Laurie's Bag of "Notions"

Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T09:46:00.000-08:00

And it will be a special one, won't it? New administration, change, hope... all good! As today is New Year's Day, I have been thinking quite a bit on my New Year's resolution. In the past I haven't spent much time on such "frivolities". But more recently, as I have grown older and the world around me makes less sense, I find myself more concerned with the manner in which I choose to live my life. I began to make some fundamental changes. I joined the Peace Choir and auditioned to become a Peace Choir Ensemble member. I began taking private voice lessons and am preparing to audition for a solo part, something I never would have done in the past. I stand up for the causes I feel passionately about, even when they put my in unfavorable light in some eyes, also something I would not have done earlier. I have begun to live my life mindfully and with purpose. And so that will be me New Year's resolution this year:

I will live every moment of my life mindfully and with purpose!

Happy New Year, Everybody!

Digging Deeper

2008-03-16T16:27:00.000-07:00

Wow! That was the scariest thing I have ever done in my life! I auditioned for a smaller, more experienced group, the Ensemble, within the Peace Choir and I got in! I have been taking voice lessons from the director for a few weeks now. It is just he and I in his studio. I am very comfortable singing for him and enjoy every minute of every practice. So why was the audition so scary? It was just the director and I in a room while I sang the same song I had sung for him earlier in the day. I did a beautiful job in practice. I did not do a beautiful job in the audition, at least I didn't think so since I could hear my own trembling voice and pauses where I gasped for breath. What was at stake that would make me so uncomfortable? I wasn't in the Ensemble before, so I wasn't in danger of losing my spot like so many of the others auditioning. But something was different.

Well, it doesn't matter now. I'm in and now I have to learn about 50 new songs that I have not sung before. Here begins the labor for this thing I love doing - Singing for Peace.

Tra-la-la!

2008-02-08T17:54:00.000-08:00

I have decided to suck it up and just do it. Next Thursday, Feb. 14th, I am going to begin voice lessons. I love to sing. I have always loved to sing. As a kid, I was in choir every year that choir was available in school. I sang in the youth choir of our church (which was mostly peace-promoting, war protest folk songs of the sixties). At the director's encouragement and with her tutalige, I took up the guitar. It was great to have the accompaniment to my voice, but chording was as far as I wanted to take it. I just LOVE to sing! But it has been since high school that I have done any singing formally. Oh sure, around the campfire, in the shower, lulling my babies to sleep... I've never stopped singing, but that's the extent of it.
Last year I joined the Rogue Valley Peace Choir. It has provided me with balance and grounding in my life. Whether in practice or in concert, singing our songs of peace and social justice (heck, just plain singing!) has given me so much comfort, passion and gratification. Now I want to grow musically. It is no longer enough to just sing. I want to sing WELL! I want my voice to sound as beautiful as the act of singing makes me feel. So... Here we go. Tra-la-la-la-la!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Laurie Transformed

2008-02-03T11:10:00.000-08:00

Although these may not be the best photos that project just exactly how transformed I am, they do a fair job. Mostly it is the transformation inside that is miraculous. How do you show self confidence in a photo? Or pride? Aside from the telling smile, you'll have to be happy with the outter view. I have lost three pant sizes with a total loss of 32 pounds and these size 12's are nearly falling off me! I'm very nearly there!

Five Minutes in Grand Central Station

2008-02-01T16:04:00.000-08:00

Wow! What a trip! I wish I had been in Grand Central Station when this happened. I wonder how he got his "agents" to participate. Very cool!

The Yard Guard Love It Too!

2008-01-29T17:22:00.001-08:00

Crisp, Cold Surprises

2008-01-29T16:39:00.000-08:00

It doesn't snow often anymore in Ashland. As a child I can remember spending hours a day many days of the winter building snow forts and blockades in the road, sledding, having snowball fights, skiing around the neighborhood. So when it does snow to any degree, it's magical. Imagine my delight when we had 9 glorious inches fall in a matter of hours. It was sensational!

Bailey went crazy, running doughnuts around the cottonwood in the yard, scooping snow into his mouth and sneezing when he'd get it up his nose. That just made him all the crazier. It was Bailey Paradise!

It was Laurie Paradise, too. Sigh.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

2008-01-26T15:06:00.000-08:00

The Good: Her title is Dr. Kimberly R McCollum - Dr. Bob to me. Last Monday my daughter, Kim, defended her dissertation in Portland, Oregon and is now a full-blown, certifiable Clinical Psychologist. I mean the people she works with are certifiable, not Kim. She is employed at a state hospital for the criminally insane. Her clients are those who have committed the most ha nous crimes. She loves her work and she gets paid a good bit for it, so it's all good. I'm very proud of Dr. Bob.

The Bad: It is mid-year and time for grading all those piles and piles of projects and papers that come in at the last minute of every quarter. It is the part of my job that I really don't enjoy. The requirements set by the district and the state become more rigid and rigorous with every passing year. When you have 33 kids in your classroom like I do, and you teach all subject areas like I do, there's a whole lot to score. I want learning to be fun so I try to make it active and creative, but that means there are all those special projects, etc. to grade which take oh-so-much-more time. Sigh.

The Ugly: Sick! Sick! Sick! I have been oh-so sick. I got home from Portland and immediately became dead in bed sick. I barely made it through the day Thursday (poor kids), collapsed into bed when I got home and slept for 24 straight hours. Over the next 24 hours I must have slept an additional 20 hours. Chest, throat, ears, sinuses, body aches, fever... It was bad. I am beginning to rebound finally. I even have a little bit of an appetite back. Guess I'll go nibble on something and chip away at those projects. Sigh.

I'm Back!

2008-01-06T14:44:00.000-08:00

Whew! It's been a long, long time since I posted here. Yes, I've been busy, too busy in some ways, but all good stuff. I got myself hooked up with an outfit nearby, a gym with diet police (nutritionist) who've been monitoring my progress toward my goal of losing 25 pounds. And I have done it! Three months later and many healthier eating habits adopted, I have reached what I had set as my target weight loss of 25 lbs. Except that now I feel I have fallen short of optimum weight loss which is another 5 lbs. I feel so great about myself now that I could stop here except now I am between two pant sizes - one is too baggy, the other too snug. Since I am determined to not gain any weight back, I am going to have lose a little more. So... on I go! Truthfully, I am feeling better, lighter, fitter than I have in a long time. This process has not been the least bit painful. It is all about sensible eating and excersise. It's been great!

God, I love this town where I live!!! Check this site out. Ours is one of those progressive thinking, liberal leaning towns full of peaceniks, old hippies, and artists (and, sadly, many, many retired transplants with fat bank accounts driving up property prices). I'll not give the whole story here, but it is very interesting and I hope you read all about it on the website. But if you know of anyone who might wish to make a contribution in art for the Peace Fence, it will be having it's anniversary celebration on Mother's Day. On that date they will hang all the new art banners they are able to collect in the meantime, the idea being to wait out the weather before putting adding them to the collection. That gives us about four months. Let's get busy!

Laurie's Big Box of Treasure!

2007-10-27T15:10:00.000-07:00

It has finally arrived! I just received the package from my FFBE pal and boy, did Heather ever spoil me! What a bag! And what a wonderful collection of very carefully researched and thought out treats. Here is a picture of the bag Heather made for me:

Heather was not able to decide on exactly the right closure, and she didn't have to. It was almost as if the bag was made for this button that I have been saving for just the right use. They are a perfect match! I'm not sure what yarn Heather used, but it is as close to perfect for me as it comes. Beautiful!

And take a look at all the wonderful goodies I discovered in the package as well:

Heather did not include one thing that was not carefully selected explicitly for me. She really did her research - I assume on my blog. She knows I have a big, black dog whom I am head over heels in love with, and that I backpack, so she sent a black, packable dog dish. I adore coffee, so I got a coffee mug and a pound of good Starbucks coffee. I want to knit socks and to learn needle felting, so she sent a felting kit and sock yarn. Reading is one of my passions, so Heather sent special stickies to mark my favorite knitting ideas in the "Knit for Peace" book she sent (I am a big peace-nik). I am really into living a healthy lifestyle, so there was a blueberry/flax mix to put in my smoothies and cereals. The most amazing gift of all was a gift certificate to MY LYS! The one right here in my hometown. Unbelievable!

All I can say is this: You'd better all be so lucky as to have Heather as your pal in the next exchange. You will feel as if she must know you personally. What a gift! Yea, Heather. Thank you SO MUCH!

What Makes Autumn Autumn?

2007-09-30T11:46:00.000-07:00

As of this weekend, the season has officially changed on the calendar - but what makes Autumn feel like Autumn to you, and why? The FFBE question of the week...

There is so much... The crisp nights and balmy days, gray skies and drizzle, the first scraping of the windshield, leaves changing colors and smell of the earth going to sleep, back to school and the smell of the classroom... But probably the biggest indicator for me that the season is upon us is FOOTBALL! We love football season. Especially Monday Night Football. We have a tradition in our home: Monday is football and finger food and no dishes! It began as simple, just get it and eat it fare. But recently we have begun to theme our football food to the regional foods of the teams who are playing. For instance, if Chicago is playing, it's deep dish pizza. If the Cowboys are playing, it's barbecue. When Philly is playing, we make Philly Cheese Steak Sandwiches. The Bengals, Cincinnati Chili. All fun, all good! Yep, football is absolutely the proof-positive sign that Fall is upon us.

Just Teasing!

2007-09-15T13:07:00.000-07:00

A little tease for my FFBE pal. I haven't changed or altered the color in any way. Of course there is more to it than can be seen in this photo, like the... shhhhhh......

One person I connected with through this exchange... Well, I can't put her blog here cause I don't want to give anything away to my pal. And I can't put her blog here cause I don't want to give away just yet that I think I know who she is. Oh, there are so many others, I can't keep them all straight. I will have to say ZippiKnits even though I might have come to know of her blog from the blog of another FFBE participant. Or maybe from the blog link on the blog linked to by another FFBE participant. However that goes, I really enjoy reading this blog.

And Fun Times Were Had By All

2007-09-08T15:35:00.000-07:00

I knew it was going to be a busy weekend. I knew I would be very lucky to get in any time to relax this weekend after my first week with my 32 fourth and fifth grade students. Does two and a half hours in the ER count as time to relax? I surely didn't plan on that on my already too busy weekend! It wasn't a big deal really. I had had the sutures removed from my back after school Friday, one week after a cyst removal surgery. Later that evening we have a very nice corned beef dinner. Our friends Ed and Betsy come over to give us one last lesson in waltzing before the Sunday taping of a neighbor's independent film (another story). All is well until, just before Ed and Betsy leave. All I did was to bend over and "zing!" I feel a sting in my back at the surgery and it starts to bleed a little. It doen't look too bad at the moment so Bill patches it up and we go to bed.
This morning I look at it in the mirror after my shower and low and behold, there is a big gaping hole between my shoulder blades. A person cannot go around with a massive hole in their back, can one? And it's the friggin' weekend, of course (there must be a law that things like this can only happen on the weekend).
The ER was busy when I arrived, but then quieted down. I waited for almost two hours in a room with nothing but a sheet on. I couldn't figure out how come I had not been seen. It seems the doc on call was never told I was there, or he forgot, or something, and he went off to have his lunch!
To finish off the story, the doc got back from lunch and it turned out that he was a very sweet man and he took a good deal of time with me, and being the positive person I am, I forgave him. So now I'm home and the numbing stuff is wearing off and I can't lean back in my chair and my back is beginning to sting and ... Sigh...

Oh, Happy Day!

2007-08-31T15:12:00.000-07:00

Just look at the wonderful treat I got in the mail yesterday! This was my special prize from the first contest of the Fall Felted Bag Exchange. The Patons SWS is so luscious. The color of the yarn is perfect as I am a huge fan of red.I didn't expect the soap, but I'm now a big fan of Coconut Lime Verbena soap. There was also a sachet packet in the package that went straight into my closet. Now I have the best smelling wardrobe around. Thank you, Anne. Now, what shall I make... Hmmmmm...

FFBE Contest Questions:

2007-08-26T10:56:00.000-07:00

1. What is your favorite yarn for felting, and why? My favorite is Manos del Uruguay. I love the color choices, some very unusual, but mostly I love the way it felts. I can get a nice dense fabric with relatively little stitch definition after felting. In my experience it felts quickly and will continue to felt until I get the density I'm after.

2. Name one person in the swap who is not from the U.S. and tell us where they are from, and link to their blog. That would be Kayl from Estonia. She was one of the last to join the swap. Her website is here

3. Find one person in the swap who has a dog, and let us know the name of their dog(s) and link to their blog. As a dog l0ver myself, I tune in when I read the blog of other dog lovers. Alana of "Strings and Pearls" has a pair of boxers. Their names are Jayda and Flex. You can see a sweet picture of them here

4. Find one person in the swap who has a child or grandchild and link to their blog. Deb Baker has 3 daughters. Here is a link to her blog.

5. And finally, tell us if you like October or November more, and why! October, without a doubt. I love the coming of the autumn colors. I love the crispening of the days and the sense that the world is preparing for hybernation. I love the smell of that! But most of all I love Halloween. All those cute kids in their costumes, so proud, greeting me at the door in anticipation of the goodies we'll provide. The designing and carving of the pumpkin. The witches, ghosts, black cats, and Jack'o lanterns. It's all so much fun!!!

Peace in the Forest

2007-08-25T16:50:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Bill, Bailey and I returned home from a wonderful five days in the Mountain Lakes Wilderness of Oregon. It couldn't have been more perfect for Bill and I. For Bailey however, the trip had it's ups and downs. Bailey, as it turns out, is absolutley psychotic when it comes to flying insects. I mean not just absurdly annoyed by them, but driven stark raving mad by them. The poor sweetie spent every moment in camp in the tent. And still he was unable to relax. Does he not look a bit crazed in this picture?

But it was not all bad. Bailey loves to hike and most of our trip was spent doing just that. We expored every nook and cranny within a reasonable distance from our camp, sometimes on a trail, but sometimes bushwacking our way to our destination. For every mile Bill and I covered, Bailey traveled at least 5 or 6 more. He is one sore, exhausted pup today!

The weather could not have been more cooperative. No precipitation, just clear, mild days and crisp, cool nights. The sky was amazingly blue!

Over and around the lake hovered a gillion or so dragonflies. It must have been one of those "special" times of the year, cause there was dragonfly sex going on everywhere! It is an amazing process - the sound of four pairs of wings beating against each other as the pair sail over the lakes surface is not quiet. In time, the pair would land on a branch, detach, one would fly away, and the other had a cigarette! There were also Kamikazi dragonflies. These guys were vicious in their quest for supper. They would skim over the top of the lake, diving through clouds of knats over and over again, smacking the surface of the water with an audible and obvious force. At one point we noticed that one dragonfly did not return to the air after one such impact. But the determined little critter was swimming along the surface of the lake toward our shoreline. Bill, being Bill, got out there with a stick and rescued the poor bugger. He must have been exhausted, because he did not take off right away. It gave me the opportunity to get some really great shots of him at rest.

It was an awesome trip!

Answers to the Fall Felted Bag Exchange Questions

2007-08-15T16:40:00.000-07:00

How long have you been knitting or crocheting? How did you learn? or from whom? I have been knitting for two years. I learned by the seat of my pants, so I imagine my techniques could be scrutinized and criticized, but still, I think I am quite talented! LOL

What was your first felted object, and why did you decide to try felting? My first felted project was a bag. I couldn't even do that by the book. I melded two freebies from the net together to get the bag I desired. I chose to felt because I really loved the texture of the fabric after the process.

What are your favorite colors? Any you hate? My favorites are harvest colors. I particularly love rusty golds and oranges. Plus Neutral colors. I also love living thing colors - all shades of greens. I am not at all fond of neons or pastels.

What are your favorite styles\types of bags? (Long straps? Short handles? Handbags? Totes? Embellished? Plain? Include links to patterns or photos if you’d like – give your pal an idea of what you enjoy!) About the only straps I don't like are those that are too small to sling over my shoulder. But that doesn't mean that they have to be long either. I dearly love unique embellishments with the exception of those created through eyelash. I detest eyelash.

What handbag or bag are you carrying today? Do you use a separate bag to carry your knitting? I carry my knitting in a basket, always. Right now, today, I am not carrying a knitted bag. But that has to do with circumstances. Uusually I do carry a felted bag, large enough to carry my lunch and all my other do-dads that go to and from work with me.

What other things do you enjoy knitting or crocheting? I'm in an immediate gratification stage right now. I have two sweaters on the needles and they'll probably stay that way for a little while longer (another two years?). I've been knitting dish clothes and freeform knit/crochet bags recently. I am anxious to try my hand at knitting socks. I have the materials, but I'm waiting for a class to start at my LYS.

What sort of needles do you enjoy working with? (straights vs circs, bamboo vs aluminum) I dearly love bamboo needles. I use circs and double points most often.

What’s one project you’ve not yet tried but are dying to make? That would be the socks I mentioned earlier. I have the Trekker Socks pattern and some really sweet yarn. You can see them here if you scroll down a bit.

What’s one yarn you’ve not yet tried but are dying to work with? You know, I just don't seem to have a burning desire to try any particular yarn right now. I'm very open to anything new and interesting, but I really lean (strongly) to natural fibers.

What other hobbies do you have? Do you spin? Sew? Garden? Gardening, yes. And reading, sewing (I made my daughter's wedding gown and am now re-uphultering a couch), cooking, and backpacking.

Besides yarn, do you collect anything? Well, friends. I love my friends. Oh, and gargoyles. Seriously! And books...

What kind of goodies do you enjoy? Sweets? Salty? Anything you hate or are allergic to? I am not too keen on sweets. I do like a little flan every once in a while. I really DIG salty. It is my undoing.

Do you have any kiddos? (Furry kind count!) I have two daughters (fleshy-types), 27 and 29 who are my best friends. I have a dog-son, and a cat-daughter.

What kind of project best personifies you and why? I would have to say collage. All those random shapes, textures, materials that come together to make something somehow both wholesome and exotic. And always very, very interesting (wink).

What is your favorite part of Autumn? The colors. I love all the colors of Autumn. And a new class of bright, eager learners. You can also share a special Autumn memory if you'd prefer! School shopping is the best!!! memory of Autumn. All those wonderful, new school supplies... all the new outfits... the smells of NEW! Even when they were hand-me-downs, they were all new to me.

Tell us 3 things you would do if you won 10 million dollars in the lottery. 1) I would add another story to my house then convert my basement into my yarn room (and my basement is BIG). 2) I would pay off both my daughter's education debt (a significant amount of money). 3) I would find some way to give something back... a foundation, or donation... some way to use that money to help. I would not quit my job.

My Peaceful Place

2007-08-12T16:25:00.000-07:00

I count my blessings... I live in a beautiful house on a friendly street in a town full of charm and diversity. Ashland is the home of the Shakespearean Theatre and Southern Oregon University. Ashland is alluring to people who enjoy high quality theatre. In addition to Shakespeare, we are home to at least 8 other theatrical groups. Add a busy college to the mix and you have a community that leans to liberal, welcomes visitors with open arms, and thrives economically. The downtown is made up of shops that are unique and restaurants that could compete with the best world 'round. I love my little town.

Every year on the last Sunday of August, our section of town holds a block party to end all block parties. It has become tradition for us to close the street to traffic and bring all our neighbors together for potluck, barbecue, beer and music. We have tables full of food set up in the street while locally brewed beer flows from a keg and an odd collection of musicians sitting on hay bales entertain us with sweet bluegrass music. All neighbors within two blocks are invited as well as those who once lived on our street, are related to someone on our street, or who desire to live on our street. We usually have around 100 people turn out for our block parties. And yet it remains a mellow affair of neighbors and friends and family enjoying each other's company. Wouldn't it be lovely if everybody everywhere made time to spend time with their neighbors - to get to KNOW their neighbors? I do believe this planet would be a much more peaceful place.

And speaking of peaceful places...

This is my peaceful place. It is my front porch. Most evenings, my husband and I have a drink on the porch while Bailey the dog lays on the walkway and Avery the cat lays on the top step. We four relax and enjoy the wind chimes and the comings and goings of our friends and neighbors. Sometimes we might be reading the paper or a good book. Sometimes we just are. More often than not I am knitting. It is my favorite part of the day in my peaceful place.

To the Next Level...

2007-08-10T16:48:00.000-07:00

Here is my newest next project. I've never knitted socks before. but have coveted the socks others have posted on their blogs. However, until recently I have been very intimidated by the idea. My last Felted Bag Exchange pals, Deb and Kris, have inspired me to move forward and take the plunge. I have enrolled in a sock knitting class at my LYS and, with the beautiful sock yarn Kris sent me, and these two skeins I recently purchased online, I think I've made the initial investment that will disallow any more procrastination. That said, I will make no promises as to when I will have a pair of completed socks. Heck, I can't guarantee you'll be seeing a single sock in the near future posted on this blog. One day at a time.

Here we go again! Yippee!

2007-08-10T15:34:00.000-07:00

It is time for the Fall Felted Bag Exchange! Yahoo! I wish I had time to enter all the bag exchanges out there, but since I have to limit my knitting exchange activities, and since felting is my favorite knitting technique, I tend to stick with the Felted Bag Exchanges. If you are interested in joining, whether you've ever felted your knits (on purpose) or not, jump on in. It is a great way to meet new people who have something in common with you. Sign up here . I hope to see you there!

She's finally discovered it!

2007-07-28T16:56:00.001-07:00

A week or more ago I finished Avery's new felted bed. Over a week ago! She has sniffed it, circled it, walked through it, but always snubs it in the end. I couldn't understand it. A few years ago I made an enormous felted bag - I mean ENORMOUS! Avery was completely in love with that bag. Once I trimmed the straps off, she'd stay in it all day long. Eventually she found other nooks and crannies around the house to doze in - on the little alpaca rug, under the guest bed on the extra pillow stashed there, or, when the weather is mild, stretched out across the bench on the deck. She's fussy! So it is very satisfying to see her all curled up in her new bed. Doesn't she look sweet?The pattern is called Kitty Pi. It's a free download here. It's very simple and fun to knit. This particular bed I made with Lopi. It felted into a very fuzzy but densely felted fabric. There is no stitch definition what-so-ever.
Hopefully Avery will continue to enjoy this bed for years. Hopefully. Sigh...

Now I must get going. I have packing to do. I'm off you New York City to spend a few days playing with my sister, then on to Tallahassee to spoil my daughter. "See" you in 10 days!

Wood and Wool; A Perfect Pair

2007-07-18T11:12:00.000-07:00

Isn't it beautiful? This yarn swift was a special gift handcrafted by my husband. It is made of maple which Bill finished from rough cut lumber and polished to a glossy finish by hand. With no pattern or instructions to follow, he designed this swift from photographs of similar tools on the Internet. It spins freely and easily on it's ball baring disc originally used for Lazy Susan construction. I think it's absolutely brilliant!

Amiina: A Musical Group In Iceland

2007-07-14T15:58:00.001-07:00

This is the new album cover of Amiina, a group of very talented women from Iceland. Their work is sweet, soothing, original and interesting. They bring unusual instruments from around the world to create their unique sound. Try them out here and I think you'll enjoy their sound. Besides their amazing talent with music, look at that album cover! Can you resist it? I put in my order today.

Dishrags? Seriously?

2007-07-09T10:47:00.000-07:00

Does anyone really use dishrags anymore? I haven't had one in my sink in decades. But all of a sudden I am drawn to the art and charm of the lowly dishrag. I've completed my first dishrag. It is also the first time I've knitted in cotton.

Now, I know it is simple. I chose a basic pattern. But it was also a lot of fun. I had been downloading many a fine dishrag pattern off the net this past weekend when I remembered I had this book in my collection. It's perfect! Chock full of knitted blocks in interesting textures and patterns. I see dishrags under everybodies Christmas tree this year!

I'm such a flake!

2007-07-06T09:31:00.000-07:00

My daughter, Kimberly, lives very far away from me so I only get to see her maybe twice each year. She lives in Tallahassee, Florida - a continent away. Now please understand that I am very, very close with both of my daughters. Most of their young lives it was just the three of us. Our lives are so closely entwined that it has been challenging for the men in my life over the years to feel an equal devotion as my daughters. So then how is it that Kim's 27th birthday came and went yesterday and I didn't get so much as a birthday card in the mail for her? I did speak with her on the phone, but that is a sorry substitute for pre-thinking, planning, and searching for the perfect card and gift. I'm such a flake.

The bag is in the mail! Well, almost.

2007-06-30T14:14:00.000-07:00

After many false stops and starts, and many redirections when one idea went bad after another, I have finally finished my Spring Bag Exchange secret pal's bag. Whew! What should have been an easy undertaking, turned to to be quite an adventure. First the bag seemed too large, then too wide, then too plain. I finally just tossed the pattern aside and went for my own fresh look. I never really meant for it to be exactly like the pattern anyway. I am too rebelious for that. But it is so far removed from the pattern, it's a riot. See what you think. The bag on the right is the one I made. The bag on the left is the one I first thought I was making.

All-in-all, I'd say it's pretty cute. Maybe better even than the Rowan bag, but that is my personal (and slanted) position on the matter.

Finishing this bag was exactly what I needed to pick myself up after a several day long search for flight tickets to visit my sister in NY and my daughter in Tallahassee this summer. What an ordeal that was! I finally found tickets that were too high priced but which will fit my schedule and during times in which I was willing to fly. I whipped out my credit card as though one more breath from me and the ticket would become "unavailable at that price. Please try again". Now I am $800 poorer, but I'm going to New York, Baby! I know, I know... The weather will be sucky and sticky, but you take what you can get, right? I'm a cup is half full kind of gal

WOW! Kris' Box of Treasures

2007-06-26T11:36:00.000-07:00

Wow! Check it out! I have been away for nearly two weeks. What do I find when I get home?

To photo on the right shows the multitude of wonderful treasures that my Spring Bag Exchange buddy sent to me. Thank you, Kris! The box was positively brimming of with amazing, and carefully selected gifts. In the box there was a Canada mug, a gorgeous dream catcher, spices for fajitas and hummus, and seasonings for popcorn (I am a total saltaholic). I found "Knit for You" labels, sheep themed containers and tissues, assorted and totally unique candies, two sweet little needlepoint kits, a daily planner, a complete unknown from www.lush.com (a mystery to be solved), two magnetic photo frames, and lots and lots of handy knitting notions were included. Kris intuitively sent a felting needle as well. I don't know how you knew I was determined to learn to needle felt this summer, Kris? In addition to all that there were three skeins of yarn; Super Soxx cotton, a beautiful harvest blend, and two skeins of Alafoss Lopi worsted weight, one in natural and the other in a deep red. But the biggest prize of all was a beautiful, hand-knit short row scarf in colors that could not be any more perfect for me. I will wear that scarf often and with great pride.

I would love to meet my new friend Kris one day. I can tell by her emails and her blog that we might become very good friends. It has been a blast sharing with her. I hope we continue to do so after this exchange is over.

Bag Exchange Question #3

2007-05-19T15:17:00.000-07:00

Where's your favorite place to knit or crochet? Describe (or show!) us where you sit and how you most enjoy your craft!

It is absolutely my chair on my front porch where I would choose to knit when the weather allows me a choice. I love it there when the weather is mild. My husband in the chair beside me... Bailey in the yard (or on Bill's chair when he gets up). The people and dogs of the neighborhood walk by and we chat for a few minutes. The birds are singing and a nice breeze blows through the wind chimes. It is perfectly peaceful and lovely.

Question #2

2007-05-08T19:37:00.000-07:00

Where you live, what signifies the beginning of Spring? A favorite flower blooming? Snowmelt? Pollen (Cough cough, gak, here in ATL, thanks) Post something up describing how you knew 'Spring had Sprung' for you!

Considering the long delay in winter this year, it was pretty much winter right up to summer. Environmentally there are three sure-fire ways to tell that spring has arrived in our neighborhood in Southern Oregon. 1) The hydrangea blooms (usually on Mother's Day). 2) The Golden Chain shows it's color. And 3) Snow falls in our front yard (cottonwood "dander" all over our neighborhood from our tree - Our neighbors like us most of the year!). But the biggest thing that happens that lets me know that Spring is here is Outdoor School. Every year I take my fourth graders away for a three day, two night trip somewhere. This year we are going to Redwoods National Monument. In past years we have had a bunch of little, spelunking 10 year olds in the lava tubes at Lava Beds National Monument in Norther California. It is a big deal because we are the only class that does anything like it in the entire district of 17 schools. I live for this trip!

This Week's Question For the Spring Bag Exchange:

2007-05-02T17:01:00.000-07:00

Each week I will be given a new question that I am to answer here. For those of you who are not part of the Bag Exchange, you might just learn something new about me, so hang in there, okay?

How did you get interested in felting? Did you learn it from someone, see a bag you liked? Just want to try something new? If you have a picture of your first project, please include it!

This is a picture of my first ever felted bag. About two years ago my LYS was offering a felted bag class. I'd never really seen "felted" knits before, but I was in love with the bag they had on display in the shop. We were encouraged to choose our own patterns so that everyone was working on something different. Me, being me, had to modify my bag right from the get-go. I blended together my favorite aspects of three different free online bags, then embelished it with a fun, big flower. I had the time of my life and I was an instant felted bag junky.

Just Found Out Who My Buddy Will Be!

2007-04-29T15:20:00.000-07:00

I just got word from the Spring Felted Bag Exchange folks as to who my secret buddy will be. Shhhh-h-h-h... I won't say her name, but I am jazzed. I can see from her blog that she is well versed in the craft of felted bagging. I will have my work cut out for me to see if I can make her a bag she will love to use. Not only is she a gifted bag felter, but she is zany and fun! I think this will be a great tote exchange! WooHoo!

One Birth, Two Rebirths

2007-04-22T08:00:00.000-07:00

Her name is Colleen. She is a very self-confident, determined 18 year old. She has a mind of her own and by gosh, nobody had better tell her she can't do something she has it in her mind to do.
I first met Colleen 9 years ago when she filed into my classroom on the first day of fourth grade. She was a quiet, reserved, and incredibly artistic little girl. You could tell she loved school, but nobody had any idea how much until she was diagnosed with Goodpasture's Syndrome - an autoimmune disease that nearly took her life. Colleen had to endure chemotherapy treatments that left her sick and depleted. She was fragile and highly susceptible to germs at the time. But Colleen never missed a day of school if she could help it. She might have spent the day curled up in the rocker tucked down under a blanket asleep, but if she was able to manage it, she'd be in school. It was her safe place.
In a short time Colleen's kidneys began to fail. She was put on dialysis and would spend every night hooked up to a dialysis machine. Her situation was dire. In the end, Colleen's life was saved through a donation of one of her mother's kidneys. Colleen would spend the rest of her life taking anti-rejection medication, which in time caused another life threatening situation for her.
This fall, as an 17 year old, Colleen became very ill again. She was medi-vac'ed back to Oregon Health Sciences University where she struggled to remain in this world while the specialists tried to find the cause of her illness. It was determined that the anti-rejection medication had caused an unusual and very aggressive lymphoma. Again Colleen had to undergo a series of intensive Chemo therapies that caused her to be very, very ill. She did miss a few days of school, but once again Colleen was in class every chance she could be.
Colleen is a remarkable young lady. With two desperate experiences in her short lifetime most of us could only imagine in our worst nightmares, she has become remarkably strong. Colleen will be whatever she chooses in life and she be best at it! I am so proud to be counted among her closest friends.

Sing For Peace

2007-04-21T10:28:00.000-07:00

Today is Earth Day and to celebrate, I get to sing! The very best thing I have ever done for myself was to join the Rogue Valley Peace Choir. I love to sing! I am 51 years old, but the last time I sang in a choir was in high school. How sad is that? The Rogue Valley Peace Choir is "a group of singers dedicated to creating peace in our lives and the world through song. We are a community choir with a strong desire to sing and share the ideals of peace, saving the planet, freedom and social justice through weekly practices and community performances." Every practice and performance is uplifting. No matter how I feel before going, I am light as a feather when I leave.
Go out and knit in peace, my friends.

My answers to the Spring Tote Exchange questions:

2007-04-15T11:20:00.000-07:00

1. How long have you been knitting or crochetting? How did you learn? When my girls were just babies I thought I ought to knit them each a sweater. I didn't have one minute of knitting experience, but that didn't stop me. I still have those sweaters. They aren't perfect, but amazing for a newbie. Then I didn't knit again until two years ago when I joined a class with my LYC. I haven't put the needles down since.

2. What are your favorite yarns to knit\crochet felted bags with? Wools. Soft, easily feltable wools. I use other fibers for other projects, but the truth is, I would rather felt bags than any other knitting thing I can think of.

3. What are your favorite needles to knit\crochet with? bamboo circulars and double points. There is nothing quite like bamboo.

4. What are the last 3 bags you knitted\crochetted (include URL for Yahoo! or flickr album or your blog if you have them!)? You can also link to patterns if you don't have pictures of your finished objects! For the FBEIII I knitted the Starfish Bag from Modular Knits. Before that it was a freeform knit and crochet bag, and before that I made a modified version of the Dorethy Bag. You can see photos of my bags at: http://community.webshots.com/user/lauried871

5. Do you carry the bags that you make, give them as gifts, or both? Most of my bags end up as gifts. I do carry a couple of them, but I find more pleasure in making just the right bag for just the right person at just the right time.

6. What is your favorite felted bag that you have made for yourself? Without a doubt it is the Market Squares bag from Bags: A Knitter's Dozen. I have fallen in love with entreloc through knitting that bag.

7. What are your favorite colors? Do you like bags in these colors or choose other colors? Earthy, living, natural colors are my favorites, ranging from browns, to greens, to rusty oranges and reds. Yes, I love bags in any of these colors. I detest neon brights and I'm not crazy about pastels.

8. Chocolate: White, Milk, Dark, or not so much? Chocolate, the darker the better.

9. Coffee, Tea, or Milk? Coffee, the darker the better.

10. Do you prefer sweet or salty treats? What kinds? Salt! I am a total saltaholic. I am not much into sweets.

11. If you went into Bath and Body Works and could only come out with one item, what would it be and what would it smell like? Nothing really. I'm not a fan of fruity or flowery type scents.

12. Do you enjoy any other crafts or hobbies? Do you collect anything? I am mostly into knitting as my hobby of choice right now. I also sew (I made my daughter's wedding gown). Collections: yard and garden gargoyles (I know, sounds goofy, doesn't it?) and earrings.

13. Are there any bag patterns you have not yet knit, but hope to someday? All of them.

14. What is currently OTN (on the needles) for you? Three sweaters I'll probably never finish (short attention span) and two wool bags to be felted.

15. What is your most recent finished object before that? A felted carry-on satchel for my daughter.

16. What's cutest: Puppies, Piggies or Pixies? Well, DAH! Puppies of course. Especially my own. Bailey. He's my main man!

17. Do you enjoy reading? Books, Magazines, or both? Books mostly. Before knitting I would consume books. Not as much now, but love to read and love to receive books as gifts.

18. Do you have any children? (kid-kind or pet-kind apply!) I have a 29 year old daughter, Heather, who lives a state away, a 27 year old daughter, Kimberly, who lives a continent away, a five year old four legged son, Bailey, who lives with me. I just can't imagine a home without a dog!

19. What are some of your favorite yarns for other projects? To tell you the truth, I love wool so much that I rarely if ever knit with anything alse anymore. I am the original natural fiber earth child of the 70's.

20. And for the final question, one I see debated all over: Novelty Yarn: Love it! Hate it! or It depends! Blech! Patooy! Yuk! Icky, nasty stuff!

A full house...

2007-04-15T11:08:00.000-07:00

Moving on... I embarked on a new adventure last night. I played poker with my husband's poker group. I always thought the poker nights were his sacred, special, leave-this-world-as-I-know-it time. But then I was invited to join. Now, it took me about three months to decide to give it a whirl. I have to admit that I was feeling a tad bit protective of my home alone time. It just doesn't happen all that often. Another concern I had was that I didn't know how to play poker. I'd done the slots, but I'd not ever with an actual deck of cards in my hands. A fifty-one year old virgin. I mean these guys had been playing together for years. Yes, there were other women in the group, but they'd been in the group from the beginning and no other woman had ever been asked to join before that I know of. So it was with some trepidation that I agreed to join. Well you know what? In the five hours we played I won a few hands and lost a few and had a great, great time. It felt natural. I think I'll go back again next month.

Well, I've finally entered blogdom!

2007-04-15T10:50:00.000-07:00

I have resisted the temptation for a long while now, thinking that I just didn't have time... it would require too much work... who would ever read it... who could possibly care? But then I started participating in these tote exchanges and I realized that the world had left me behind. Everyone on the list had a blog. Heck, they almost wouldn't let me participate without a blog. So here I am, plunging! I have no idea what I am doing and I doubt anyone will notice whether I'm doing it right or I totally muck it up. But here goes...