I cannot wait to felt this bag!

This is the Vintage Bubble Bag from Pursenalities, in Cascade 220 and leftover Kureyon, both from the stash. Here's another, closer view that almost gives you an idea of how great these colors look in person:


The colors are almost true, but much richer and more varied in person. Somehow the camera grabbed the reds and blues and left out the shades of pink and orange and purple. The blue is less strong and the pinks, oranges and purples are not as overwhelmed by the reds in reality. I am in love with the colors, I am half afraid to felt it for fear it won't hold this look post-felting. I must be strong.... I have to finish the second handle and bind off the bottom (two unrelated tasks other than that they both need to be done) and sew the handles in place, then send it for the Magic Kenmore Ride. I'll pose it for a Glamour Shot in bright sunshine post-felting, assuming it doesn't break my heart and become a Felting Fuckup. I have good vibes about it, but one never knows with felting....

That will not happen this evening, I just don't have the energy, but I had to share the pre-felting photos.

I nearly screwed up this bag right out of the gate. I had the Kureyon, I had three color choices of Cascade 220 to use with it. Gray, black and blue. I nearly went with the black, but I was saved by the random color order of the Kureyon - when I cast on, the black hit orange and red and the bag looked way too Austin Powers on Halloween. Very 60s psychedelic black light poster. Rip. Then I saw that this Kureyon colorway - I think it's 102 - has a bright blue in it, just like the bright blue in the Stash from Hell. A theme was born. With the blue has this wonderfully tropical sunset thing - I'm so glad I switched from the black.

I'm getting excited about Maryland Sheep and Wool, it's my first time there and a return trip to a part of Maryland I really like. If I win the lottery this week (it would help if I bought a ticket, wouldn't it?) I'd seriously consider moving up to that area. I grew up in Maryland, but spent my entire adult life from college onward in Florida (well, a few random years in CA and NC, but mostly FL). I've lived here longer than I lived there, but Maryland is still where I grew up, and I'm still nostalgic, though I am sure I will get over this touching sentiment when I hit the Beltway and have to make my way around to 270. I'm driving, and I figure that no matter how early I start, I'm pretty much doomed to hit the Beltway at rush hour, since rush hour starts at 3 and ends, when, around midnight? I can blow out of Orlando in the pre-dawn hours, maybe skate through Jax before rush hour gets too bad, but I will be screwed at the other end, when I'm really tired. I've done this drive many times, I'm a pro - I have done it from my door to Shady Grove in 15 hours flat with two kids needing frequent pit stops. I am fine with long car trips, though I have to admit the idea of doing both ways with two long days of festival-ing in between makes me tired just thinking about it. I could fly, but then I'm seriously hampered in my shopping efforts. Not that I plan to bring back tons of yarn, I don't need tons of yarn, but I do want an inkle loom and other tools, and I will be lucky enough to be running with a crowd of Scary Serious Fiber Bitches, so they will help me decide what I want. (I will not spin, Amie and Bess, I don't need that particular hobby. I have more hobbies than I have time, and enough house projects to keep me busy until I drop. Seriously. I'll just pet the roving and sigh....) I do want to bring back stuff. Pottery and baskets and gifties. I can't do that if I fly. Books on CD, lots of caffeine, I'll DRIVE, baby!

I am loving the return to DST in many ways, like how I can come home from work and have 3+ hours of sunshine to enjoy my patio before it gets too hot to want to be out there. I am not loving what it does to my body - I am not the best sleeper in general, and twice a year "changing the clocks" somehow messes me up for a week. Today I could not stop yawning, my head ached like hell, it was awful. I passed on the gym because I just didn't have the energy. I'll go tomorrow, I swear.

Murphy suggests that since it is still sunny outside we retire to the patio for another round of Lizard Hunt. I can't argue with that.

He'll be so disappointed when I clean up the former tomato patch this weekend. The wood is a teeny tiny portion of the giant oak tree that fell in the street during Charlie - or was it Jeanne? Jeanne. Yeah. I couldn't take the bigger logs because I have no way to split them, but yes, these houses do have fireplaces and we do use them. But right now the logs are a lizard hunting yorkie's dream.




Off to knit and watch the Small Hairy Hunter stalk his prey.