Tip for Today: Reusable Produce Bags

I'm a reusable bag person - I dutifully carry my bags to the market and feel good when I can avoid using plastic bags. So whenever I've reached for one in the produce section, or had one handed to me at the farmer's market, my Green Guilt has kicked in. I've been scheming about the perfect reusable produce bag for quite some time. It had to be cheap *ahem*....frugal, it had to be easily seen through (so the cashier doesn't get annoyed) and it had to be extremely lightweight (So I'm not paying for it every time I buy produce.) Ideas about sewing nylon or cotton mesh bags often crossed my mind, but I just haven't been able to find the right fabric or the time to sew even if I had found it.

Imagine my frugal eureka today when I found the perfect produce bags in Dollar Tree! They’re Tidy Totes from Blink and It’s Done. 4 in a pack, for $1!!! I got 2 packs and figured that 8 produce bags is perfect for what I need each week at the grocery or farmer’s markets. The bags are super lightweight, so I’m not worried about them causing me to pay more, and they are tiny mesh, so the checker can easily read the numbers on the produce. Score one for the frugal team!

June's Sock Club

Now that the postal service has finally delivered all packages to their intended destinations, I think it's safe to reveal June's Club goodies without ruining anyone's surprise. This month's pattern is one I'm especially proud of, so I hope all the clubsters enjoy working on it.

Pemberley, as most of you probably know, is the English country estate of a certain Mr. Darcy. Didn't we all have secret dreams of finding our own Mr. Darcy? My own dear hubby is quite a bit like ol' Darcy - biting observation and quiet admiration and loyalty, minus the grand estate (darn it!)

These silk stockings are what I imagine Elizabeth Bennett might have worn as the Mistress of Pemberley. They are elegant, luxurious and out-of-the-ordinary without being over-the-top. A blend of merino with the silk lends a more practical warmth to these beauties, as well. Of course, if you're a modern woman who isn't living in a drafty estate house and don't require the warmth of knee stockings, there's the (quicker to knit!) crew length option.

June's swag is further proof of my paper obsession lately. Adorable little notecards that I wholly encourage clubsters to use for some old fashioned letter-writing. There's nothing like taking a moment, putting pen to paper, and writing a note of gratitude, love, sympathy or well-wishes to someone else. It's like a little gift every time I get a handwritten note or card in the mail, and one that I love to give to others.

Can't wait till all the July packages arrive so I can reveal this month's rollickin' pattern and yarn!

May's Sock Club

Now that all of May's Sock Club goodies have arrived safely to their new homes, I can finally post about them! This was our first month with the new Sock Club, and I have to admit that I had way too much fun putting it all together - picking out the goodies, developing a new (exclusive) colorway, and finally getting the new (exclusive) sock pattern out in the world at large (where eyes other than my own or the tech editors can oogle it) It's all such a labor of love, and so nice to get lovely comments back about the packages. Marion, a lovely customer-friend from near my hometown in NY, wrote me this week:

Gorgeous yarn, the colors are sensational. The pattern book is terrific, the stitch markers are beautiful and the journaling book sends the whole kit over the top for one fabulous sock knitting club. It is all so nice and I am so happy that I joined the club. You really outdid yourself! Thanks for recommending the May kit. I would be upset to have missed out on this sensational kit.

Wow! I don't know that I deserve all that flattery, but it sure is nice for the ego ;) She also sent along a yummy yarn-in-action shot of some of my 3 ply farm yarn that was a custom-dye. Check out this yarn goodness:

Don't they look all squishy and comfy? I'm wishing I had made some of that yarn for myself and squirrelled it away - I'd totally be pulling it out right now and casting on. (That is, after I finish June's sock sample, of course!)

But, wait! You're just dying to see May's sock, aren't you? There was a bit of a theme this month - the yarn at the top of this post was May's yarn - yummy, squishy sportweight superwash merino in "Japanese Garden." It's a harmonious blend of navy, grass green, lilac, lavender and winter white. Worked up in socks, it is lovely. Worked up in May's sock club pattern "Everyday Zen" it is super, duper fantastic!

It's a short row heel and toe sock, with the ribbing extending down the toe and heel for a truly excellent fit. The sort rows incorporate the ribbing, so that the transitions are pretty and flowing. Multiple sizes from infant to (big, big) man's make it one that's get used over and over. But, It's exclusive to the club until Jan '09 - so if you aren't in the Sock Club you'll have to wait. Of course...if you do join the club, you can back-buy the pattern if you really have to have it. Just one more reason to join now...June's club is an excellent luxury yarn, in a Jane Austen inspired pattern and more handmade club goodies! Last month's extra bonus was a handmade, perfect-bound journal. This month's....well, you'll have to wait and see!

We're having a sale!

Sorry for the post and run, but wanted to let you know that we're having a Two Day Sale at the shop! 25% off all patterns through Wed night, so go shop and stock up now: http://www.littleturtleknits.com.

And I've jsut stocked some fantastic new colorways at the Little Turtle Knits' Hyena Cart, they'll be going live Tuesday at Noon! There's also a gorgeous baby kimono and one of our sweet Trelford Turtles, so be sure to check it out!

Meal Plan Monday

Monday: Roasted Chicken, Garlic Smashed Potatoes and Braised Brussell Sprouts
Tuesday: Chicken Pot Pie (made with leftover chicken from Monday's roasted bird)
Wednesday: Dinner at church (woo-hoo, I don't have to cook!)
Thursday: Leek Soup and Broccoli Quiche
Friday: Fajitas
Saturday: Pioneer Woman's Marlborough Man Sandwiches, baked sweet potato fries and garlic broccoli
Sunday: Meatballs with Nana's Gravy (AKA: tomato sauce, for all you non-Italians)

Recipes for all of these will follow at some point, I promise!

Silly Saturday; Severus Snape

(what's funny about Snape, you ask?) Watch this:



We're huge Harry Potter fans in this house, so it'll be weeks before we tire of this video. I love it!!

What do you get...

when you mix this:

(a rambunctious, goofy 4 year old)

with this:

(a prayer rock, made at our church's Wed evening kid's program)

Any guesses?

You get this:


In other words, you get a trip to the Emergency Department (where they, unfortunately, know you by name because you are there with said 4 year old quite often) at 9 pm, with a gushing finger. (let's not ignore the irony of the fact that the kid was injured by a Prayer Rock. Resulting in lots of prayers that his hand wasn't broken. Apparently, the rock works, maybe a little too well, in encouraging prayer. I don't quite think that's what the Children's Director has planned when she did this activity with the kids, though.)

You get x-rays (not broken, but badly bruised and sprained) You get DermaBond (not stitches, thankfully, since the boy was seriously traumatized by the last bout with stitches, in his tongue) (No, I'm not kidding) You get almost three hours of kitting time while waiting in the ED for the doc to come in to do said finger gluing. You get a wrapped finger with admonishments to keep it dry (yeah, okay, that's gonna happen)

You also get a milkshake at the drive-through at 11:30 pm, because even though the boy is exhausted, you promised him a milkshake and he won't be dissuaded. You get the same boy drinking the milkshake for breakfast because he was too tired and cranky to finish it when you got home last night. You get a really, rally tired mama today, because all that adrenaline rushing around leaves quite a nasty hangover when it dissipates.

The silver lining to my tale of woe? You also get:
A finished sock!

{Work} in Progress Wednesday

Is there anything worse that a sight like that for a mama who is desperate to get some work done? sigh Poor Rusty. He's cutting some eye teeth, and so the bulk of the work I'm getting done today is snuggling with my little man, trying to distract him from the pain and his tears. With the other three boys, teething didn't seem to be such an ordeal. But with Rusty, determined to make his mark and distinguish himself from the brothers who came before him - teething is an epic event. the bigger guys, I'd just nurse them and they'd be happy. But not Rusty - he's the stinker who self-weaned at just a year old (probably just punishment for the mama who staunchly advocates for child-lead weaning. I just never thought that meant I'd have to be okay with weaning at a year old!!!) So, I feel like I'm a new mama again, working hard to learn new tricks for soothing a toddler who isn't a nursling. This is hard work, let me tell you!

I've had two saving graces today, that have pulled me through the struggle to soothe my little man. The current sock in progress, a new design that will be one of the sock patterns for my LTK Sock Club, has progressed from a paltry 1" cuff this morning to the beauty (with heel and gusset decreased completed!) you see before you. Alongside it, is my new favorite tea, a gift from one of my Sunday School students. Republic of Tea's Orange Cranberry. Yum! Nothing like a little lot of caffeine to help you cope!

And, after a quick nap on mama's lap (and a healthy helping of chocolate yogurt pops) we've moved to this sight: