Happy Birthday . . .

to me!! 

Lots and Lots o' Candles

Yeah, it's my birthday today . . . older and perhaps wiser?  Ha ha, I hope so.  In any case, I'm definitely the happy crafter 'cuz yesterday my family gifted me the best gift.  Ever ("the best, Jerry.  The best!").

Wanna know what's in the case?  Maybe you already know 'cuz you own a set too.

Mystery Case

It's a complete set of Boye interchangeable needles!  Oh joy! 

Boye Interchangeable Needles

I love, love my regular Boye needles (and I can't even get them 'round here anymore 'cuz the store that carried it no longer does--I'm lookin' at you Walmart **grumble, grumble**).  And now I have the complete set from size 2.75mm to 10mm, with cable lengths from 20" to 36" (the later of which is next to impossible to find locally).

Tomorrow the family will be over to enjoy a celebratory BBQ, complete with cake, candles and more presents. And I've got Monday as a paid day-off for my birthday--nice little perk from my bosses 'cuz childcare workers aren't given the respect they deserve in this province and this was one small way for my bosses to say "thanks" for all our hard work . . . but I digress.  No time for soap boxes today.

I have loads more to share, but I'll save it for another day.  I'll just leave you to enjoy my lovely African violets (gift from one of my toddlers whose grandma shares the same birthday.  Wasn't that sweet?).

Have a happy day!

What's In Your Bag: Gadgets and Do-dads

Each trade has its tools. So it is for any hobby. The art of knitting is no different. Yes, one needs needles and yarn, but there's much more. And it doesn't help that I'm a sucker for crafty do-dads. Below is my knitting bag; its a makeup bag where I store my gadgets. There's always a pencil, a highlighter, a tape measure, a blunt needle, scissors and waste yarn--just in case. But there's more.
Needle Protectors:
I love those rubber tips! Noticed my sock knitting? Go take a look (sock link ). Those rubber tips stay on my needles ALL THE TIME. Go ahead: ask me why. 'Cuz I've actually lost needles in mid-knit. There's nothing more frustrating than picking up teeny-tiny live stitches that have unexpectedly lost their needle. The mere thought makes me cringe . . . :O

Crochet Hooks:
Handy for fixing mistakes and awesome for taming the dreaded curl of stockinette stitch. Right now I have two, but I'd like one more smaller size. Hard to believe I used to crochet. Mom and I made some lovely afghans and I still have the one lacy doily I made with crochet thread.

Safety Pins:
I've got regular safety pins and those plastic ones without the coils. They're handy for keeping track of increases and decreases. Regular pins are also useful for seaming.

Ring Markers & Split Markers:

Handy-dandy indeed! You can never have too many sizes or too many colours. I don't have any fancy ones, but still useful to mark off patterned section in your knitting.

By the way, notice the cute little plastic boxes where I store my pins & rings? They're from my husband who uses ear plugs. When he's done with the ear plugs, he gives me the little plastic box.

Row Counter:

Until I bought one, I never thought I needed one. I'd always used paper and pencil to mark the row I was on. But this gadget is very handy for counting rows as well as keeping track of pattern rows. I move the counter along so that I know I'm on row 4 of a 9-row pattern for instance. I switch back to row 1 when the repetition is complete.

What do I need now? How about a proper knitting gauge. I can't find one in town (should have purchased one when I was in a proper knitting shop). Perhaps I'll add one to my shopping cart next time I make an online purchase.

Happy knitting!