Angie, you are awesome!

Angie is a fellow knitter/crafter that I met here http://www.ravelry.com/ and a person to whom I look forward to chatting with via messaging. Through these messages, I discovered her blog, and replied to a post that she made where she was asking to do a swap. She wanted a hand-made bag to carry her knitting in and in return I got some yarn-y goodness, handmade stitch markers, buttons from her personal stash to match the yarn and an incredible sewing book dated back to the early '80's. I am soooo excited to use this wool and add the buttons to it. It almost certainly will become a hat so I will be busy looking for a pattern for it. I was soooo excited when I saw this hanging out of my mailbox that I think I almost peed my pants!

I rushed inside and literally bowled the animals over to get to the front door only to find that the mailbox was empty. I really, really wanted to get this package on Monday or Tuesday b/c I would be the one to receive it. Nooooooo. It had to come today so that Hubbins could get it. So he thinks its funny to play this game with me that it didn't come today. Little did he know that I already knew that it arrived. You see, he was going to play this game of "oh, I thought you were waiting for a box...I totally forgot that this came in the mail". HA!!! Tricks on him, lol!
And this is what I sent to her:

Tomorrow I will clean my house...today I crafted!

As the title states, today I didn`t do any cleaning whatsoever. Today I crafted. I made 2 bags! (Well, kind of...I finished up one that I had made a long while back). I made one following this recipe http://www.craftleftovers.com/blog/archives/1438 .

Iam unsure yet if I am going to use it as a mini tote for everyday or if (most likely) I will use it as a project bag. It is just adorable, though and it fits the cardigan that I`m currently working on as well as a bottle of water, knitting notions, phone, ipod and a paper pad. It likely fits more, which is exciting because often when I am travelling to a knitting friends home or going out for knit fest, I like to just throw a wallet into my project bag and maybe some lip balm and leave the purse at home. I will post pics tomorrow to show. The outside is made of a chocolate brown cordouroy and the inside is some amazing pink fabric that changes hues depending on the angle that you are seeing it! It`s got two large pockets on each end. I didn`t add buttons to them...if I find that things are falling out, maybe I`ll put a couple of snaps on them. For now I like them as is.
The second bag that I finished is amazing! It`s a knitted, felted tote lined with Chinese brocard (not sure if that`s the right spelling). I only finished it now because my knitting partner had the icord for a couple of months, so I couldn`t put on the handle. Handle done, snap sewn on and a special something on the outside and this baby`s complete! I am torn between the two because I love them both. The knitted one is larger and more practical as an everyday bag, so it will likely win between the two!

I love, love, love being able to make things. It feels like such a sense of accomplishent when I am finished! I am making a cardi that is hopefully going to be a birthday gift for one of my girlfriends, but I tried it on today and I think it`s going to be too small in the shoulders. :(
I guess that means that I may have to keep it...or save it for a birthday gift for another friend who already said she wanted it!!

Just some stuff I've been doing

Another knitted, felted, lined bag. This one is by far my favorite. It's gone though. These things don't stick around long.

This is a fun hat made from sock yarn. It's so stretchy and light that you can hardly feel it on! I love the way the colours swirl and then go back on themselves. Kind of reminds me of water ripples in the summertime. Can't wait to wear this one out on the cool summer evenings by the water :)

This beautiful thing is called the "Burberry Inspired Cowl" named so because the pattern designer saw this, I believe, in a Burberry Catalogue. It was insanely priced....I'm talking in the hundreds...so she designed one that looks similar. It is made out of Malabrigo Wool which feels like a cashmere hug around the neck. This wool was one of my birthday gifts from Hubbins. At close to $20 a skein, it's not something I have ever been able to just randomly purchase. I will wear this thing forever (because if it's not on me it will, without a doubt, go missing!!!)

When my house is in a state with which I cannot deal, I tend to retreat to my bedroom. It staves off the anxiety provoked panic attack that is sure to come. I can't stand that I spend one of my only 2 days off cleaning up after children who are old enough and capable enough to do it themselves. They are told, time and time again to pick things up, put things away. If you take it out, put it away. If you make a mess, clean it up. If you drop it, pick it up. Such common sense ideas, no? Is this what I get for living in a house filled with males?? Oh Good Lord Help Me!

Lucky for you guys, when I retreat, I tend to take the time to post long awaited pictures of the things that I love to do whenever I have the time.