Easy to Knit Book Bag

I have been knitting simple projects while watching TV with my son, Ryan. He loves those music competitions (X-Factor and The Voice), so I watch with him while trying to avoid wasting time. I simply can't stand to just sit around watching TV or movies because, in the end, I have done nothing positive with my time.

This book bag (can also be a gym bag, etc.) is knit with two strands of acrylic/cotton blend. I just made two equal sized rectangles. Then, I again used double strands to knit the ends/top edging, and handles. It's an easy project. The best thing about hand knit bags like these is that they can be washed in the washer and thrown into the dryer. Just don't use hot settings if you have wool in the yarn.

This particular bag is a gift for one of my nieces.

Tackle it Tuesday - Bible/Devotional Bag

I made something that I just adore - a knitted Bible/devotional bag. Mind you, I did NOT make this all in one day. It literally took two months of working on it little by little, usually an hour in the evenings.

I used to keep my Bible, prayer journal, and many spiritual books (the ones I'm currently reading) in a fabric shopping bag. This knitted one is nicer. I placed some pockets on the side and on front to hold pens, etc. Why do I keep all of that stuff in a bag? I do it because it is good to keep things neat, organized, and in one place.

I know I'm going to love this bag.

Christmas Projects

This year, as in every other year, I'm making the majority of our Christmas gifts. While the reason is mostly thrift-driven, I have to admit that there's something special about handmade presents. I love to give them and receive them.

I have had a difficult time this year coming up with something different. Nobody wants to receive the same thing year after year. Well, this year I found a good pattern for crocheted hats. I made the one below in two hours while watching a television movie. It's very thick and warm and looks better in real life than it does in the picture.

I've also stitched up a sampler that I'll place in an inexpensive frame (no picture tonight because I forgot to get it out of my room to snap a pic. My husband is asleep). It's an 8x10 size and took me another couple of hours to do. I watched The Wizard of Oz one night while embroidering it. When I was finished, I sprayed it with some spray starch (the nonflaking kind). It's really cute. See a theme here? TOO MUCH TV WATCHING THESE DAYS! Ha ha.

Though I've teased about being a spoil sport when it comes to Christmas, I really do love to give. There's no better time than the day we set aside to honor the Savior's birth to share gifts with each other. Hopefully, we do more than giving and receiving presents, for it's His birth we're celebrating, not ours.

This Christmas season, let me encourage you to give away at least one homemade item. I think you'll be glad you did and will want to expand it next year.

Craft Patterns and Free E-book

I like Fave Crafts for all of their craft patterns. I thought maybe some of my readers would like to take advantage of this promotion.

Sling Shot Method of Casting on Stitches

I wish I had known about this method of casting on knitting stitches a long time ago! This is called the long tail method or the sling shot method. It gives a neater beginning edge than the traditional "over the thumb" method, making it look and feel just like the cast-off edge.

I am in the process of knitting a blanket, in squares, for a gift. When finished, it will have a patchwork effect similar to that of a quilt. I can't wait to show you the finished product........maybe this spring?

Crafty Challenge

I tried the Crafty Challenge posed by Crafting at the Creek this weekend. The challenge was to knit a wash cloth (Peaches & Cream cotton yarn) using a pattern posted on the site. It took me longer than expected because I was swamped with challenges this weekend, but I finished tonight.

I love these cotton wash cloths because they're textured and scrub dishes well. They hold up well too after countless tosses in the washer and dryer. Anyway, you can see the red of the blanket underneath peeking in through the little "eyelets" of the cloth. My picture isn't that great but I hope you can see how the project turned out.