Knitting Updates

So, I have not yet purchased that cube bookshelf thing from Ikea. But I succumbed to the temptation to buy more yarn! I KNOW! I bought some stuff from Knitpicks---just simple bulky wool yarn and cable holders---to try my hand at cabling. I'll start out simple: a couple of scarves.

When I was in NC, I got 2 knitting books that are done by the makers of Vogue Knitting magazine for 40% off at Barnes & Noble. Volume 1: Knit and Purl and Volume 2: Cables. These are outstanding books. Nicely done with very fine images. There really aren't any "patterns" in them for a start-to-finish completed project. They are more like ultimate reference books of stitches that you can incorporate into any pattern! Well the cabling book is just fantastic and very inspiring! I can't wait to get started on cabling!

I was so impressed with those 2 books that I told my friend Marsha about them. She said, "Oh yeah! I have that cabling book! Did you get the color one? I think that's volume 3." She showed me Volume 3: Color Knitting, and I knew I had to have it! Then Marsha said, "If there are a bunch of books you want to get, you might be interested in joining the Crafter's Choice Book Club." This is an amazing program. It sort of works like Columbia House or BMG does with CDs. Basically, you pick 4 books for $1 each. Then you have to buy 2 books at regular published prices over the next 2 years. But you have an option to buy 1 more book at 1/2 price right away, which means you only have to buy ONE book at full price in 2 years! And once you fulfill that commitment, then you don't have to buy anything else and you can even cancel your membership. So I joined! I got that delectable Volume 3 book and 4 others, including Mason-Dixon Knitting, which I am also excited about. I am stoked about those washcloths! With shipping and tax, I got 5 high-end knitting books for around $31. You can't beat that! Here's the webpage if anyone wants to check it out.

Currently, I am about 1/3 done the second market bag. I've taken some photos. The bag knits up inside-out. So the stockinette stitch is on the inside as you knit, but this is actually the outside of the bag. I think I like this color combo better than the other one. It seems to stripe better.



In the picture below, I turned the bag right-side-out so you can kind-of see what it will look like when it's done. This bag is SO easy and fast to make. The most tedious part is picking up and knitting the 100 stitches around that bottom part (square, garter-stitch piece you start the pattern with). Once you get going up the sides, it's super fast!



And I STILL want to buy that Eleanor Roosevelt hand-painted yarn made by Schaefer....Oh the temptations!