Check out this cool knitted Carry-All! No yarn to buy! it's made from recycled plastic grocery bags! The pattern is on diynetwork.com and was featured on Vickie Howell's Knitty Gritty show. Knit on!

Yarn? What Yarn? This article is a hilareous, but, okay, let's face it, serious discussion about what to do to hide our ever growing yarn stashes. (I know you have one!) Too funny!(not to mention clever!!!). Enjoy:)

The Knitting Diet

Knitting has recently been referred to as the 'new yoga', a wonderful, calming and fulfilling activity that can lower stress significantly. But I have also noticed since I began knitting, that it has built-in dieting potential! For example, you know that 'just-one-more-row' syndrome so many knitters are susceptible to? Why not 'just-one-more-row' ourselves when our snack cravings kick in? Just keep knitting. Become one with the yarn and concentrate on putting a little of yourself into each stitch that you knit. Meditate. I have found that, when I practice this, the hunger pangs and cravings pass and I have gotten much more from my knitting than I ever dreamed possible. I lost weight. If my hands are busy with my knitting, I can't use them to put food into my mouth and I honestly believe that I am satisfying that which I am truly craving with the work of my hands. There is honest self-fulfillment in knitting which cannot be achieved with food. A switched addiction? Maybe, but a healthier one, to be sure!

As for me, I will be held in servitude to the God of knitting-for just one more row!

Found a great link for hand-dying self-striping yarn. The technique is well presented and documented with clear photo's and tips. The blog name is See Eunny Knit. It's a good read and offered techniques, Daily Dose (a list of favorite knitting blogs), and projects in progress - all well organized and easy to navigate. Two thumbs way up:) Anyone else have a favorite yarn dying tutorial or knitting blog to share? 

Here is the Merino wool children's clog I knitted around Christmas. The pattern came from Fiber Trends and is very easy to follow, as long as you can become one with the yarn and follow along blindly- don't think, just knit! These are the results I got, and I am an advanced beginner. Aren't they cool?!!

Here's my little cutie, Emma, watching Cinderella in the lovely little cable number that was supposed to fit daddy but, I think, looks just lovely on her!! Done in Wool-Ease Natural. Sizing problem due to the fact that I did not account for the cables when casting on. Should have allowed more stitches.  

Review

The Stitch 'N Bitch Knitter's Design Journal by Debbie Stoller

I purchased this little gem with a $25 gift card my dear knitting friend gave to me for Christmas. When I inspected it at the bookstore, I was immediately sold upon discovering graph paper design pages with models in undies to help you design your piece for varying body-types. Paydirt! I began to imagine myself designing hot sweaters and making my *next* million as a knitting designer! (Hello, Vicki Howell) But as I eagerly thumbed through several pages on my way to the cash register, I realized that this little notebook had much more to offer than a jumping-off point for my dreams of an artistically fulfilled lifestyle. There were places to keep detailed notes on: my yarn stash (The Family Jewels), projects that I want to knit in the future (Knit Fast, Dye Young) and Measurements for Friends and Family. I through my money down for this one, Ladies! (okay, gift card). I simply keep it in my knit bag and all that important information is always with me, in case (in case, Ha!) I happen to come across a pattern I just* have *to buy yarn for! There are also handy charts for size-based yarn estimates, yarn weights, standard body and hat measurements and a nifty little chart to keep track of the types and sizes of knitting needles you have accumulated. ( Was that a size 6, 16" circular, or 24" circular?- so far, I have 3 size 6, 29" circulars because I always think I *don't* have a set) All my needles are now catalogued and I know exactly what I do and don't have! To top things off, there is a pocket on the inside cover with a Knitting Needle Gauge and Ruler, both U.S. and metric. I can't think of anything Ms. Stoller left out, except maybe a few time management tips for getting in that needed extra few minutes of Kntting Nirvana. Total Thumbs up for the Stitch 'N Bitch Journal!

Maybe I can fit in an extra 5 minutes between cooking my family dinner and helping my 2nd grader with next semester's homework? Hmmm:)
Ang

Hello all you knitters out there and welcome to my hometown, Raleigh, N.C. We have a beautiful city, with plenty of art, theater, night-life and architecture. I grew up here, so I love it! There are many, many transplants to this area every year and have been since I was very young, so much so, that many of the locals
figure that there are more transplants than natives-54% to 33% consecutively:) We have two lys and several
Michaels and A.C.Moore-type craft stores. There are also a few in Chapel Hill and Durham which I have not yet visited. Will write a review for these lys soon.

Great Yarns - Ridge Rd. Raleigh, NC
Cozy, Inc. (no website) 9th St. Durham, NC

Hi Knit friends! Hope you are having a fabulous New Year! I started mine out by buying new yarn! Just what I need - more projects! This is a little TLC by Coats and Clark. Lovely cotton blend for my skateboard dude hats. How many of you out there have unfinished knitting projects, working on or not? What are they and what are your problems in finishing them, if any?