Shopping Trip

This has been a fun week on Tuesday my friend and I went to Freeport. We had the the best day. Our main mission of the day was to go to this shop http://www.beadinpath.com/index.php. I was like a kid in a candy store looking at all the beads and buttons. Next trip I will bring more money and buy more.

We also went to http://theknittingexperience.com/ in Brunswick. It is a quaint little shop with comfy couches to sit and knit. The shop carried a lot of yummy yarns of all kind of textures.

I didn't find the buttons for the sweater I am working on, but I have a feeling the search will be fun.

It's been a month since I last wrote. I have been doing a lot of knitting, sweater #2 is almost complete and then I just have to make 3 vest and all my sisters kids are done for Christmas. Then I will make a sweater for my brother, he won't care if it is done for Christmas as long as he knows its coming. I have been test knitting a shawl which is coming out gorgeous, it will be fun to wear.

I am hoping to get a new camera soon so I can take pictures of all this knitting.

I have also been doing some beading. I made myself some stitch markers to learn the technique of turning the wire. It is not as easy as it looks.

Knitting in the summertime is sometimes a challenge. With all the humidity ,then add hands sticking to the yarn and needles. Where do you get relief? For me it comes in a couple of ways. I knit at my lys in the sun room which is air conditioned or stay up later at night and knit as it becomes cooler in the evening.

Knitting at the lys is not only productive it is a great time to catch up with everyone on goings on around town. A bunch of us are currently making afghan squares for an afghan to be auctioned off to help the local library with funds for a new and better building. A couple of us are thinking about continuing after this one is done and then giving them as needed, for example a house fire, homeless, as a comfort for someone who is ill. You get the idea, it would just be a way for us to give in a time where incomes are being stretched and then stretched more. We are hoping that as people clean out Stashes of yarn they will donate yarn not wanted to yarn left over from projects and we will do the rest.

I am almost done with my with my first fair isle sweater and getting ready to make #2. With that sweater starting and with merletto mitts going on the needles later today, 1 sock to finish, and an afghan on hold until cooler weather I feel I have become a true crafter. There are many other projects not mentioned from quilts to cross stitch in progress with no end in site LOL.

My love for crafts is getting expensive as alot of others have said the same, when do you stop and just by gas. Never is my answer, why give up something you love to do. I just plan it into my monthly budget and only buy for what I am making at the time, only buying onsale or with coupons. I get my fabrics at Mardens(my fav) or Walmart(markdown rack only). I also find alot of useful craft things at thrift stores.

In this day and age where times are tough and cost are high I still can find a way to do what I love. Wether using coupons, discounts, or sales. I intend instead of spending money on gas to go shopping I will knit most of my holiday gifts. I coincide any hobby shopping on the same days I grocery shop.

Spring/Summer has finally come to Maine and I find myself already thinking about Christmas knitting. It takes time for me to get things done and with everyone in the family getting a knitted item I can see some late nights in my future. Some of the things on the list so far 2 fair isle sweaters, 5 vest, a felted bag, and a readers wrap. I haven't thought about what to make hubby yet and his family.

I have been thinking about going back to college and finally getting my degree. I will be changing my major to Social work when I go back. After 14 years in Medical Records a change would be refreshing. I want to work with Veterans and get them on the right path to the care they require. Being a Vet myself it will be a way to give back some of what I have learned.

I have found that being a housewife isn't as bad as it seems. Filling my day with knitting and other crafts make the day go by. My new love is knitting and I have completed several projects in the past year. I started right out with a pair of socks, I know you are saying why socks I figured that if I could make them I could make anything. Since completing the baby socks I have made a felted bag, a vest, and the list goes on. Currently working on a fair isle type sweater for my nieces.

The ladies at the lys have been angels in helping advance in knitting, I would be lost without them. I made several new friends there and hope we can keep inspiring each other to knit as well as having a place to chat about what is going on in our lives.