Gypsy Sling!!!

Yes, she's complete!

Let's ignore the scuff marks at the bottom of the door and the touch up I need to do to the walls, OK?  THANKS!

My Gypsy Sling!

Cell phones nestled inside already and four (4!) pockets you can't see....this bag is the perfect size for me!

I used an outdoor fabric, Solaruim Outdoor Canvas-Merona Caribbean from Joann's Fabrics, which is the same fabric I'll use to sew the Weekender bag (at some point....I'm too tired right now).  The interior is canvas duck.  No, seriously.  I have about 10 yards of white canvas duck in the house that needed a use and this was it. I have a tendency to throw any and everything into my bags and I wanted something I could toss into the washing machine and not feel bad about it.  My last 2 bags are stained with chocolate, numerous water bottles, hot and cold tea, ink pens in various colors, a lip liner pencil, ink from papers that had bled next to the water bottles, and all the other various things that get stuck in the bottoms of women's purses (I just named the stuff I could identify).  Not to mention the numerous rips and tears in the delicate lining fabrics.  The white Sak crochet bag I bought 3 months ago looks like I've owned it for three years already.

So this bag, for me, was about beauty, elegance, and durability.  It had to look good, I had to look good carrying it, it had to be big enough (ie. Can I carry my laptop in this comfortably? Yes? Then it's big enough) to carry my everyday items. This is going to be the bag I schlep back and forth to NYC with.  This will be the bag I schlep around NYC with.

Making this was a labor of love.  I'm an occasional sewer; I can make what I want, when I want, as long as the pattern has great instructions.  Otherwise.....well, the results aren't always pretty because I don't sew enough.

So, what went into making this bag?

I read the pattern for weeks after receiving it.
I finally cut out the pattern pieces two weeks ago.
I spent 2 hours last night cutting out the exterior fabric, interfacing and lining.
I reread the instructions again.

I spent ~10 hours today sewing it.  No seriously, from about 10:30 AM to 8:30 PM I was sewing this bag.  What did I learn?

1. Take breaks.  Have lunch.  Eat dinner.  Walk away from it every so often.
2. Having a walking foot can save your life!  I've never used my walking foot before today and I can't imagine living without it now.  A walking foot is almost a must on this bag.
3. I don't think her instructions on making the fabric straps are correct.  If I had followed her directions, I would have had colossal straps (like 80" long per strap).  I took the first strap out, cut it in half, and sewed the ends together to get the correct length.
4. Amy must have a tiny phone, because there is so way I could fit my phone in her cell phone pocket.  I had planned to put 2 cell phone pockets in my bag anyway (I have a work and a personal cell, so it was a must), but looking at the finished size of her pockets, she must have assumed that everyone making the bag would be lining it in some super stretchy material.

The cell phone on the left (work) is on top of the pocket sewn by her instructions (using a 1/2" seam).  The pocket under the cell (personal) on the right is the same, but used a 1/4" seam.

The final result.  Each cell phone inside it's pocket....a perfect fit.  I didn't bother with the crease/pleat at the bottom either....too much bother.

I'm so excited and proud of what Ive accomplished.  I'm on vacation tomorrow, so I'm going to transfer all my normal purse stuff to this bag and carry it around town for a while. I'm also going to studiously avoid all the fabric and thread scraps on the floor (only what missed the trash) and the mess on my bed.  I need to enjoy this moment.

Planned Insanity

So, I know it's been a while.  There's a reason: I can't stop knitting socks.  In nearly 5 months I've knit 16 pairs of socks....well, perhaps 18, depending on how long it takes me to finish Maeva and knit the second sock of Skew (Nevermind.  Finished sock two while writing this installment).  I've learned that my limit (for sanity's sake) is 3 pairs of socks a month.  That's all I can really handle.  Besides, at the moment, I haven't been able to cast on anything else.

Which is why, for the month of June, I signed up on Sock Knitter's Anonymous to knit 4 socks. Actually 5, but I removed one because it didn't qualify for the time limit.

Yes, 4.

And I volunteered to test knit a pattern.  Thankfully, she only needs one sock complete (here's looking at you, Skew2!)

Six socks in one month.  And I won't be home until mid-month.

No, I'm not losing my mind.

It's already vacated the premises.

More Knitting

I made a commitment to blog more this year and I'm determined to do so.

My ongoing commitment to Sock Knitters Anonymous continues to lead me down the primrose path of sock knitting foolishness.

For the month of February, I planned to knit 4 socks (yes, 4...I know, insane me....).  More interestingly, I finished them, some in March, but I started in February and that's what counts! (more after the jump!)

A Skewed Reality

Tuesday, I started a second pair of Skew socks.

This has to be one of my favorite patterns, mostly because of the unique construction.  I love the ergonomic toes, the origami heel, the candy cane feeling when knitting the legs...there is so much about the sock to love.

So, I'm thinking I'll probably finish the first sock sometime this morning and go ahead and cast on for the second sock.  Or I can go ahead and get started on one of my SKA socks.

(Right now, I REALLY don't like the fact that the iPad takes such horrible pictures.  I guess now is the time to try out Photoshop Express.)

That's the other thing I love about this sock; because of the uniqueness of the construction, SSS is virtually negligible.

2012! A Milestone Year!

Wow, how time flies!The last time I updated my blog it was January 2011.....now, it's January 2012 and I'm back again. I would recap the year, but there isn't much there to get excited over...

• Started working for a new client in January 2011
• Left project October 2011
• Placed back on the project (in a off-site consultant capacity) from October 2011-present
• Picked up new client in November 2011
• Gained entirely too much weight
• Knit entirely too little
• Bought Entirely too much yarn
• Had new flooring put into house (Yay!)
• Bought iPad, cracked screen horribly, bought new iPad...refuse to allow this iPad to know anything but the luxury of its case.
• New cell phone....same crap coverage inside my house.
• Ran up Credit Cards...Then manage to almost completely eliminiate CC debt
• Paid off my car (Woo Hoo!!!)

Yup, that's pretty much a recap of 2011.  So, what am I hoping for for 2012?  Well, this is one of those milestone birthday years....and I don't really have anything planned, which is depressing me.  So, I guess the big goals are:

• Remain employed (Always important)
• Out of debt by my birthday
• Stash away more Emergency Fund money
• Come up with decent milestone holiday spot
• Lose Weight (always a goal, even if it isn't obtained)
• Buy less yarn (already off to a bad start there.....33 skeins since January 2)
• Blog more....Already up one post for the year.

Speak of which, I finally figured out how to get more blogging done this year.  I purchased Blogsy for my iPad and this is the first post I'm using it on.  I love it.  It combines all the application I use most in blogging in one app and if it weren't for the fact that I'm hunting and pecking with one finger (although rather quickly).  so let's see if this was a decent purchase.

I decided to get involved with Sock Knitters Anonymous's Monthly Sockdown Challenge.  I started back in October and managed to finish that sock. I didn't finish November's sock in time and, to add insult to injury, I've managed to lose one sock!  However, I did complete January challenge and not only did I complete it, I finished TWO socks in one month!!!  Ha!!!

Sock one: Early Spring by Janice Kang.  Knit with SWTC TOFUtsies in color way 923.  I enjoyed knitting these, but I worried the entire time because the yarn is ~48% cotton and soy (meaning elasticity might be an issue).  I was proven horribly right, but they're still a great pair of socks.

Sock two was the ever popular Hermione's Everyday socks.  Talk about a fun pair of socks to knit!  The only reason I didn't finish this in three days is because occasionally I have to put the knitting down to work.  Umm, yeah I've been wearing the socks around the house, on my new (and dusty) floor.  Why do you ask?

I'm literally chomping at the bit to start February.  February's sock challenge In Sock Knitters Anonymous is:

• Moderator Madness Month – we’re bombarding you with all the things you SHOULD have voted for just because we can :) 
• Technique: Knitting for a Cause or Mosaic/ Slipped Stitches or Self-Striping or Illusion Knitting 
• Designer: Kerin Dimeler-Laurence, Lykkefanten, Kate Blackburn

So, for February, I'm going to knit Clover and Ivy by Kate Blackburn For Sock Knitters Anonymous.

For The Solid Socks group, the challenge is Spring or a mystery sock designed by LauraJ.  Since I'm not big on mystery socks, I'm knitting one of LauraJ's old patterns, BDY February 2011 KAL, in a suitably "Springy" color way.


I'm actually excited about knitting again and returning to my blog.  I look forward to the new year now.