It's Magic!

Knitting is a great way to pass time that I would otherwise spend twiddling my thumbs. Oil changes, doctor's visits, and long car rides are no longer total wastes of my life.

People react to a pair of knitting needles in different ways. Sometimes a get to hear a story about a favorite aunt, sometimes people bemoan their lack of creativity (Total nonsense, by the way. Anyone can be creative, they just need the practice and encouragement), and sometimes they pull out their own needles and show off their current project. Kids are, by far, my favorite though. They have all kinds of questions. When I have the patience, I slow down and show them how it works, but most of the time the answer is simply, "It's magic." I get to call myself a wizard, and the kids get a good giggle. Win-win.

However, there is one problem.

My purse is generally a mess.

I could carry a bag just for the knitting I guess, but then I would be lugging around two, separate but equally messy, bags. Hello, crazy bag lady.

So, here's the solution: a bag that I can toss in whatever purse I'm already carrying, without fear of lost stitches or sunglasses getting stuck in the middle of a row.

Pretty simple design. It's about 11" square, lined with muslin, zipper closure, and one outside pocket (handy for storing a copy of the pattern).

I wanted the embroidery to be messy, so I used a straight stitch back and forth.

I would have like a bigger opening, but I happened to have a 7" zipper laying around and couldn't justify buying a new one.

I love it. My knitting is now safe from errant sunglasses and lost stitches. Plus, it makes it slightly easier to switch purses.

A Few Sticks and a Bench Grinder

No one in my house uses the flat sheets that come in bedding sets.  No one.  We have a giant stack of them in our linen closet, so when I discovered this post that puts them to better use, I was very excited and promptly tore the sheet to bits. I was left with a ball of rags that was bigger than my head, but no desire to spend $12 on a pair of giant knitting needles or even $3 for a crochet hook.

So I made my own.

I picked up a 5/8 dowel rod (about the same diameter as size 19 knitting needles and size Q crochet hook) for less than $2 and cut it into three pieces.

After some thinking and consulting with an expert (thank you, dad), I discovered we had a bench grinder in the basement that dad had bought to sharpen lawn mower blades. Perfect! 

Now I have by giant needles and hook for less than $2.  I used the same basic pattern as she did, but did a row of reverse crochet around the edge of the mat to keep it from curling up on the edges. I love it, and I am already trying to think of another project to use up a few more of those sheets that are only being enjoyed by the moths and looking forward to making some nice, chunky scarves and afghans with my new (super inexpensive) needles and hook.