More Mail

Apparently, I'm a bit of a wimp. I was tired and spent most of yesterday lounging although this time I read and knit. 

Although the first version was ripped apart due to the wrong yarn choice - which was the perfect yarn choice when re-knit into a shrug - I really liked the shawl pattern I was working on before Christmas. It's an easy - in public - don't need to think too hard - knit and purl pattern. I'm knitting it again in a lighter weight, turquoise colored, cotton-linen-viscose blend that I bought quite a few years ago as part of my gift to myself when I retired from traditional quilt making. I'd link to it only it's not on the Elann.com site anymore.

Here's the pattern again. It's the Boneyard Shawl by Stephen West and is a free download on Ravelry. If you want to wear it as a shawl, the heavier weight yarn that I was using before would do the trick. If you want it to drape around your neck like it is in the picture then something lighter weight is important. The yarn I'm using is 23 stitches per four inches on 3.25 mm needles. It'll be even more soft and drapey once it has been blocked.

LOL - just the right amount of time has gone by since my weekend of happily clicking here to buy and the packages are all arriving. Yesterday, there was more mail - the purse frames and accessories. Aren't these gorgeous? They're for larger bags and I remember ordering them only I thought I'd ordered another size too, the one used in the ...

... Martha Stewart clutch purse demo and available from Upstyle on Etsy. It's 6 3/4" although they don't say that in the supply list which simple calls for metal clutch frame hardware. Hmm... why they can't give the size I'm not sure but I figured it out by linking through at the bottom where they give resources. 

P12-2 above is the same width as the demo clutch only taller and I used a different sewing process in order to have a drop in lining. The background fabric to the left is a remnant from the piece my husband brought back from Guatemala last year and the black to the right is a recycled dupioni piece from a dress that didn't work out. The two are stitched, fused, and embellished with yarns and beads.

OH - I'm using P as an identifier for the purses instead of the B used last time. It makes more sense. P for purse. B for bracelet. N for necklace. The rest is coding for the item number. Luckily, I was only on the second purse so it was easy to go back and change the name on the jpgs.

Along with the frames came some slim line magnetic clasps that are fabulous and purse feet - both in nickle and antique brass. I prefer brushed and antiqued colors to shiny. See the package with the paper in it? That's a gift from the seller. This time it's some rivets which will be useful. This must be a trend by sellers because I've received several gifts however all the rest have been candy and that just doesn't make sense to me. There is no way that I'm going to eat candy sent from some person I don't even know. Would you?

This morning, I have another appointment and then some errands to run and this afternoon I definitely want to get into the studio. It's not just recovering. I can feel myself procrastinating because I'm not confident I can do what I want to do. The only solution to that is to do something - even something ugly - just DO SOMETHING. Hopefully I can tell you about that tomorrow.

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - that I didn't have to go out to work and had the option of resting at home

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Personal Growth - My favourite childhood toy was ________ - was one of the questions in The Artist's Way yesterday. My favourite childhood toy was playing barbies. I loved to dress them in all sorts of fashions some of which I sewed, do their hair, decorate their houses, and create stories for their lives. My barbies were purely decorative. They had maids and butlers and gardeners and other people to do all the work. Yes... well... minus the maid and the butler and the gardener... I've worked in fashion, I've been a hairstylist, I trained as an interior designer, I've written stories, I have a highly active imagination, and I refer to myself as purely decorative although that's not strictly true. I'm just not highly domestic.  My answers make me laugh. The seeds were sewn young. How important it is to embrace and grow up our real selves and not try to be someone we're not.