Trying to compensate for being a slacker...

So I'm taking this Intro to Aran class, and I'm diggin' the cables and all is going well and then... I messed up. I ripped out 16 rows and started over. Now I realize that 16 doesn't sound like a lot, but cables are TIME CONSUMING.

So, to cut to the point, I was unprepared for Wednesday's class. Lucky for me, I was not the only unprepared one, but still. As a lifetime brownnoser and overall goody-goody, it was stressful not to have my homework done. :)

So I worked really hard to make up for it and finished all the knitting for my bag today. Straps are done and attached and everything. All it requires now is washing and blocking (along with the washing of the lining). Phew. So that's a load off.

And here is a picture of the finished product. Actually, 2 pictures. One of the bag as a whole, and one close up of the cables. I'm not sure if I've mentioned before on here or not that I was also difficult in that I wanted to do a different cable in the middle of the bag. The original had diamonds in the center, but I have a fascination with braided/Celtic looking cables, so I found one that fit the chart and used that instead. I'm really happy with how it turned out, even though the bag turned out smaller than i anticipated and I have an entire skein of yarn left. Too bad I already wound it and therefore can't return it. Oh well, I'm pretty sure I'll find a use for it.

Now it's time to move on to new and interesting things. There's the charity hat knitting for the Mid Michigan Knitting Guild (of which I am a member and an officer...now how did that happen?) and these are the colors I got in my grab bags... the gray and camo goes together and the red/white/blue goes together. I'll have to try and come up with something creative to do with them.

I am also about to start knitting a blanket as a test for LynnH ( www.colorjoy.com/weblog/ ) once I go out tomorrow and get needles for it. I find it completely hard to believe that after 2 and a half years of knitting, working at a yarn shop for 10 months and acquiring more stuff than I can even think about, I still don't have size 9 needles. It's unfathomable to me. Anyway. It will be started tomorrow, mark my words.

Last but not least, at this past Tuesday's Guild meeting, we did a program in which we had a sort of mini- knitalong. We all knit little stars that will be strung together in a garland ( thank you thank you thank you Tamsyn for agreeing to crochet them on a chain) and given away in a drawing at our December meeting. I heard pretty positive things about the program, I think a lot of people left feeling excited about knitting more stars. And that makes me happy, I love seeing people excited. Here is the collection of stars we had by the end of the meeting, aren't they great? There are still a couple seams to sew and some ends to weave, but such a great variety, I can't wait to see it all put together!


Ok the for real last thing. My dad and I went to see the new Harry Potter movie today. It was the first one I didn't make it to on opening night, but last night I was at a party with my friend Jenny which was SO much fun! I loved the movie, obviously, and I'm sure I'll be seeing it again before too long... maybe IMAX next time? We'll see.