Time for scarves

The weather turned just a little chilly and suddenly I have an intense drive to knit warm things fast. Maybe I've tapped into my primitive roots to prepare for the long winter ahead? Can you predict how long the winter will be by the number of warm things a knitter knits before the first snow flies - sort of like squirrels and their nut stores? Or am I just a nut?

This gorgeous pink scarf is based on the woven scarf from 101 Designer One Skein Wonders. The one in the book used verigated yarn, which looks really great - but I like the pattern just as much with a solid yarn. The yarn is Lamb's Pride Bulky. The scarf is a little short because I had just about 3/4 of a skein. What you can't see from the picture is how thick it is - no cold northwind will be penetrating this lovely accessory! The pattern looks complicated, but it's really easy - and it knits up fast. This one took about two movies and a few moments while cooking.

Although I really do like the scarf and I think the color is perfect for the 3 yo who has claimed it, I'll be perfectly happy if she doesn't get to wear it for several more months! Since we're not skiing all that much, I must confess that I'm not a big fan of winter. There are just too many extra things to find and do in the morning - boots, coats, mittens etc. At least it makes me appreciate the warm months much more.

new hat and yarn review

Here is one more little hat for our good friend "charity." It will be sent to Innocent, maker of smoothies in England, which will pop the hat on a bottle and donate a portion of the proceeds to help provide heat for the elderly. Given the temperature today, I can appreciate the need for warmth. I hate being cold so I hate the thought of anyone else being cold and not being able to afford heat.

It's a simple hat with yarn overs (and k2tog) to make eyelets for a yarn string or ribbon.

The yarn is Oasis - 100 percent SOYSILk from SWTC - soysilk.com. It looks sort of like cotton. It's soft to the touch. And it knits like a dream. It's got just the right amount of stretchiness. On the little hat, the colors came out as pretty stripes of mixed colors - orange and red in one, purple and violet in the next. I'd like to make a me-sized hat, but alas I had only a sample of the yarn brought by my good friend Allison. She's got some wee hats that are worth taking a look at also.

Goodbye Summer

As if on cue for the first day of Fall, the weather turned cold and the sky is gray. It's that chilly, snow-is -in-the-air sort gray (although hopefully the white stuff is still many, many weeks away). But at least the last day of summer was sunny and warm enough for some time at the beach.

DH asked if it was a good summer. I would say yes. Easy? Not by a long shot. Getting anything done with little people (who felt no need to get anything done) around all the time was extremely challenging. Still, I feel like I had a superb summer that left me ready for fall.

The top ten things about this summer:

1. It was warm, but not too much so - we only turned the air conditioner on once or maybe twice.

2. We vacationed in CT for two weeks and it only rained once.

3. I learned to take a fish off the hook because my 6 yo really, really wanted to go fishing and there was no one else to do it. We also learned you can catch fish with marshmellows.

4. I got to spend 2 weeks in Wisconsin with my folks and celebrated my niece's graduation from high school (although I'm confused, because I'm fairly certain she was just in second grade last year)

5. My children found good activities - one enjoyed camp, another hung out at the beach, one found the basketball courts and the other two were happy wit their programs.

6. I learned how to use the grill. I wouldn't say I'm an expert, but at least I can turn it on and make a hamburger.

7. The little ones are older, so I was able to get back to biking, which I love. I'm very happy to report that I didn't forget how to ride.

8. Because the little ones are older and can be trusted to be out front without running into the street, I was able to spend more time in the garden. As a result, the flowers are still going strong.

9. Having been getting up by 6:30 a.m. to get everyone to school, I really appreciated being able to sleep in a little.

And last, but not least: 10. Our local hot dog shop started selling Almond Joy Ice Cream, which is hands down my favorite. I can usually only find it when we are on vacation in CT.

How was your summer?

It's just my bag

My good friend Allison from the left coast sent me a great kit for a bag. I admired it a good long time while finishing up some other projects before I cast on. Had I known how much fun it would be to knit, I wouldn't have waited. It's a soothing blend of k2togs and yos - just the thing to calm the mind in the midst of a hurricane during which the wind is yelling, "hey you with the needles, I'm talking to you. Are you just going to sit there and ignore me?" (Anyone who has teens will understand).

The solid green compliments the verigated yarn perfectly. It's super stretchy - it can hold at least a dozen stuffed animals. I'm thinking that it will help with my never ending quest for organization - it will be assigned an activity- soccer or swimming or beach time. Then again, it's so compact, it would be easy enough to carry along to have as an extra bag.

I highly recommend the pattern, The Everlasting Bagstopper from Knitty.com. It's a quick knit and a sturdy bag.

yummy money saving recipe

In a brave attempt at frugality, dh who does all the grocery shopping is trying to buy to a strict menu. It's a grand plan but sometimes leaves the cupboards a bit barren since we aren't skilled at it yet. Last night, I had the hamburger already thawed when I realized we didn't have all the ingredients for my planned dinner. We were missing things for my second and third choices as well. So here is what I came up with: The Family Favorite Mish Mash
To make, you will need:

1 can of tomato soup
1 pound of ground beef
rice (two cups of dry rice and four cups of water for a family of 7 - make what you need)
1/2 an onion chopped (really small for our family)
2 teaspoons garlic
worcestershire sauce (optional)
1 cup of cheddar cheese (more or less to taste)
1 cup of a frozen veggie - corn would probably be best, but broccoli will do.

In one pot - Cook the rice with the can of tomato soup and vegetable and 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce.
Meanwhile - brown the beef with the onion and garlic - drain the grease when it's done.

Once the rice is cooked, combine it with the beef and cheese. Add a little more cheese on top for decoration if desired.

I think it might be more flavorful to combine browned beef with the dry rice and other ingredients and then bake it for 20 minutes or until rice is soft. I'll try that next time.

Send over any ideas for a better name

I can't stop

These are too much fun! This one is called "Pumpkin" for obvious reasons. It's worsted weight (cascade 220) with size 7 needles. I used 20 stitches - the garter base is 6.5 centimeters but the ribbed portion (p1k3) is just barely 5. The little caps are supposed to be 5 -7 cenitmeters. With fewer stitches, I finished in the time it took dh to read the little ones their bed time stories.

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Warning - wee hats are addictive

Plucked from the Garden - this little flower is made out of some bits left from a hat and mitten set I made for myself last year.
The Luck of the Irish - the green of a shamrock bearing a ring of gold.
Could also be titled "Go Packers"

After knitting one small hat and seeing how ridiculously quick the project is for something so gosh darned cute, I decided to try another. And then another. I've got plans whirling around in my head for a few more too.

They take less than an hour and don't require a lot of concentration. They require very little bits of yarn so they're perfect for using up odds and ends. They're also a great canvas for experimentation. Try out a lace pattern or practice intarsia. The best part is that it's all for a good cause. The hats will be sent to Innocent, a UK company that will put them on their drinks and then set aside a portion of the proceeds to help provide heat for grandmas and grandpas.

To see another version, check out the Mason Dixon blog. They also have a pattern posted for a reusable shopping bag that is from their new book, Mason-Dixon, Knitting Outside of the Lines. This one looks to be as good and jam packed as their last one.

Lots o' little hats for charity

I told my little ones I was knitting a little hat for charity.

Can you guess their response?

"Who is Charity?"

Here's the deal - the folks at a drink company called "Innocent" are collecting tiny caps that they will put on the bottles for a special sale. 50p of the sale (really no clue what that is in dollars) will be donated to help pay for heat for the elderly. Not only is that a really gosh darned nice thing to do, this is a gosh darned fun project. There are patterns at the Innocent site along with a ton of pictures of gosh darned cute hats.

DH just shook his head when I explained what I was doing, but even he admitted that it was "sort of cute in a weird way" when it was popped on a bottle. There are photos of much more creative ones on the Innocent website - it's worth a visit whether or not you get bitten by the little hat bug.

The patterns call for 28 stitches - not sure what size needles or yarn since it's in British English. I used sock yarn with size 2 needles and cast on 30 stitches. I did a coin lace pattern, which seems to be my favorite lately - mostly because I've memorized it. I think it's just barely wide enough. Maybe a dk weight would have been better.

The good ladies at Mason Dixon Knitting are collecting the hats in the U.S. for a big send over to the UK. You can email them off their site for an address.

The days are shorter and the nights are cooler here in New England, but the garden is still going strong.

fashion redux

Has anyone else noticed that legwarmers are making a comeback as a fashion statement?

As a knitter, I'm thrilled to have another item that could be knitted - especially as the popularity of ponchos has declined.

This is a simple project yet holds endless possibilities for true creativity.

As a wearer of fashion, however, I'm not sure that I'm ready to embrace this trend.

All around the world

My Children and I have been introduced to Moomin, Mymble and Little My. They are delightful creatures with wonderful adventures in a tongue-twisty story described by Finnish author Tove Jansson. He is Finland's answer to Dr. Seuss. This is the fun of Secret Pal - connecting with someone through knitting and then discovering other bits of our world. My pal has also introduced me to Lin - a wonderful linen yarn with a gorgeous sheen. As you can see, I couldn't wait to swatch - it's a coin lace pattern that I've used on baby hats. I was curious to see how it would play out on this yarn, which has no elasticity.

She also sent some lovely blue sock yarn. It's "superwashvillaa" and "polymidia." I don't know Finnish, but I'll take a guess that it is superwash wool and polyester. Regardless, it's going to be fun to knit.

There were also some darling teddybear needle caps in the package, which is good since I never know what's going to happen with my needles when they aren't in my hands given how many hands are in the house.

My 6 yo dd is as delighted as I am with the SecretPal concept. She likes to help me open the package and look through everything. She has a well developed taste for yarn for someone her age. She is also fascinated to hear about where the pal is from. "Who is my Secret Pal going to be when I grow up?" she asked me recently.

So, to my Finnish Secret Pal - thank you very much for the fabulous package. I really appreciate how much you've spoiled us.

Transitions stink (sometimes)

This explains all the sand in her hair!

Do you remember that show "Let's Make Deal?" You would get something and then the host would let you trade it in for the chance to get something even better? "Do you want what's behind curtain number one? Curtain number two? Or curtain number 3?" You would be standing there with a crock pot in your hand and you could trade it in for a great new ride - maybe a new car, maybe a donkey.

I could never have gone on that show. I would have spent the entire episode trying to make a decision. I'd weigh all the possibilities. I'd consult with the person sitting next to me. I'd wander up a few rows to ask the lady in the funny hat what she thought I should do. I'd go over the benefits and pitfalls with the host. I'd make a list of comparing my options side by side. Then I'd start the process all over again.

You can only imagine how bad I can be when it comes to an even bigger decision like whether or not to switch to a new preschool. I agonized for months. Literally. Agonized. My friends were so tired of hearing about it they'd switch the subject as soon as they heard the word "pre." I'd make up my mind and then unmake it. I put off until the absolute last minute and then I put it off a little longer.

Why was it so hard?

It hit me this morning on the second to last day at the old school. I felt so sad as we went there - even though I really like the new school and I think it will be a good fit for my dd. I'm leaving behind people who I've really come to care about over the last six years. Teachers who've helped raise two of my children and parents who've become friends. Some I will see because we've become close, but I won't run into them in the mornings or at pick up.

When I bumped into one of those good friends this morning, I realized how much I value being able to say a quick hi and have a short chat about some insignificant (or significant) event. This is a big shift for us - like moving, changing jobs or even switching to a new coffee shop.

It's interesting to me that as a transition approaches, suddenly the things we are leaving behind look so much better than they did when we made the decision to leave!

The advantage of real life over the game show, of course, is that I've had a chance to look behind all the curtains. I'm fairly certain that I'm not getting the donkey.

inspiration

You know why these animals look so happy and relaxed? Because they're not trying to keep up with three six-year-olds hyped up on granola bars and pure excitement over the pending start of first grade!

What to do with children who have way too much energy? Let them loose at the Stone Zoo, of course. They can run and scream to their hearts content. Which they did. They bounced from one animal to the next just as thrilled as if they were seeing it for the very first time. Amazingly, their enthusiasm remained unabted throughout the entire day.

Today the children are "caged up" in a brick building at the top of the hill learning to read and write (I hope). The first day is so thrilling as they catch up with their friends and figure out their new routines. This morning was good because everyone (even the big kids) seemed generally happy to be going back to school. This afternoon may bring discord as the reality of homework and routine set in, but I'm going to bask in the moment of a peaceful house hold!

Trips to the zoo like this make me want to be a designer! The colors, the intricate patterns, the expressions of the animals just beg to be translated into some fabulous knitted masterpiece. That will have to wait since I have troubles even following simple directions. Of course if I'm designing the piece, then there are no directions to follow, right? Hmmmm...

Need advice

I know you've been waiting to find out if I took your advice on the tote for my cousin... I didn't. It was good advice to start over - the bag is indeed smaller than I had envisioned.

I knew you were giving me wise words, I decided forge ahead, however, because I was so far along. I decided it would be easier to just finish and make a second one if the first wasn't big enough.

Now I need advice again- this time on the best way to close or not close the bag. It's sort of a booga bag except that I want two handles - one attached to the front and other attached to the back, more like a conventional purse.

My dilemma is this - I forgot until after I'd felted the bag that I was going to make a tab to close the top. Now do I just leave it without anything, make a tab and sew it on or try to finagle a button closure? What do you prefer on your purses?

The pictures are the before and after felting - a process that continues to amaze me. The doll is there for scale.

UFOs identified

These are a few of my sad, neglected projects sitting in bags patiently (or impatiently) awaiting a little love and attention. Do UFOs have feelings? Do they know they've been shoved aside? Do they know they've become the second class citizens of the knitting project world? Is it truly obvious that it's time for school to start since I'm so far off the deep end I'm having conversations with string?

At any rate - here they are. The square object is supposed to become a freeform purse based loosely on a log cabin style of knitting. It's made of six types of yarn knitted in random order. I think I'm not entirely convinced about the colors blending well so I put it aside for awhile and then I got interested in other things and haven't gotten back to it.

Next is a crocheted baby bib started way back when at least one of my babies was wearing a bib. It probably has an hour (maybe two) worth of work left. What's my excuse for not finishing this one? Only that I can't seem to find a crochet hook when I think of picking it up. Of course now I don't really need bibs! I also don't like to crochet all that much either.

And finally we have the doll. This is the doll my 6yo asked me to make her when she was 3. I started when I was pregnant with the one who is now 3! After I started it, I realized I wouldn't have enough of one of the yarns so I rushed around to get more so I could finish it before the new baby came. Obviously, I didn't even come close! I got hung up on the feet, which are way too complicated for a doll. I think I have a hard time picking this one up because I know there's a lot of work involved - once the doll is done, she needs knitted clothes!

This isn't my complete list (of course) It's just what I found in my stash. Do you have UFOs lurking in your drawers crying out to see the light of day? There's a place that can help - it's called Summer of the UFO but it's not just for summer. It's for anyone looking for a little support to get to these unfinished projects. We'll be your cheerleaders or your coaches if necessary.

Me and my bright ideas

I'm in a great KAL called the Monthly Dishcloths. Twice a month, fabulous organizer Andi releases a new pattern just a few lines a day. The first one is a picture and the second is a pattern. That's the background to my story.


Just two days into the August mid-month cloth, I was so enamored with what was emerging that I thought it would make a great scarf. I just happen to have some fabulous fingering weight yarn from my good friend Holly Jo (who lives in Alaska and tells great stories about life up North). I thought it would be cool to do both the cloth and the scarf at the same time using the same needles. I had even started writing the blog brag in my head. As athlete after athlete learned over the last two weeks - don't count the gold medals until the race is over...



I launched into the project, adding some beads to make it fancy (sent over awhile ago by my friend Lisa in Saratoga - just a wonderful coincidence that they matched the yarn perfectly).



On day three of the pattern I began to realize that the pattern wasn't coming out quite as I had expected. It's pretty and it will make a great dishcloth. It might even make a great scarf with the right yarn and needles. But mine wasn't coming out as I pictured it.




I think I've hit a new level in knitting because I'm actually okay with this. I don't mind the "lost" knittng time. Maybe I should have waited until I was further along on the cloth before trying it on a scarf, but still it was interesting to see how differently the same pattern came out with the two yarns on the same needle size.


On a completely unrelated note - is anyone else eager for school to start? Does this make me a bad parent? I love my children, at least I say I do, but I feel an inordinate amount of joy at the thought of them having a regular schedule and a place to be other than my office every day. I feel like the living embodiment of the Staples commercial.


And on a completely different note - see that clean surface? No papers, no books, no children's toys. At last, I have dug through the piles that cluttered my studio/office. Admittedly some of the piles are in the hall and guest bedroom awaiting proper disposition, but still - this room is clean! I credit the Fly Lady and her "you can do anything in 15 minutes" mantra - it may take several days or weeks (or months) of 15 minutes at a time - but it works. It really works. If you know anyone who is trying to clean or organize or get out from under the piles tell them you heard about this lady, a self professed messie who thought it was impossible, until she did it. Now the real challenge - keeping it this way! I give everyone carte blanche to randomly ask me at some future point in time if my desk is clean -- we'll see. Maybe this time....

No frogging; just fix it

While happily making progress on what will (I hope) become my cousin's new favorite purse, I realized that I was way past the point at which I had planned to do some increasing. Since I'm designing this as I go along, I could have just kept going, but I really have my mind set on a certain style. Of course I could have frogged, it is just knitting afterall. But frogging is no fun. Besides, I have gained some insight from all this sock and lace knitting - it is possible -- and not all that difficult -- to make an increase several rows, even a dozen or more, back. If you've ever dropped and then recovered a stitch, you've already almost done it. Curious? Here's how:

Notice that there are ladders inbetween the stitches. You follow the ladder down to where you want to add an increase. Take a crochet hook and lift the rung of the ladder where the increase should be. This will become the new stitch. Take a crochet hook and pull it out a little to create a loop. You could treat this as a dropped stitch and just follow the ladder back up to the top, but that will create a hole. To close up the hole, you have to twist the loop before pulling the next "rung" of the ladder through it. The other stitches should not be twisted in the same way.

This worked well on stockingnette stitch. It would be trickier on garter because you would have to change the direction in which you pull the "rung" through the loop - but it's still no different than bringing home a runaway stitch.

Because this is a felted project with only a few widely spaced increases, I wasn't worried about whether I did a left-leaning or right-leaning increase. It would take a mind much more clever than mine to get down to that level of detail.

Wonderful Secrets

This little happy hippo hopped over all the way from Finland to say hi! He (She?) arrived with this luscious pile of pink and cream variegated wool, a pair of lovely addi turbos, delicious tea and yummy chocolates. Secret pals are fun! And mine is great! It's clear she's put a lot of thought into the packages. It's nice to be spoiled. So, thank you my pal. I look forward to learning more about you. But for now, I just want to let you know how much I appreciate you.

We in the Boston area are enjoying some fine summer days - today was warm and no humidity. That in and of itself since it is generally humid here. We lost power yesterday, which was very interesting with five children to entertain. Luckily, it happened early enough in the day that we were able to prepare for the night. It was amusing to watch the bewilderment and adjustment needed on the part of the teenagers. No television!? No phone!? No INTERNET!? You would have thought someone had cut off their right arm from the protests we heard all day long. The little ones were completely unaffected until bed time when it seemed impossible to settle down in the darkness even though it was just as light if not lighter than with the lanterns than their nightlights. I missed the dishwasher and I had to put off laundry, but it was really nice sitting on the porch with a full moon overlooking the harbor in near darkness. I was kind of sad when the street lights came back on.

This is My Massachusetts

It was great to spend some time in my home state, but it is nice to be back in my adopted state. We spent the weekend reconnecting with our current home. On Saturday we traveled into the city to spend some time with the penguins at the New England Aquarium. These are African penguins, aka jackass penguins due to the sound of their bray. They are quite loud once they get going.





On Sunday, we drove north. The first stop was a hike at the Lynn Woods Reservation - it's the woods surrounding a part of the region's water supply and one of the few places dogs are welcome. I'm not sure why this tower was built, but there was a notice on the door that a group is looking for donations to restore it. For the little girls, it's the stuff fair tales are made of. Can't you just see Rapunzel at the top letting down her long braid?



From there, we headed to Plum Island, toward the border of Maine. There are a large number of houses for sale, if anyone is interested in waterfront. It was sunny when we started but it started to rain between the tower and the beach. The rain stopped by the time we reached the water, but the skies were still moody.







In between stops, I was working on what I am hoping will become a felted purse for my cousin. I cast on extra stitches to make it a large purse, but looking at it, I'm not sure it will be large enough. I know how much things shrink down.
Should I (a) Frog and start over

(b) set it aside for another purse and start a new one for my cousin

(c) turn it into a make-up purse and start a new purse or
(d) just keep going since I've been trying to get
this started since May?

This is how UFOs get started - indecision. Just put it aside while I try to figure out what to do

next. A few months and several projects later I come across it again and still don't know what to do with it' I've been told that clutter is also the result of indecision ... could there be a connection? Hmmm...

The great welcome home gift from dh was that he had weeded the garden! It wasn't an easy job, either. The plants have been neglected since June and we've had a ton of rain. The weeds had flourished in my absence, happily filling in all blank areas and choking out the invited guests. He even tackled the incredibly invasive cat mint (?). The house was a mess, but the flowers looked great. This is the silly hibiscus - a ginormous flower on a little itty bitty plant.

Is it Fair or Not?

The SP12 question is have you ever entered your work in a fair and would you ever?

I grew up in the heart of country fair country and was even briefly a 4H member. We went to several fairs every summer but somehow never managed to get anything entered into a fair as a youngster. I had some of my artwork displayed in the junior high art show, but I suspect that every student did.

I just remembered in writing this that as a grown up, I entered some photographs in a fair in Connecticut and won some ribbons. I think it's good to enter contests because it pushes you to do your very best. You'll pay closer attention and work a little harder if you know someone is going to be inspecting it, judging it. I generally put more effort into something that is for someone else.

One day I was in a store fretting over lining for a purse for an exchange. I asked a fellow shopper what she thought. Her first repsonse was, "it's for a gift, isn't it? I figured because you are being so particular about it." Then she pointed out thought was best.

vacation knitting

It all started with an innocent stop at the yarn shop to find some yarn for my newbie knitting cousin. The guys went with us - they stood in a corner with another guy talking about football and fishing and other manly things. (We offered to let them pick out yarn for new winter hats, but they took a pass.) I had brought projects with me, of course, but yarn has a way of seducing the addict. "Oh look at me, aren't I so pretty? Just imagine how gorgeous I could really look? You know you want to try me, go ahead..." I walked past the linen. I caressed the merino and put it back. I fondled the alpaca, but left it on the shelf. But there was this tropical colored ribbon yarn that grabbed my hand and just wouldn't let go! "I want to be a purse," it told me. "Just a small one, just big enough for a three-year-old. Please take me home. Please knit me. Pretty please, with a cherry on top?" (Ironically, that's my 3yo's favorite way of asking for things these days.)

How could I say no? It's just one skein. Then I remembered that I'd left all my extra needles at home. Oh well - can one ever really have enough needles.

I actually did math to figure out how many stitches I would need to get the dimensions I wanted if I knit to specified gauge. (I didn't actually swatch since exact size wasn't crucial) I cast on 80 stitches and knit in the round until it looked long enough. Then I bound off one end, put in a zipper, knit an i-cord (that was way too long even though I measured it on dd twice), attached the cord and then I was done. Well, not quite - I quickly realized that while ribbon is pretty, it doesn't hold it's shape very well and it certainly can't contain markers very well - they poke out through the holes. Thankfully, my mom (whom we were visiting) is the crafty sort and had a sewing machine and plenty of scraps. We added a simple lining and then, it was done. DD is thrilled (and thinks the cord is the perfect length). On me, it looks like a small evening bag, on her it's like a big tote.

After having actually completed a project, I felt the need for a reward? What would suffice? Well, more yarn, of course. Besides, big sister was jealous and wanted her own purse. I was thinking of one just like her sister's only in blue. Silly me. This one likes to peruse yarn shops. She delights in fondling the yarn and putting colors together. Pick out just one yarn? Impossible. It must be two or maybe three! No simple knit for this kid - it's gotta be stripes.

I was thinking about a cabled bag before she tossed in all the extra colors. Then I was thinking basic stripes. Just as we were leaving, however, a sweater in progress caught my eye. The lady knitting it was designing it herself and had come in for help. It was made almost entirely with the bamboo stitch. This is a darling stitch that produces excellent texture. It's made like this:
Row 1: Yarn over, k2, slip yo stitch over those two stitches. Repeat across the row
Row 2: Purl (or knit if you're working in the round)

I cast on 78 stitches (I meant to do 80 but lost 2 somewhere) and knit 7 rows with one color. Then I knit 2 rows with a ribbon yarn and then 7 with the next color, then 2 rows with the ribbon yarn repeating the stripes until the 6yo was happy. I finished it with an i-cord handle (the correct length), a zipper and a lining. She inisisted on 2 pockets to hold the cords for her CD player. I was so impressed with her quest for organizations, that I happily complied.

I know that these little side projects distracted me from the knitting I brought, especially the stole that is tops on my UFO list, but it is fun to finish something so quickly!