Crochet: Finished Hobo Bag

Finished. Finally. This hobo bag is alot bigger than the ones I have made for myself. I used three strands of yarn at one time to make this.

The lining didn't come out exactly as I wanted, but better than I expected. I just wasn't sure how you make the lining where the thread doesn't show, but I have no clue how you do that, so unfortunately, the thread is showing, but at least only on the inside.

This purse that I made, I know the person will wear it. And I'm glad, but I'm going to be more discerning to the people I make stuff for. For whatever reason, some people think knitted or crochet items just aren't worth alot.

Go figure!

Ebay Scam

Just a note for any ebay sellers out there.

I got a check in the mail a while ago, saying that it was from a settlement from Ebay.

The check was for only $0.57, so I wasn't surprised when it said it was for a settlement because there are so many ebay sellers out there, it kind of made sense.

Anyway, I deposited the check, only to find out that it wasn't even from Ebay.

I was assessed almost $90 in overdraft fees, etc. behind this one little check.

So I just wanted to let anybody know, to be careful. If it was a personal check, I would not have deposited it in the bank, I would have went inside, but since the check said it was from Ebay, I didn't think Ebay wouldn't have any money to not cover the check.

The Exhausted Spirit

An excerpt from First Light: Women's Daily Devotional &Journal:

The Exhausted Spirit

It's true Jesus didn't directly command us to "love ourselves". But inherent in the second of the "greatest commandments" is the implication that we as human beings do love ourselves, and that as an extension of our love for God and ourselves, we are called to love and care for others.

Sometimes we interpret "loving others" as denying our own needs and being enslaved to the expectations of those around us. We teach our children to sing, "J-O-Y - Jesus, then others, then you - what a wonderful way to spell J-O-Y".

Not always. Sometimes putting yourself last spells frustration, depression, fatigue.

But we're afraid of being perceived as selfish. So, we work hard, trying to prove our selflessness and to demontrate our committment to God. But our work doesn't always result in joy. We get worn out and resentful.

We make a grave mistake when we assume that what we do can substitute for who we are. Sometimes our Christian activity is less a reflection of love for God than love for the praise of others.

We need to remind ourselves that we are loved just as we are. Christ, who died for us when we had done nothing to deserve such a sacrifice, lives within us according to the same standard.

If we don't take time and space for ourselves, to nurture our personal relationship with God, our "works of love" become "dead works", motivated by fear or the need for performance rather than by love for God or for our neighbor.

It's not a sin to care for your own soul. It's a spiritual prerequisite for a deep relationship with God.

What motivates your sacrifices and love for others?

1 John 4: 19

We love because He first loved us.

Accountability And Counting

An excerpt from First Light: Women's Daily Devotional &Journal:

I never had a curfew. Mother saw curfews as permisive. She preferred accountability. When I left the house with a new boy for a new activity, the conversation always began, "What time will you be home"?

"I don't know", I would respond.

"Well, let's figure it out", she'd say. "What time does the movie start? Then how long will it take you to drive to Jamie's party? and so on we reasoned until we came to the same reasonable conclusion, given the night's agenda.

When I was tempted to deviate from the plan. I knew I faced questions that would not stop until she had the full picture.

Being fully accountable was restricting at the time, yet liberating for a lifetime of decisions.

How has accountability for your actions - whether as a child or as an adult - benefited you in the long run? What means does God use to hold you accountable?

Romans 14: 12

So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.

Oprah: Pretty Crafty

I am copying this from the February 2012 issue of Oprah Magazine. I looked everywhere on her website, and could find nothing about this article in the magazine on her website, but here's a link to her site, maybe I missed something and you can find it. Anyway, here's the article:





A Daily Show staffer knits sumptous hats, scarves, and "gadget cozies" in her spare time (and yes, boss Jon Stewart is a fan).




Her Cathartic Hobby
When she was in third grade, Beth Shorr finger-knit a black and mint green yarmulke for her father - and was delighted hen he wore it to temple that year for the holidays. But it wasn't until she landed a job assisting a producer at Comedy Central's The Daily Show that she started knitting regularly. When Shorr and a coworker took a local class, she discovered that needles and yarn helped her unwind in the evenings; soon she was experimenting with vibrant scarves and hats. Then, in 2006, Shorr's father passed away from cancer. "I found the yarmulke I'd made for him, and it was a source of inspiration", she says. Knitting became less a casual hobby than a way to grieve. "I made gifts for family and friends, and they started encouraging me to sell them", Shorr says.





Her Support Staff
A year later, Shorr opened her shop, BShorr Handmade, on the crafts Web site Etsy. Her colleagues at The Daily Show - where Shorr is now a talent coordinator and the assistant to host Jon Stewart - were early supporters, offering to model her hats, berets, and scarves for the site. Some of her creations are named after her coworkers (the Chabotski hat honors production prop master Justin Chabot, who needed a hat with a brim to wear skiing). Shorr's hectic days fetching coffee for celebrities and ushering Stewart to meetings even inspired her to knit a cell phone case she calls a Gadget Cozy, with a wrist loop to keep her Blackberry close (and her hands free) at the office.





Her Double Life
Shorr knits late into the evening, usually in the company of her two cats. "Sometimes my sleep suffers when I try to balance my worlds", she says. "But I like having a social work environment and then quiet time at home to knit". BShorr Handmade is a hit at local craft shows, and last year Mad Men star January Jones was photographed wearing Shorr's circle scarf. Still, her Daily Show colleagues remain her biggest fans. Says Stewart, the proud owner of a one-of-a-kind black BShorr hat, "Somehow Beth assessed my cranial weaknesses and was able to design and knit me a perfect kepi, one that didn't make me look like an eggplant wearing a sock. Girls' got skills".

Crocheting: Lining

here's what I have. I folded the fabric, and then pinned it so it wouldn't come loose as I'm sewing.

this part of the bag is going to be tricky, but I think I can do it. I'm glad this purse is almost done. I didn't think I'd ever finish it. It seemed to take centuries, which it probably was just about 3 months, but still, it's a long time. I give myself another week, only because the weekends are going to be very busy for me, and then you never know what may come up after that.