I started working on this little handbag in July. I've been finished with the knitting part for some time, but actually had to drag out my new sewing machine to sew a lining for it. I was excited to use the sewing machine for the first time (not the least of my excitement had to do with the fact that this bargain purchase actually worked). I sewed the lining in by hand, and then realized that the handles, which I had taken off of another bag which I was throwing out some time ago, needed be to put on before the lining. Ripped the lining out, attached the handles, and sewed the lining back in. Upon further reflection, I should either have gotten smaller handles, or made the bag bigger, but in any case...here's the finished product:

This post is all about my yarn. If you don't care about my yarn, then this is not the post you are looking for. I suggest you skip it and move on. So, I went to the UPS center today to pick up the yarn the the guy from Caron had offered to send to me. When I spoke to him at the trade show, he said he'd send "a couple of skeins". I put down 2 color choices, in case for some reason they should be out of one. I clearly marked them as 1st and 2nd choice. I expected to get 1, or maybe 2 skeins of one color, enough to make a scarf or something. When I picked up the box today, there were 9 skeins of each color inside. Now I have to figure out what to make with it. Because I was still driving around with the yarn I bought from geekpixie, as well as some cotton ease and other stuff I had bought at various points on sale, my yarn drawers needed a little better organization. I took all of the yarn out, and sorted it more or less by type. Now, with the exception of the single skeins of acrylics, and leftovers of various sorts, all of my yarn fits into the yarn storage unit.

I've been something of a slacker lately...at least when it comes to writing. It's not that I haven't been doing anything, but I guess I haven't much felt like writing about it. So, some of the exciting things I have been doing lately include: 

Numerous trips to the club for fun and flailing

An expedition to Mount Greylock

Another weekend in NH

A business trip to CA and Chicago

An outing to Salem

A trip to the zoo

I've also spent a good portion of my time working on my knitting. I've taught myself how to do entrelac, have played with dyeing yarn, and have made another fingerless mitten (though I have yet to make its mate). I am probably going to do some lace work, and start a sweater as my next projects. I have a completely unreasonable amount of yarn. Additionally, I've been reading more lately. I had definitely slacked off on this respect for some time, and have been making a conscious effort to read some of the books that have been waiting for me. In that spirit, I have read several books in the last 2 months: The Plague Tales and The Burning Road by Ann Benson Shade's Children by Garth Nix Madame de Treymes and Others by Edith Wharton Secrets & Confidances edited by Karen Eng Mirror Mirror by Gregory Maguire The Whole by John Reed Sloppy Seconds by Megan McCafferty I get a lot more reading done when I am suffering from insomnia. Otherwise, not a whole lot of interesting developments. 

So, last week, I started experimenting with Entrelac. I used some acrylic yarn I had leftover from another project as a test of the pattern. It came out pretty funky, and I think I am going to make a pillow out of it. I'll post pictures once that is done. In the meantime, here are some pics of a scarf I am working on with an alpaca/wool blend yarn that I dyed myself. I am such a dork. Also, I forgot to mention that geekpixie and I had a yarn-for-money exchange which I think worked out very well for both of us. I am very much looking forward to making a sweater with the bottle green patons classic wool. =) And, continuing on my yarn entry: I received an e-mail today from the guy at Caron yarns that I spoke to at the trade show. My sample skeins of yarn are on their way to me. Rock on! Free yarn! Tonight's plans: clean room to make space for yarn.