Frogging...oh yeah

In case you thought I'd given up knitting, entirely, here's proof that I was hard at work, trying desperately to make a little knit bag for my granddaughter.

The pattern I chose came from Knitting Little Luxuries, by Louisa Harding.  The book is great, but the yarn I chose was not so great.  The knit was becoming far too 'holey'...not like the picture in the book.

This is cotton yarn by Tahki.  The color is pretty, but I just found out, I'm not crazy about cotton yarn. 

About halfway through the knit bag, I made up my mind....this was NOT going to work out.  I just wanted a little draw-string bag, that's all.  This cotton yarn is stiff and does not suit the pattern.  Not only that, but the bag was becoming quite large, even though my gauge was spot on.  I'll still make the little draw-string bag, but use a softer yarn, and see what develops.

As for 3 hanks of Tahki?  I'll be looking for some kind of market bag to knit for myself, so all is not lost.

More Origami

In response to Regula (thank you so much, for your comments), there are several books on the art of Origami on Amazon.  Tomoko Fuse has written a couple of my favorites, which show step by step instructions. 

All shapes and all sizes are fun to try, but I must admit, I prefer square boxes.  First of all, they're more sturdy.  Remember, these are made with thin paper, and I'm a purist who doesn't use scissors or glue...not one smidgen.  Don't let that stop you from using a bit of glue here and there, if you're having trouble at the beginning.  Patience is definitely a plus, if you're going to attempt these.  Some boxes take an average of more than 100 folds to complete. 

The lid of this box is only about 2 inches in diameter!  Isn't the paper gorgeous?  You can also find paper cut to size on the Internet...every color you can imagine, from plain colors to beautiful prints and florals.

Another thing to keep in mind is this:  The larger the box is, the more fragile it is, so bear that in mind.  Start small. 

The types of boxes and the color combinations are endless.  In Origami, the inside of the box is as important as the outside, so take your time, and practice neat and accurate folds.  Good Luck!

Harry Movie Madness

Don't tell me!  That's my usual opening line to anyone who has almost anything to say regarding Harry Potter, for at least a couple of weeks.

Yes, I am a Harry Potter lunatic.  Perhaps that's not entirely true, after all, I am a movie lunatic, in general.  That's to say, I can't abide being told anything about a movie before I've seen it myself.  It's a horrible flaw in my personality, I know, and I probably should lock myself in a closet or join a self-help group, or something.

It's always difficult trying to keep the mystery alive, especially when changing the television channel and being zapped in the face with scenes from the movie when I least expect it.  You don't know what I go through!  I purposely do not watch any trailers or interviews with stars or directors, and if some news network starts interviewing people as they leave the theater, I switch channels immediately, and if that's not possible, I run screaming from the room with my fingers in my ears.  It's not pretty.

I am a mystery fan.  Even when the mystery isn't all that mysterious.  I mean, the book has been out for quite a time, and I've read it the prerequisite 3 times already, right?  I should know what the movie is about.  I do, I do, but we all know the movie is always a bit different.  Ahhhh, that's where the mystery lies....where are the differences, can I spot them, and of those differences, which ones do I think were done well and which ones missed the mark?

It's hard being me. 

Harry a la carte

It's hard to believe that I haven't read every single Harry Potter book, right?  Having read the last three books, "Order of the Phoenix", "Half Blood Prince", and "Deathly Hallows", I've decided to begin at the beginning, and read the first four books. 

I think most people agree that reading the book is almost always better than the movie, so I can hardly wait to see what I've missed.  The movies have been super, but die hard Harry Potter fans can always find something they wished were done differently. 

Nursing a bit of a cold is a good excuse to set down my knitting for a couple of days, make a cup of tea, and read "Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone".