Happy But Disappointed

Knitting and felting....sometimes I wonder why I take chances. I am not the type of person who gambles. If I am going to throw away money, I'd rather spend it on something tangible. Nor am I one who enjoys taking chances. I have a hard time making decisions no matter how major or minor the decision is. So why do I knit something, felt it all the while knowing I am taking a chance with how it will felt and then be disappointed in the outcome? Why do I torture myself? Ugh! The last three knitting/felting projects (bags) resulted in being happy with one and very unhappy and disappointed with the other two. The two disappointments were for me. Thank goodness, the one that I loved was an intended gift. I really had a hard time giving it up but I had already shown it to the recipient as I was working on it. Which makes me wonder....why? Why do I do this? Why has it turned out this way? This latest disappointment was exactly like the one that I loved and gave as a gift. Yeah, I know I used a different type of yarn. The major difference other than color was the thickness of the two yarns. It was the same size in the prefelting stage. I loved how it felted but it was too wide for me. That is exactly what happened to the other disappointed one - too wide. Lucky for my sister-in-law, she loved it when I showed it to her. So I gave it to her and received some satisfaction in the idea that someone wanted it.

So I guess you are wondering what does the bag look like? Here it is before felting:


and here it is the bag after felting:


In the picture it does not look too wide at all, does it? That is because I tucked it in and arranged it trying to figure out if there was anything I could do to make it work for me. No luck. Oh, well. I do know someone at work who would love it.

So, how is the weather treating everyone? I woke up this morning to this:

and I was able to stay home today.....school was cancelled. Yes! Although all I have thought about was how disappointed I am that I don't have a new felted bag. :(

Another Wonderful Swap and A Prayer Request

I love swaps and I am always so impressed with the talent and generosity of crafters in cyberspace. Yesterday when I arrived home, this is what was waiting for me in the mailbox from my pincushion swap pal:

Now I ask you...is this not the cutest little chicken pincushion you have ever laid your eyes on? Look at those big blue button eyes and those tiny little yellow legs. The beak and comb are made of fleece and the fabric is perfect for a pincushion. Unfortunately, the creator of this cutie pie does not have a blog. She lives in Fresno, California and is a quilter.

This is the pincushion I made and sent to my pal:

This quilt pattern is called Cathedral Window. I have never tried this patchwork pattern. I wish I could say the idea of using this quilt pattern as a pincushion was my original idea but it wasn't. It took several attempts before I understood exactly how to do it and then I had to figure out what size the two squares should be. The stated sizes given in the instructions made the square too small. I also struggled somewhat with the handstitching but I thought it turned out pretty good.

Now for the prayer request - This week at a small high school (grades 7-12) in a small community (pop.2300) near my home, there has been a scandal concerning two arrests (a cheerleader coach and a principal - each were arrested with different charges). I won't go into details but it has made the news locally and I think nationally. It is a sad, sad situation and I can't seem to get it off my mind. As usual, rumors are flying like vultures flying over a dead animal. I know several of the teachers and one of them is a very good friend of mine. This friend tells me that the arrests, the media circus, the rumors have taken a toll on the entire school. Students don't understand why this is happening. Some students initiated a "Meet Me At The Pole" rally before school this morning and the prayers from both students and staff were very moving. I am asking for prayers for these children, teachers and community during this time.

Knit Mitt Kit Swap

I received my package from my Knit Mitt Kit partner today. It was fantastic. Kiki, from Germany send me this:

It included these:

A beautiful knitted bag with gorgeous beaded markers, cute little walnut pincushion, a precious knitted rabbit along with chocolate, cookies, a notebook, tiny bamboo double pointed knitting needles, two patterns, lotion, and 4 skeins of wool yarn. I wish my photography really showed how beautiful these gifts are. Thank you very much, Kiki.

For Christmas this year, my dear sweet husband gave me a new sewing/embroidery machine. Here is one of my first few sewing projects (apron) where I sewed with the embroidery part of the machine. Not bad for being a beginner. However, I am learning lessons along the way.
Lesson #1 Do not rush when trying to embroidery or else the outcome will be sad and pitiful.
Lesson #2 When in doubt, use stablilizer.
Lesson #3 There are certain steps to take to set up the machine to embroider or else the machine will not be happy.
Lesson #4 Embroidery is fun!

Busy, Busy, Busy

It has been awhile since I've written. Don't really know why except that I've been busy. Athough if you asked what I have been doing, I don't know if I could tell you. It isn't a big secret. It's just I can't recall exactly what I have been doing. Well,maybe I can. I have started a weekly Beth Moore study on Daniel. Excellent study. She always amazes me with her perspective.

I also am learning Excel with a group of teachers once a week. Hopefully I can master more than just sorting, and basic calculations. It will help simplify some of my responsibilites if I can move behind these basic skills.

In between these activites, I have been reading some of my favorite blogs, trying to change my banner (not happy with it), and trying to decide if I should stay with Blogger or purchase an account with one of the other blogging sites.
Any thoughts out there on blog services? It would be greatly appreciated.

So what else have I been up to? How about this...

Bag made with wool fabric purchased during my visited to Fabric Row in Philadelphia.


Bag was made for Knit Mitt Kit swap. Pattern was in Quilts and More magazine. For the swap I had to make a tote bag, and then fill it with yarn, and a mitten pattern. I can't wait to see what my kit will include.

Is It 2007 Already?

My, how time flies when you are having a good time....I can't believe it is 2007 already. It seems like just the other day everyone was talking about Y2K. I don't usually have resolutions at the beginning of the year, but I do think about things I would like to improve in my life - more time reading God's Word, being more organized with housekeeping, taking better care of my health, etc.

So what have I been up to lately? Well, I shared the Christmas holidays with family and friends, cooked two large meals (one for my husband's family and then another for my family), sewed on my new sewing machine (thanks, honey - I love it!), and enjoyed precious time with my son who was home for a brief 4 days. My two sisters-in-law and two nieces went crazy over the sewn and felted bags I made for them. And I finally finished the Lucy bag which I started in the summer.
Before:
After: I guess I should have place something next to these pictures for perspective. The "before" bag was huge. I used Reynolds Harvest Tweed wool and was very pleased with how it turned out.

Tomorrow, I return to school. Since New Year's Day, I have been trying to get some house chores done, so I was determined to do something crafty today and to decide what my next knitting project would be. I decided to try a baby sweater. This will be my first attempt. I have made the baby kimono in the Mason Dixion book but never a "real" sweater. I'll post later as I work on this. The crafty items I completed today are these:

This matchbox notepad is about 2 inches in size and so cute.

I, also, started making some mini clipboards for our school board. In a few weeks it is School Board Appreciation week, and my principal asked me to make something for them. So I played around with some small clipboards/paper and this is the result.


Well, enough of this...it is time to knit!