I was zooming along on the first sleeve of the Zigzag and had even finished doing all of the increases for the sleeve when I saw this book on the shelf at the library. Even though I new it could lead to more anti-finishing trouble, I chose to ignore my good senses and I checked it out. This book is fun. Very fun. It's fun to read and the patterns are simple and imaginative.
Almost every pattern in the book begins with a form of a Moebius band. I'd try to explain it, but I wouldn't do it justice. You just have to take a peek at the book to see. Actually, I needed to follow through the steps and make one. (This was one that my mind didn't 'get' from reading through it. I had to do one to understand how it works.)
However, knitting one to see how it worked, just wasn't enough. Once I knitted a little trial band, it only took 3-4 hours for me to decide that I probably wouldn't handle it well if I didn't get to knit one of the handbags from the book. This is what I have so far.
The colors are okay. Not my favorite but still kind of pretty. You have to keep in mind that I am using Patons classic merino that I found stuffed in a drawer. So I am still being (somewhat) virtuous in that I'm trying to use up all the yarn I already have. The only exception is the I-cord edging around the bag, that was necessary because all the colors in my stash that would have gone nicely with this blue would not have survived the long trip around the edges of the bag- there just wasn't enough left. And likewise, everything that I had enough of would have been hideous with this blue. In all fairness I did buy the yarn with a coupon.
The trip to look for the yarn was actually more than I bargained for. I took Paige with me and she had one of those moments at JoAnn's. She found this 'stuff your own bear kit' on a shelf and wouldn't leave it alone. I kept saying, "Mommy has to buy a new measuring tape." (the one she decided on a cranky whim to shred yesterday morning).
To which she replied, "I want to look. I need to look."
To which I instinctively replied, "Paige-y, I really don't think we're going to be able to get that." Which was immediately followed by a spilling of tears.
Now, you have to understand. I am not a mean, mean Mom (though Paige-y, at four years old, often emphatically insists I am) but I do have extremely rigid rules about not buying Paige things, with the exception of food, when we go out in public. Her father, my awesome husband, went through a phase when she was about two years old, and he started buying her a toy every time all of us left the house together. I know my hubby meant well and was just trying to be a loving father and all, but after this happened two or three times, Paige started throwing hellish tantrums every time I took her into a store. My personal guideline about fit throwing is that if she throws a tantrum to get what she wants, it's an iron-clad guarantee that she's not going to get it. I can't cave. She's a red head. If I let her tread on me even a little bit, she assumes the role of a 4-year-old dictator, barking commands at me, like
"Where's my milk, Mom? Come on, Mom, I want my milk. Schnell! Schneller!"
So If I want a peaceful trip to the store, I really can't give in. Last night, however, I said I'd see how much it was, because it had a mark-down sticker on it and it was on a 60% off sale shelf. It ended up being only twelve dollars. She had to clean her room to get it once we were home, which she did with lightning-like speed and she was well-warned before we left the store that the bear-stuffing kit was going to be "it" for a long time.
Hopefully, she'll mellow out. After all, she's still coming down from the Christmas high. Poor kid. She got stuck with old-school parents. You know, the loving, caring, "I know you don't like it now but it's really for your own good" kind of parents. Some day she'll understand. The hard part is being patient all the years she still doesn't.
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