Froggie's Got a Brand New Bag

This little market bag from Knit Simple Spring/Summer 2009 is amazing!

With a bit of folding and stuffing

it has self-storage Don't you think it's super cute?!

I think I'll add a button to hold the opening closed when it's folded into itself and it will be good to go!

I made this bag in about 3 hours, the first time through a pattern is always a challenge for me but I think I could make another one in less time. I have another skein of this yarn in pink that is certainly destined to become another bag. I have to say this magazine always has some great projects in it and this edition is certainly no exception. So far, a tank top and a bag out of this mag. I'll surely be renewing my subscription.

Neopolitan FO

Last night was the final LNYP at City Knitting for the summer. It will be a long few months before the next one in the fall. I made some good knitting progress and finished one of the Neopolitan Socks with the Trekking XXL.

I love it, a-lot!


How do you like it? Second sock has been cast on and I'm hoping to have it done by about Wednesday this week. We'll see...

The Saint is headed to Vegas next week for a big Teamster convention. On Saturday I'll be taking a class at City..it's a test run for Lorilee who's teaching a class at Sock Summit this year. Should be a blast.

It has been a beautiful spring day despite the torrential downpours we've had at times. The grass is a healthy looking dark green, the tulips and tiger lillies are beginning to stand tall and the neighbor's tulip tree is in bloom...

this pic is a bit blurry but another one of those torrential downpours that I referred to was just starting as I was running to put The Saint's truck in the driveway and I wanted to get this on the way. When I turned onto my street coming home from City Knitting this afternoon it was so lovely to see this tree beyond my house. I wouldn't want to have to clean up the mess it makes when it sheds though.

I 'd like to thank everyone who expressed their condolences for the loss of our friend Joe. He was a super guy and we'll miss him.

Hope you all have a great week and get a chance to knit something fun.

Goodbye Friend

Monday, April 20, 2009

Our hearts are broken

It was way too soon

Rest easy Joe, you'll be missed

Joe & The Saint
Fish Fry 5/31/08

Button-Less Tank finished!

I'm here on a dreary Sunday to say, it's finished! The Button-Less Tank is complete...it could use a bit of steam blocking around the edges but other than than I'm pretty pleased with it. I could use a professional photographer too, hehehe.



Please ignore the camo pajama pants and the bad lighting. It's all about the sweater anyway, right?

I'm going to be making another one, in red, I think, and will make some alterations to the pattern so it fits my short self from the shoulder to the arm pit better, it's a bit long there and I'll certainly be wearing it with another tank or a t-shirt under it so my side-bewb doesn't show, LOL

Thanks to The Saint - mmmm-wah - for trying to take some good photos. Love you Honey! I know he thinks I'm crazy sometimes...

Me: "remember Honey, it's all about the sweater so cut off my head and don't get too much of these wicked sexy camo jammies" hahaha. The Saint: "ok you got a wrinkle down there on the lower right part...over a bit...yeah, right there! Ok , now stand still" as Alien is playing on the tv in the background. Folks would surely think we'd lost our minds if they walked in at that moment.

So I'll leave you with this solo shot...

Thanks for stoppin by.

The Saint's pick

All the entries went in the bag

shake well...no lookin Honey


And the winner is...

no F'in Way!!! woohoo!!!! This little package will be traveling across land and sea to reach it's new owner.

Congratulations Clarabelle. I can't wait to see what you can do with the Tofutsies.

Thanks, again, to everyone who left a comment. I truly appreciate your attention. The 200th Post Contest was a big success. I'm looking forward to seeing all of you again.

On to my next challenge...

Have a great weekend everybody!

Sorry if you missed the party

Noon has passed here at Chez B on Friday, April 17.

My 200th Post/Stay-Cation Contest is now closed.


I'd like to thank all of you for stopping in, looking around and leaving a comment. I've written up all the entries and will be putting them in a bag for The Saint to pick from when he arrives home this evening. I'll post the winner tomorrow by noon EDT.

###################################################################

It's been a crazy week. I really didn't expect to be moderating so many comments, LOL. I also made a mistake starting a week of vacation with no more lofty goal than being able to sleep til I was done everyday. Therefore I haven't accomplished much aside from knitting. Oh, wait! That's accomplishing something, isn't it? hahaha.

Here's what I've done on my Stay-Cation...

the Button-Less Tank is on my super new blocking boards I'm thinking I need a wider cutting table.


I started this sock on Monday night with some Trekking XXL that I couldn't leave City Knitting without a couple weeks ago


and made some progress on my waffle sock.



Last night I knit a square for a sock yarn lap blanket that I'd like to make - eventually...I just don't understand the instructions so I cannot get beyond this one square, gah!

200th Blog Post Contest, Stay-cation and some chicken

Greetings Friends wanna enter a contest for a little prize?!

Welcome to Chez B. The Saint and I enjoy a bit of company and like to laugh-a-lot. Thank you for coming.

Over the past couple of years you may have met the fam, friends and pets or witnessed the creation of a few crafty projects both good and bad. It's been a great opportunity for me to crawl out and make some new friends. I appreciate all of you and would like to give a lucky person a little reward.

notions pictured - not included
The Prize:

A spring-y notions wallet made by me and a skein of Tofutsies (toe-foot-sies) yarn for your knit/crochet pleasure. The yarn is Chitin fiber made from shrimp and crab shells and is said to be natually antibacterial. I can imagine a nice pair of either of these footies made with this pretty yarn. A couple small things will be included to get your notions wallet started my mother has always told me you never give someone an empty wallet.

How to Win:

Leave a comment on my 200th post (that would be THIS ONE) and you could be the winner of a nice prize! I'll give a # to everybody who comments by noon EDT Friday, April 17. The Saint will pick a #, and that commentor will be the lucky winner.

3 Ways you can get a #...leave a comment (1 entry) , post a link on your blog to my contest post and come back and let me know you posted (2nd entry) or magic-link me anywhere on Ravelry with a mention of my 200th blog post and come back and let me know you did it (3rd possible entry). That's 3 ways to win a nice yarny prize from my smoke-free stash and a hand made notions wallet.

And who doesn't like free stuff? Remember to comment on the contest post - Monday, April 13th - Friday, April 17th. Which also coincides with my vacation, hehehe.

I said I'd post the results of the chicken experiment today but - I'm on vacation - and I've been sitting at this computer plenty long enough for a vacation day and I'm going to go knit now. I'll post the chicken voting results tomorrow, if I feel like sitting here again, hehehe.

Hey Grace! Sorry, the chicken experiment didn't include a can of beer. We're talking serious state bbq contest practice here, lots of different seasoning mixtures and lots of chicken eating.

2 of the 4 judges haven't given their results yet so we're waiting...hopefully we'll know this evening which of the 4 varieties they chose. One thing for sure no one will be wanting for grilled or smoked chicken or ribs around here between now and July 25th, LOL.

Everybody have a great week!

Chicken, blocking and an upcoming contest for #200

Everyone having a nice day today? Here at Chez B the sun is shining, the air is chilly and The Saint is firing up the grill for the chicken experiment. The tasting plates are ready for the guinea - uh - tasters...hehehe I'll post tomorrow on the results of the chicken experiment w/ photos.

CONTEST ALERT!!!

Tomorrow I will be posting to my blog for the 200th time! Leave a comment on my 200th post and you could be the winner of a nice prize! I'll give a # to everybody who comments by noon EDT Friday, April 17. The Saint will pick a #, and that commentor will be the lucky winner. Ways to enter...leave a comment (1 entry) , post a link on your blog to my contest post and come back and let me know you posted (another entry), magic-link me anywhere on Ravelry with a mention of my 200th blog post and come back and let me know you did it (3rd possible entry). That's 3 ways to win a nice yarny prize from my substantial smoke-free stash. And who doesn't like free stuff? Remember to comment on the contest post - Monday, April 13th - Friday, April 17th. Which also coincides with my vacation, hehehe.

The Saint scores again! On a trip to the local home improvement store yesterday he found these...and being The Saint that he is...he called me and asked "will these 24" square mat things work for you to be blocking your sweater or mine whenever it gets finished with?"

Yep, they're perfect! See...that's my Button-less Tank - the back piece, ready to be spritzed - the front is about 1/3 done.

More pics?

Here you go...

just can't seem to get the color to show right - too much sun, LOL.

Don't eat too many eggs today!

ETA: linky to home improvement store

Things that make me smile.

I've been taking particular notice lately of things that make me smile.

They're pretty random and certainly not related in any way.

On different days, different things make me smile.

I've decided to take pictures of these things so I can remember them on days when there isn't so much to smile about...you know we all have those days sometimes.

Last week when I left my office I saw some young folks with paint and brushes. They were standing in front of some plywood sheeting at the corner of a nearby building. It had been painted a dull brick red for years.

Now there is this to see...

a great improvement, don't you think?

Every Saturday morning I meet my adult children at my favorite deli for breakfast. On the way to breakfast a couple weeks ago I saw this cheery vignette...


in an over-used neighborhood these purple twirling flowers and this bench were so uplifting. I'm sure whoever put them there feels like it's their little piece of heaven.

I've been working on cleaning and organizing my creative space the past couple days and after removing the dust from these jewels I was reminded how much I love them...

...they are tools that always make me think of my dear departed Grama. The tools of sewing are many and varied but you certainly can't do much sewing without a place to keep those pesky rolly pins.

I've gained a few square feet more of space in my sewing area...I've gleaned my magazine stash and sorted them by craft. I'm contemplating the recycle of my Martha Stewart/Gourmet/Rachel Ray collection...just not sure I can part with them yet. I have so many years of Martha Stewart they take up more than a 3 ft section of my big bookcase, LOL. All of them full of information that I'm sure I can't live without. Anyone else have large magazine collections? I'm trying hard to reform but it is a hard go.

Hopefully one of these photos will give you a smile today too. Thank you for stopping in, I really appreciate your time.