Finally a lining + random stuff

I finished knitting and felting my Noni Market bag almost a year ago.  I cut slits in the felted fabric  and wove a ribbon through it.  Then it sat- 95% done until this past week. Waiting for some stiffener and a lining.  I got off my butt and sewed a beautiful lining for the purse.  Pretty darn happy with how it came out. Check out the before and afters:

Market Bag Before stiffener and lining

After: Plastic Stiffener and raw silk lining.

Oh… see that bruise on my arm?  It’s quite colorful and will look quite beautiful with my dress on Friday at BF’s sister’s wedding .  We went paint-balling this weekend, and I knew full well that I might get bruised in a visible place.  In the second to last game, (capture the flag) I took a paintball to the bicep.  Ouch!  my calf, thigh, and middle finger are all also sporting bruises.  Nevertheless, it was FUN! My first time paint-balling, and probably not my last.  Don’t get me wrong, I am not going to go out and buy equipment or dress in camo, but going once a year would be fun.  BTW- the most painful hit was on the knuckle of my middle finger- courtesy of my dear BF!

Last night was also The Great American Backyard Camp-out- A night to turn off the TV and set up camp in your back yard.  We got back from paint-balling (and BBQ-ing with friends) a little late, so it was dark when we were setting up the tent in the back yard.  After some very comedic attempts to get the tent up, (it’s been about 3 years since I set it up last) mom came out and gave us instructions.  It was fun and we can’t wait to go camping later this summer.

Not bad for putting it up in the dark!

Love/Hate with Lace

So, I have been working my way through the list of knitting i needed to finish.

• 2nd sock in a pair for Mom
• Stuffed Teddy Bear for friend’s baby
• Felted baby chicks for the Browns
• Pink scarf I started 2 years ago (ouch)
• A slew of miniature stockings ornaments

It’s time to make a new list.  But I realized that I will be carrying over one item from the old list, an item I am embarrassed to say has been in my knitting bag for around 2 years now.  I figure I should “encourage” myself to finish this UFO (un-finished object) through public shame.

50% Done

Lace I’m loathing… My  UFO Hall of Shame Item #1: Pink Lace Wing Scarf

Let me be clear- I am loathing this project because it is lingering, I love the scarf itself.  This lace wing scarf is a great pattern written by my dear friend Faye for the Yarn Shop Hop a couple years ago.  I am knitting it with Elsbeth Lavold silky wool. I love the yarn, I really don’t know what the problem is.  It sits in my knitting bag, then I move it out to make room for newer projects, then I move it back in cause I feel guilty about not finishing it.  It’s a vicious cycle.  The thing is in the “queue” behind this one is the same scarf in a pale blue for my mom.  It’s taken me a year and a half ! So I really blame it on my co-worker Tim, he jinxed me with this scarf.  a year and a half ago he and I were carpooling to a training class together. I naturally had my knitting with me- this scarf in fact and as i was knitting on the drive down we had this conversation:

Tim: “How long have you been Knitting”

Me: “Oh for 2 or 3 years”

Tim looks incredulous: “2 or 3 years and you’ve only gotten that far!”

We had a good laugh, but it’s almost true now- I have been knitting on that scarf for almost 2 years now- well not knitting, but having good intentions of knitting.  So, I am carrying over the infamous pink scarf to my new list of knitting.  I’m calling myself out on my blog to try to keep myself on task.

Lace I am in love with

True to my nature, I’ve added more projects to my ever growing queue, ahead of projects that have been on the “bench” for a while.  But this one, its so worth it.  For a wedding gift, I am making a Hemlock Ring Blanket, a round lace wool throw blanket… picture it in your head, yes- it’s a giant doily throw blanket! But it is so elegant and has been very engaging to knit (no pun intended!).   Cascade Ecological wool is great to work with and the natural color is perfect. The pattern is a 1942 knitted doily pattern that blogger Jared Flood  of  Brooklyn Tweed blog up-sized and charted.  I am loving knitting this pattern!  I may have to make another blanket for myself when I am done.   The photos below are not my knitting- I’m only about 60 rows in so far, these are photos from Brooklyn Tweed’s blog. I can hardly wait! I will post photos soon.