AND YOU THINK YOU ARE ADDICTED TO YARN?

THE PERFECT KNITTING BAG ACCESSORIZED!

For all my friends on Knitty.com - Here are the completed pictures of my knitting bag with all the accessories!! So far everyone has loved it and thinks that I have included everything!!
P.S. For all of my family - All I want for my birthday is a decent digital camera - PLEAAAAAAAAASE!

MY COLLECTION

My husband is an avid collector of 1950's and 1960's records. He spent hour after hour on ebay searching for the records of his dreams. His ebaying didn't bother me one bit - it allowed me to knit peacefully on some nights while he searched ebay for rare copies of Elvis and Beatles records. He was happy and so was I!
I was truly just a beginner knitter and was discovering the properties of different knitting needles. Bamboo, Rosewood, Nickel-plated, long and short, circular and double point were all new to me. I was having a hard time finding these precious items at the Local Yarn Stores - so darling husband thought he would help me by introducing ebay to me. BIG MISTAKE!!
I found all sorts of lovely needles, knitting estate sales, and OH MY GOD - Vintage Knitting Totes! I cannot make any sense of this obsession to collect them but I am absolutely spellbound with these totes from the past.
Maybe it is a need for something from the past or simply a love of gorgeous vintage fabrics. Everytime I find a vintage tote - I am fascinated with the idea that someone owned it long ago. I wonder if it was a Christmas present or simply a treat for the knitter who had to perform the task to provide warmth and clothing for her family. I wonder how much love came from the knitted items made from these totes.
I have tried (rather unsucessfully) to discover the manufacturer of these totes or when they came into being. An elderly lady told me that originally, in her family, the women covered Quaker Oats boxes with oilcloth and poked a hole in the top - so that their yarn would stay clean and untangled while knitting.
I hope you enjoy the pictures and learn just a little bit about something from the past. Should you find yourself in an antique/collectors store and inquire about one of these for yourself - and the salesperson tells you that he sold one to a very crazy/overenthusiastic psycho last week - just know that I was there first!
P.S. If you should feel the need to get rid of one of your totes or have some knowledge about their history - Please e-mail me!

IN MY LAST LIFE......

HOW IT ALL STARTED

Two years ago, my darling children flew from the nest. My daughter graduated from college, my son graduated from high school, daughter got married, and son went off to college. I lost 45 pounds, got healthy, exercised everyday, and rekindled the flame with my darling hubby. I spent more time working my way up the nursing clinical ladder and took on more responsibility in the ICU. Something was missing.......
It had been years since I had done anything remotely creative. I have always sewn, painted, done floral arranging, quilted, etc..... If it was a craft then I have done it. I even had a floral design business that I ran out of my home when my children were little. Then I went on to nursing school while raising 2 kids, working, trying to save my marriage........ No more creativity for me.
Last Febuary, my darling daughter said that she would teach me how to knit. As a child, I had tried to knit but could never make anything that didn't have a giant hole growing in the middle of it. (I think that I never had the patience to perfect it the way that I could with other crafts).
My daughter lovingly showed me knit and purl - I was hooked!
Now I have a room dedicated to my new found love! (It happens to be my daughter's old room)
I always have a knitting project in my purse and my creativity has become a joyous thing! I look forward to quiet evenings filled with knitting and wonderful weekends spent searching yarn stores with my lovely daughter or my wonderful husband for the perfect colored alpaca yarn for a baby sweater I want to knit for future grandbabies!