Loose Threads

A Bags Tale

Anyone who knows me knows I love tote bags.

posted by swakins @ 9:00 PM 0 comments

I have them everywhere.

posted by swakins @ 8:58 PM 0 comments

I keep all of my projects in them.

posted by swakins @ 8:55 PM 0 comments

So when the chance to join the Tote_Exchange came along, I jumped on it. Besides tote bags I have felted socks and toys and even a few sweaters (unintentionally). I also love doing exchanges. I started my first tote, a 'bucket bag'. Since I am always working out of a tote, I thought something that would sit on the floor beside a favorite knitting spot would be just the thing. I used Galway wool, my favorite felting wool, and added a carry along of hand painted sock yarn.

posted by swakins @ 8:39 PM 0 comments

Then I got this lovely bag from Chrissie in Singapore. This thing is increidblle, we are talking entrelac here, hand emblelished and wonderful to look at.

posted by swakins @ 8:36 PM 0 comments

Then I was asked to be an angel for someone whose partner fell though. I have been into the mitered square thing thanks to the folks at Mason_Dixon_Knitting. My partner had mentioned something she could take to the office, now I wasn't sure if she meant to carry work or knitting in, so I made the bag big enough to carry papers. I worked out the design myself, starting with the bottome square which ends with the pink square in the middle. Sometime I will get this pattern together and post it. I am thrilled with how it turned out, and hope my recipient will like it as much as I do.

posted by swakins @ 8:05 AM 0 comments

Not With a Bang...

I have held onto this site, I have thought over and over how to open this blog, what grand thing should I start with? I decided to start with this little dish cloth because I think it says a lot about me.
I found the pattern for this cloth through the Monthly Dishcloth KAL group. One of the group members had written about it and when the magzine was no longer available Creative Knitting was nice enough to put it on their website.
I think one of the things this cloth says about me is that I am a process person. If not, would I be knitting dishcloths? Would I be going to this much trouble for something to clean my dishes if the end product was my real goal. No, the real goal was just to knit.
It tells you I am foolish enough to buy a pair of needles that I thought would look photogenic, they were nice to knit with, too. I think they will become the permanant dishcloth needles. They do look nice, don't they?
It tells you that as much of a yarn snob as I am, I also love simple Sugar and Cream cotton.
It tells you that I have 'trouble staying in the lines' and can never seem to follow the pattern all the way, I had to change the count on the cables, I just had to...
It tells you that even someone who has been knitting for over 40 years can find pride in a simple dishcloth. Beind a process person, I don't seem to finish a lot, I know this and I know enough to find joy in whatever I can accomplish.

posted by swakins @ 10:00 PM 0 comments

Open for Business....

OK, the word is out, nothing in the world is safe now, I have a public forum for my many 'trains of thought' or as my husband calls them, 'derailments.'
Readers beware...
I am a huge cliche; middle aged housewife, mother of one, married almost 25 years, I am a nurse.
But I do have my idiosyncracies; I was pregnant for the first and only time at 42, I don't drive a minivan, I work in a laboratory, and I am a really lousy housewife. I am a knitter, spinner (not the exercize kind) and weaver. I dabble in lots of fiber related hobbies and will post more about them as they surface.
For now I will just go and comtemplate the ways I plan on changing the world, on blg posting at a time.....
Sue

posted by swakins @ 6:54 AM 0 comments