Mmmm...yarn

So I decided I needed a booga bag. Really, I just need a basic tote, but I also needed a good excuse to buy some Noro. So hey, booga bag kills two birds with one skein- er- stone.

And my LYS still has some mission falls cotton, and I found a shrug pattern for it (and I have been looking for a nice shrug pattern for ages)- this one is from the spring 2005 Interweave Knits. Yeah yeah, crappy picture...



It's lace knitting, using a chart. I think this will be my "challenge" project for the next little while. Because I really could use a challenge. /sarcasm

But really, isn't this yarn gorgeous?

Suddenly

I have a million ideas, and only one project. I'm really dragging my heels (no pun intended) on the broadripple socks because I hate the aluminum needles. I will look for bamboo next time I visit my parents (many many wonderful LYSs in their city), but until then, I have a million other decisions to make.

1. I want to make the lace shrug from the spring 2005 Interweave Knits. I already have 4 skeins of mission falls cotton with no project attached to them. I need to get 3 more, and hope they're the same dyelot.

2. I want to make myself a sweater for fall. I'm torn between the "Under the Hoodie" and the "Cowl" (from the Cowl and Howl set) in S'n'B. The hoodie would be more fun, I think, but the cowl would probably get more wear. But, the largest size for the cowl has a 37.5" bust, and I'm a 40 easy. It says the loose gauge results in a stretchy sweater, but just how stretchy? Hmm....

3. Once I decide on a pattern, I need to find the yarn. The hoodie calls for kid classic (not in my budget, not in my dreams)- and while I think I've found a decent replacement in Diamond Yarns Carioca, none of the colours at my LYS really inspire me. The cowl uses lamb's pride worsted, but pure wool makes me itch too much to wear a large garment, so I need a substitute in a blend- wool cotton, or cotton silk, or something else soft that will meet the gauge of the pattern.

And now I have a 15% discount at my LYS, so I feel the need to buy all the yarn I could possibly need for the next year or so at once. I'm sure that it will be more stress than it's worth.

Knitting is supposed to be fun. Someone needs to kick my ass and remind me of that.

Finished so soon?

I really thought it would take longer. The nice thing about
designing your own stuff is if you start to get bored, you can always
change things around to make them more interesting.

I'm very pleased with it. It came out a little smaller than
planned (note to self- lopi felts fast) but I think it makes a quite
dainty purse. Using words like dainty makes me feel like my
grandma. Hmmm, I don't quite know how I feel about that.

I also got to use one of the great antique buttons my MIL bought for me
in Smith Falls. I've been looking for a reason to use them for a
while now.

Before this project goes to the auction, I'm submitting it to a "Show
and Share" at my LYS. Not only do I get to have people I've never
met stroke my ego, I get a 15% discount on my next purchase. And,
it's a great way to plug the auction in my community. These women
are doing a great thing, and they deserve scads of attention and praise
for it.

Oh, and sadly, the 'V' shape of the purse is much less defined after
felting. Now it looks more like a cute little bra. No
matter- it still reminds me of V.

I'm Pulling a Purse Out Of My...

Um, yeah.

I'm not a designer by any means. I just wanted to try my hand at something semi-original. I'm going to be donating this purse to the charity auction at Sybermoms for breast cancer research, so I really want to make it special.

It's still a work in progress- we'll see where it goes from here. It's working title is the Pink "V" Purse. Not inspired by, but does remind me of, a good friend of mine.