What's in Your Wallet?

Okay, not really your wallet! Although there are some guild members near Rochester who know what to put in their wallet! Anyways, do you all have "to-go" bags? I actually have a couple for personal use and will show you my "industrial class size" one perhaps tomorrow.

My original one is housed in a Vera Bradley jewelry case. This one was a special gift from a friend. The fob was made by another friend and has a heart-in-hand design to denote "handwork" bag! When you unzip it...voila!

But...wait for it...it gets better!

This bag is deceptively small looking, but has a ton of storage! Look what was inside:

Five spools of 50 wt. cotton thread in neutral colors.

A small wool pincushion.

Small glass head pins for hand piecing. See the cute jar with the little cork? Little House pins--love them, have them in all six colors--and then they stopped making them. So covet them--but enjoy them from afar.

Pigma pens for marking seams on those hard to mark fabrics. WARNING: Never use a pigma pen on a light colored fabric--it will bleed through.

A .5 mechanical pencil--for marking those light fabrics.

A 6 inch C-Thru ruler to get the most accurate seam lines.

Thread Heaven.

Quilter's Quarter Marker ruler, for those times you need a dot at strange intersections. (Also excellent when binding unusual angles.)

Elan serrated scissors, with a fob to match the "to-go" bag one!

A Clover seam ripper--never leave home without a ripper!

John James Sharps size 11 needles.

Being an extra-lucky girl, I was gifted this fabulous bag recently. So I have made myself a second to-go bag. It includes the markers and rulers shown in the original bag, plus a used needle container, a small threader, snips instead of scissors, a pincushion made by another friend, and a turquoise bear talisman (also a gift). And another fob, also a gift--from the same friend who made me the others! Did I mention how lucky I am?

Here's the deal, dear blog readers: Once you have your to-go bag ready, you MAY NOT pilfer from it. You know how it is--your scissors are upstairs, across the room--anywhere but where you are sitting. You look around and spy your to-go bag--right next to you! You think "just this once I'll use these scissors and I'll put them right back." And what happens? The next time you pick up your to-go bag and get set to cut threads or some applique seams, while away from home (remember the to go part of this?), you have no scissors. That's right--they are right where you left them--next to your chair, AT HOME! So sad--yes, you will hear me saying "Tsk tsk! Didn't I tell you not to pilfer?"

And guess what? You can print out this blog and show it to whomever asks: This is your permission slip to purchase duplicate items to make your to-go bag! You need it--you want it--you're worth it!

And the best part? When you are rushing out the door, knowing you are going to have to wait for something to happen, you can grab a project, add thread to match and be out the door, ready to make good use of the wait time.

Hugs,

Sharon, the lucky girl with talented, generous friends

P.S. Thanks to those who have responded to the knitting blog. And entered the contest! If you aren't sure what this all means, go to the post dated February 21 and find out.

P.P.S. Elaine--you are the bomb! When you explained it that way, it made perfect sense. How hard would that have been for the designer to say? I took another look at the pattern--and, face red, realized that I had a post-it note marking my place on the neck increases. Flipping it up and down looking for an explanation did not reveal the numbers hidden under it--until your comments told me where to look. I can't thank you enough. I just love the sweater--and will now continue it.