Booga Bag!

The Booga Bag is complete!

Project: Booga Bag
Needles Used: Size 6 circs.
Yarn: Cascade 220 (black and turquoise), Noro Kureyon (184, 209)

Modifications:

Cast on 50 instead of the 34 recommended. Unknown number of rows completed. Basically I went until the bag looked in proportion.

Used two different types of Noro that compliment each other. Also using some black cascade 220 and some turquoise cascade 220. Used the turquoise for the handles because I only had a tiny bit of Noro left.

Used grommets for the holes where the handles feed through. Please remind me not to use grommets again on the next one of these I make. Grommets and I do not mix well. I think I wasted about 10 grommets on this project. I used the little kit with the plier type tool. I think I would have been better off with a hammer and tap tool. I do think that the grommets give it a classier look though.

Misc:

To give you an idea of the size of the bag, and since I don't have dimensions handy, it's a larger purse size. I stuffed four skeins of yarn and a partial knitted project into this and everything fits perfect. I could probably get a fifth skein into it with no problems.

This is a simple, fun project to do and as long as I stay way from the grommets, I plan on making more of these again later.

Magazines!

Okay so I didn't get the bag finished, but I do have these lovely little magazines that I found over the weekend to show you:

I found these in a Salvation Army Thrift Store and got them for a quarter a piece. It's
Workbasket and Home Arts Magazine. This was the first magazine that targeted crafters. It is so awesome. I can't tell you how thrilled I was/am to find these. I had never heard of this magazine before. The publication ran from 1935 to sometime in the 1990's. The ones that I have ran from 1965 to 1984 and I do not have all of them from those years. The 1970s are predominate in this stack. Which is actually pretty good for a laugh. Check this one out:

Click to Enlarge

Oh Yes, your eyes do not mislead you on this one. That is indeed a very long Granny Square skirt. First, I can't imagine how drafty that would be and Second, what would you do for undergarments? Also, if you absolutely had to have a granny square skirt, wouldn't it be much cuter as a mini-skirt?

Besides the occasional laugh from horrible fashion, these little mags are priceless. They have patterns for knitting, crochet, needlepoint, embroidery, cross stitch, even tatting! They also have recipes and how-tos on plants.

Can you believe the shopping weekend that I had? It's taken me all week to tell you about it.

The other thrift store finds? I scored a lambskin leather skirt (feels like buttah) for $6.99. Sweet huh?

Almost done

So I've finished knitting my booga bag:


It's been felted and is drying now. Hopefully, barring any delays in my life with potty training, I'll be able to show you a finished project tomorrow.

Here's the cute little thing that is not allowing me to accomplish much of anything for the past few days:

Potty Training Cutie

He absolutely insists on taking his blanket and pacifier with him to the potty. I figure that whatever keeps him there is a good thing. Plus, the blanket keeps naked little legs warm!


I promise to be away from kiddie stuff and back on to the knitting stuff as soon as humanly possible. :)

Check this new toy out.

Look what followed me home from an antique store on Saturday:


The tag said "String Holder". I have no idea what the official name is for one of these, so if anyone knows, please leave me a comment! Basically, you put the ball (small one) of yarn or string or crochet thread in the center and feed the end up through the hole in the top. It keeps the ball from rolling around the room as you knit or crochet. You could actually have several colors in it theoretically, as long as they are small.

I was so excited to find this thing. It was totally a fluke, too, as I wasn't even remotely looking for something like this. Very cool. Oh, and I got it for $19.95 too. I would have paid more for it, it's such a neat item, so I was happy to pay that price.

Please forgive the lateness of this post. We're in fully potty training mode at the House Of Shea. Over the Thanksgiving Holiday the Youngest decided he was ready and that was that. On the one hand - Woohoo! On the other - running to the potty every two seconds really sucks the big one. Pray for me, I need all the help I can get!

The Holidays

Thanksgiving at the lake was fabulous. I've got all sorts of things to share with you this week because of my trip. We had a typical extended family reunion type get together at the lake. There was family, food, police activity, you know, the usual stuff that holidays are made of. And no, I won't explain about the police activity, you'll just have to wonder.

But, before I left for the holiday, I got another case of start-itis. This, in turn, caused me to pick up some Noro out of the stash and sling it on the needles. So, I now have an in-progress Booga Bag:


I've modified it somewhat. I want a bag that's a bit bigger than the pattern calls for, so I cast on 50 stitches instead of the recommended 34. This picture was taken in poor lighting and wrong side out and just does not do it justice. The colors are fantastic. When it's closer to finished I'll get a better pic for you.

When we got to my folks' place, my mucho talented Mom had this to show me:

This is an incredibly soft black stole that she purchased and then needle felted the design on. It's not completely finished, but it's close. This is such an elegant stole and would look incredible with evening wear. She took a stencil that she found from JoAnn Fabrics and marked the design on the fabric. Then she laid down wool yarn on the design and needle felted it into the stole. So simple!

When I got back, this was at my door:


Three pounds of Corriedale fleece (still in the grease.) It's very smelly and needs lots of washes, but is very nice. What makes it even nicer is that it came free from Colorado! All I had to pay was shipping. Can you believe it?

More about the holiday to come!