had a good size mountain as well! So, we got busy making some "plarn"! It's time consuming, but kind of fun, mindless busy work...which I love since it keeps my hands busy.

I crocheted up a nice size tote bag using Food Lion and Walmart bags. Actually it took longer to make the "plarn" than it did to work up the bag!



I'm quite pleased with the way this has turned out! Some of these will definitely go into our new etsy shop!

So my mind has been busy with creating some "upcycled" items for the new shop. I had a couple of wine bottles I had been saving with hopes of making something out of them. I got this idea from a girl I work with!




















I had a hard time getting a decent photo of this, but it gets the general idea across. I strung a strand of 20 miniature lights into the bottle through a hole I had drilled in the back. Added some artificial grapes, some ribbon, and a glass ornament at the top. Perfect Christmas gift for a wine lover.

So, now I am soliciting everyone I know for empty wine bottles! And I have all kinds of ideas of how to dress these bottles.

It would be so nice if I had more time to work on these things, but a full time job and life in general has to be tended to first!

Since Thanksgiving is coming and Fall is here, I have been sprucing up the house to cozy it up for the cooler fall nights. This is my favorite time of year! And here in NC, the colors have put on a beautiful show this fall!



















A corner of the living room. I filled up this urn with fall silks I have collected over the years!















I made this up in a matter of minutes using some artificial pumpkins I had, fall leaves, and a basket that was given to me! It's a pretty good size and sits next to the entry way to the living room. I added some miniature lights in the leaves and it glows! I think once Christmas gets closer I will take this apart and use the basket for some kind of Holiday arrangement. I've been picking up pine cones and think they would be so pretty in this basket.

It's raining outside, very dark, and a definite chill is in the air...I got on my comfy pj's and slippers and am headed towards my favorite seat in the house with my favorite quilt, and thinking I'll pick up my crochet hook for awhile until I head for bed! Sound a little bit like heaven?! It does to me!

Granny Square Tote Bag

I have my squares done and I am starting the assembly of my new tote bag. I would say this is the favorite step for me, I love stitching my squares together. Most don't like this part, but not me, it instantly transforms the squares. Did I say this bag is for myself? Yup, it's all mine! I have wanted an oversized tote to drag my projects around in with room for a couple of books possibly a snack, and whatever else I can fit in it!

I am lovin the colors. Half the fun is the designing as I go. I've never been one to draw things out although I do have a good picture in my brain of what I am wanting.
Sunday evening I got all my grannies stitched together, then cast on with some black yarn for the bottom of the bag. This step is simply knitting a seed stitch on circular needles.


I will probably continue this until I get it about 4 to 5 inches wide then bind it off and begin the bottom of the bag. I want the bottom to be flat and very sturdy! I plan on using this baby!!
It's only Wednesday...so maybe by the weekend I will get to finish this up! The seed stitch bores me a bit, so I am a bit slow with this part.

Meanwhile, here is some crochet inspiration I wanted to post for future use!

I thought this was so pretty! It looks like it is done in about five different colors...it's very impressive! The square looks fairly simple, but I bet it eats up some yarn.

Pretty...pretty...pretty. The colors in this are gorgeous.

Now this is just plain yummy! It's full of color and looks so soft.

Scarfi-goodness

This past week I found myself feeling strange after finishing up my afghan! I do not do well on idle, so I dived into my yarn stash and started making granny squares. These are truly an addiction, and any of you who have learned how to crochet one and put together a scarf, blanket or anything with them will understand what I mean by addiction. Flickr alone has many groups dedicated to the granny square. I find them fascinating! They can be manipulated into just about anything from clothing, to linens, to blankets...the list is endless as well as the colors!

Well, I picked up my crochet hook, and by the end of the week I had finished up three scarves! Each one individual and one of a kind, showing off their granny squareness!

Check'em out!!

This one reminds me of a Granny Smith Apple with its bright green and red colors!


I used some great homespun yarn in this one. The green homespun has "fuzzies" in it which almost look like wooly worms.


This one reminds me of milk chocolate. I used two tones of brown with it and popped it up with red and hot pink.

These have gone straight into my etsy shop! I noticed a lot of granny square scarves listed on etsy lately so I am not sure how well they will do...but I love them, and maybe someone out there will love them and want them as much as I do! (I did make myself a granny square scarf, too!)

Sunday afternoon, I found myself staring again at a basket of leftovers from my last afghan. I love these colors so much, and have been "jonesing" to make something with those traditional squares edged in black... you know, the ones like our grandmas used to make!? So, I grabbed a couple skeins of black I had tucked away and commenced to putting colors together! The addiction continues!

JUST LOOK AT THOSE COLORS! I have an idea for a new bag in my head, and these have inspired me...so the creative process has begun! I will post more photos as I work on this as I did with the diaper bag!

Here's hoping for a good productive week, with a little time to squeeze in some more of these little squares!

FRIDAY NIGHT LEFT OVERS

Now these are my kinda leftovers! Believe it or not, I crocheted up this little scarf in one evening! Friday evening we put a movie in the dvd player, and I decided I would like to do some granny squares while watching a movie. (Honestly, if I don't have something to work on while watching t.v. I'll fall asleep!) This is some yarn I had leftover from my latest wrap/scarf that was calling to me! I crocheted my squares together as I went along, which I normally don't do. It turned out so cute - and it's all mine! I plan on wearing this one this fall and winter. I do have a couple more in the works for my etsy shop.

These are both going to be really cute when I get them finished up. My goal is to get them done this week. I have been on such a crochet kick lately. And this weekend I got so much done! These two scarves were started...a finished scarf on Friday night, and I also picked up the Lambs Pride I have been holding and started experimenting with it.

I love the colors in this Lambs Pride. They are so vibrant. I was thinking of a little blanket for one of my nieces, but this has too much wool in it, it's just not baby friendly. They do look very girlie though!


So at this point, I am not sure where I am going with these. I have asked some of my flickr buddies for suggestions, so we'll see! They are so full of creative ideas...I love my flickr friends!

Okay, the weekend wouldn't be complete without getting Phoebe into the act, and since I had the camera out, and the light on the covered porch was perfect, I took advantage. I rarely get a bad picture of her. I posed her on my afghan...she looks so pretty! She has to indulge me since Brad won't let me take his picture and there are no kids in the house.



Just look at that face! I suppose those that don't have children can understand how I spoil this little creature. She has brought so much life into the house.

Sunday evening is here, and I'm starting to think about work, and the week ahead. I hope it will be a good week. My low carbing is doing very well and I am in the zone! It takes a while to get your body there. I've been on it about three weeks now. I haven't actually stepped on the scale to check my progress. I do better if I don't. I can gauge my success perfectly from a pair of jeans I have in the closet!!! I'm getting there!

You see that chocolate candy in the background of Brad's? It isn't even tempting me!

SHE'S DONE!!!

Finally!! I got her done this weekend. Just finished up weaving in the ends before I snapped this picture! I love it!!!! It's a nice size, about 5x5, very soft, and a great weight. Perfect to snuggle up under on those cold days. I used Red Heart Soft, twelve colors I believe and the edging is simply four rows of half double crochet.

As those who know me, I am so addicted to granny squares. I don't know why, but I love the way they look when I get them sewn together. I knew when I started this blanket I did not want each square to be alike...I wanted my afghan to have a folk art feel to it...and I think it does! This will be one of my treasures!

Here it is laid out flat. It definitely has a folk art look to it. I couldn't be more pleased with it. Of course, it looks so much better in real life.

Now that this is done, I hear Babette is calling to me! It needs to be finished.

I managed to squeeze in some time to get another wrap knit up for my etsy shop. I am a little attached to this one. It's so soft and I love the red and brown colors together. I made it nice and long so it can be used as a scarf as well.

I think I like it best worn as a wrap. But it's hard to decide. I used a variety of yarns in different textures size 10 circular and a simple garter stitch and accent rows of cream with a button whole stitch...it gives it yummy texture. I decided that it needed no fringe on the ends. You can see how many ways it can be worn!


Well, gotta go...IT'S PEANUT BUTTER JELLY TIME!!! :-)