I love Amy Butler

I've linked to the pictures on my flickr page.

I have done a couple of Amy Butler bags before and I've been really happy with the outcome of them, but this bag was different and very much special because of it.

I took the class for this bag at Lavender Lime and I'm so glad that I did. I never would have had the nerve to try this pattern without the class. I've never done zippers before and I've never tackled such complex construction before.

The bag has multiple pockets, three of which are zippered and two pleated pockets. These are new skills for me but I did a good job on it and the instructor at Lavender Lime did a great job walking us through it. I choose two Amy Butler fabrics and a really stiff canvas lining. I'm especially proud that I made it through this project without breaking any needles although my machine and I had a few fights along the way.

I love it! Let me know what you think.

Walking the Road Alone

Observation on the way to the grocery store..

I couldn't help but smile at seeing a mother meet her little girl at the bus stop. The two embraced and smiled as they discussed the drawing the little girl had brought home from school. The two walked off hand in hand and I was comforted a the sight.

At the next stop, a little boy exited the bus and having no one to greet him, walked down the road towards his home. The comfort I felt at the previous bus stop was immediately suppressed as I watched him walking.

And I couldn't help but wonder if this was some statement of the lives and future of black men, walking the road alone.

Catching Up

I spent the majority of the weekend catching up on my reading and podcast/audiobook listening. Of course I'm knitting and roaming around on Ravelry as much as possible as well. You can keep track of my reading on the list at the bottom of my blog. I'm way behind on my reading goal for the year, but I blame it on the knitting. You just can't knit and hold on to a book at the same time.

But the knitting does not suffer I assure you. My projects of choice nowadays are socks and now that Krazy Knitz is having a sale, I'm sure I'll be doing even more socks.

I'll be back at work soon and maybe that will give me a chance to catch up on my reading. Maybe. The knitting bug is a powerful thing.