Nifty thrifty

I thought I'd put in a plug here for my particular brand of project bags... in other words, I save those zippered plastic bags that pillowcases, sheets, blankets, etc. come in , and use them to house projects, depending on their size. For example, here's a former pillowcase bag. It can hold everything you'd need for a sock project: the needles, one of those cool needle tubes, a row counter, a stitch marker or two, the pattern,a crochet hook, everything. The yarn and project stay clean and together.

Because it's plastic, it's see-through (duh) and you can just glance and grab a project according to what you're interested in working on, the size of your luggage, or the amount of attention you have to pay to it. Many of the bags have inside pockets where the cardboard labels used to be; these are a handy place to stash your tools. Whenever I head out of the house for something that might require waiting, I just pick a bag and go. These are really, really handy for taking a small project on an airplane, not just because they're convenient, but because the airport nazis can see what is in them and don't need to go digging among your tools.

I've actually worn out a couple of these bags, and have saved them to remove the zippers for use on other bags. One of these zippers plus a fat quarter or other fabric scrap, and you have a non-see-through project bag, or holder for whatever you have that needs holding. I've also demonstrated Far Reaching Unnecessary Thriftiness in that I've repaired and patched two of these plastic zippered bags using packing tape, which also works as a great reinforcement for thinner plastics.

I have a bunch of the big bags, too, and they're perfect for holding yarn for big projects like sweaters, or for spinning fibers.

Let's go over the knitting news... I'm almost finished with the back piece of the Climbing Vines Pullover, and am still plugging along on the Pi Shawl.

For the past month or so, I've been going over to the public library on Thursday mornings to sit with other spinning guild members and twist up some fiber. We inspire each other to be more productive, and now we're talking about a dye party to keep things interesting. I have a bunch of small bumps of various fibers that have been hanging around for years, some of them, and am now industriously turning them into yarn.

Finally, I'm starting to go through and organize/pack my craft room, and what a chore it's turning out to be! It's also like Christmas, because I'm rediscovering a lot of fabulous craft supplies that have been hidden in the chaos. I've finally reunited my clutch of tatting shuttles with the thread and the instructions. My cross-stitch stuff is all in one place. This afternoon I'll be boxing up my paint and "general craft supplies" (non-fiber stuff) and finding a good storage home for my quilting bits. Which is where I'm off to now.