I have been reading on the Ravelry forums for awhile now about the bags from Namaste.com. Most people rave about them, and I happen to be a kind of bag-o-holic. Thus, I have been stalking their products for awhile. My main reason for holding back (until recently) was because I felt many of the project type bags were overpriced considering they are not made of leather. For example, The Monroe bag, which is a super huge bag that looks like you could carry your life in, retails for $89. Even shopping around at discounted places, the cheapest I’ve seen it for sale is $60. I just can’t bring myself to spend that kind of money on a vinyl bag.

However…I recently caught a Facebook post from Namaste about a deal the company has going on for the month of October. With any purchase of at least $25, you can get a free set of its Oh Snap pouches. You have to put in the code OHSNAP when you check out. So here was a great deal and a way for me to test out a few of its small, less expensive but still functional products. I popped over to the web site, filled up my shopping cart with an assortment of small items that totaled $26, but before I checked out, I noticed that the cost for shipping was going to be almost $15. Ack! That is crazy!

Needless to say, I did not finish checking out. In addition, I went over and posted on the Namaste Facebook page about it. A few minutes later, I received a reply from someone there that I could email the company and ask if it is possible to get an alternative shipping option that would be less expensive. I did, and it was, less than $5!

So now, here’s what I purchased.

Two small pouches ($5.75 each) and a measuring tape ($4). These are a nice size, though they are not lined. The tape will be handy for my crafting. I may keep these or stash away for possible holiday gifts.


This is called a “Cozy,” and it is in the eggplant color. I’m not exactly sure what happened here. I thought I had ordered the smaller size used for crochet hooks, but somehow I ended up with the size used for knitting needles. Both are the same price. I’m honestly not sure if I made the mistake or if they did. This was $10.50, and one reason I purchased it, other than the fact I was thinking I could transport crochet hooks in it, was because I wanted to see what the vinyl was like that they use for the larger bags. It is okay. The item is well-made for what it is, but I’m not overly impressed with the quality of the vinyl. It is pretty much like most vinyl, not better or worse.


Then these are the “free” set of snap bags, which even comes in a plastic bag that also has a snap on it. I’m using the larger one already to store items in my book bag. I pretty much use my book bag as a purse when I go to school, but it can be a pain to find small items like a wallet inside of it. Now I have all those smaller items in one of these, and then put that in my book bag.

I still think the larger bags are overpriced, but I think the smaller accessories they carry seem to be priced well and made well, at least that’s my call from the purchase I made.

This past weekend, I made a trip up to Brevard County to visit with my sister who is down from Kentucky visiting before she heads off on a cruise to the Bahamas. Since I have known for a while that she would be in town this weekend, I have purposely been saving up for a major yarn splurge at Knit and Stitch Boutique in Cocoa Village.

When I am in town, I occasionally drop by there for a skein or two (or three) and had just one more stamp to go on my 10% off card. (Once you have $100 on your card, the store gives you 10% off your total purchase.) I also had a list of yarns for future projects I hope to make, and luckily, my sister is also a crafter, so she was happy to tag along and check out what I now refer to as basically “yarn heaven.” In fact, though she was not ready to treat herself to the good stuff (yet), she found a lot of inspiration in some of the finished pieces displayed throughout the store.

Normally, this store is jam packed with yarn and people, but we found what would be considered a lull time. There were only maybe a dozen people in the store instead of two or three times that amount, which is normally the case when I go there. As usual, the staff was super helpful and friendly. Here is the yarn I walked away with.

This is some of the baby alpaca yarn that is so amazing. I’ve purchased baby alpaca at a few places on-line since discovering it at this store, and none of them are even half as soft as this stuff. The colorwayis called Summer Sky Heather. This probably a cross between DK and worsted and has 220 yards/100 grams. I have no specific plans for it yet, but I just loved the color. You can’t tell from the photo, but is kind of has a hint of blue-ish-purples in it.

Of course, that was not enough baby alpaca for me. This is a splurge, right? One skein of this stuff was not going to do it, so I also got two skeins in black. I plan to make a shawlette, specifically the Milk Thistle Shawlette if I can figure out the pattern.

I’ve been looking for gray yarn to make probably another shawlette, and I was curious about using a bamboo blend. I wear a lot of black and gray pants at work, and then I just switch out tops. It’s kind of my teacher uniform. I selected this super soft skein of Frog Tree sock yarn. It is 80% washable Merino wool and 20% bamboo. The skein is 100 grams/255 yards.

Now for a pop of color - This is Cascade 220 Quatro 100% Peruvian wool. I think it’s DK weight. It has 220 yards/100 grams. I have a green long sleeved t-shirt type shirt that I wear a lot to work, so again, I’m thinking scarf or shawlette with this. I had them go ahead and ball it up for me.

Now I know this next skein looks really similar, but I could not pick between the two. And why should I have to pick when I’m splurging? So my final purchase was this skein of Heritage sock hand painted yarn. It is 75% Merino superwash and 25% nylon and has 437 yards/100 grams. Even though I have a few projects in the works now that I really need to finish, I couldn’t help myself and yes….

I started another project! This is the beginnings of a shawl that will probably turn into a shawlette (notice a trend?) The pattern is from Totally Simple Crochet: Over 30 Easy Projects for the Home and to Wear. The pattern is called the Crochet Shawl with Chain Stitch Loops, and what I like about it is that it starts at the point of the shawl (which is a triangle shape), so you can stop at any point later to make it smaller or even larger than the pattern calls for. I did find a typo in the pattern and that meant it took me a while to figure it out, but luckily, I did, and it is pretty easy to do, mainly single, double, and triple crochet stitches.

After the splurge, that means I have yet another 10% off card of there with lots of stamp on it…yikes! But, I’m going to be strong and not make another trip there until probably the holidays.

Crafters are always thinking about the tools they use, and there tends to be endless choices to make when selecting them. When I first discovered bamboo crochet hooks and knitting needles, I shunned my previous use of aluminum hooks and needles. I thought I had found “the” perfect material for these tools. However, after awhile, I realized that sometimes aluminum works better than bamboo. I tend to work faster with an aluminum crochet hook because it has more glide to it (if that makes sense), and for some types of yarns, like cotton, I also prefer aluminum.

Now I’ve added wood into the mix in the form of my first Harmony crochet hook that I got from KnitPicks recently. It is made of laminated birch, and it is so pretty! But is it practical? I have been using it on a shawl I’ve had in the works for awhile, and I’m giving it the thumbs up! It feels light in my hands (it’s a size G) and it has a fair amount of glide to it. Plus, the hook end is nice and deep, so it grabs the yarn really well.

I’ve tried all three types now - wood, bamboo, and aluminum - and I don’t really have a favorite any more. I like them all, and I really use them all based on what I’m making.

Yes, believe it or not, some yarn is made in Florida. Of course, I’m not talking about wool yarn because there are pretty much zero sheep down here, but there are a few alpaca farms in this state and with some surfing around, I managed to find a semi-local, a few hours away from me, alpaca farm that also sells some fiber. It is called Woodland Hills and is located in Brooksville, Florida, and it has a small Etsy shop with a little yarn and some fibers available for spinning too.

Why the hunt for local yarn? This was a challenge put out by The Fat Squirrel Speaks podcast, and at first, I just blew it off as something that I could not do. But then I remembered reading on a Ravelry forum about how there were alpaca farms in Florida, not a ton but more than I would have though. With some help from Google and some links she included in a forum post, I finally found a few places where I could acquire Florida yarn. Eventually, I settled on a skein of gray fingering weight yarn from Woodland Hills that is made of 80% alpaca/angora and 20% acrylic. To top it off, a little swag was included in my purchase, more alpaca yarn! So I really have two skeins of Florida yarn.

My next step is to figure out what to make for the local yarn knit along hosted by The Fat Squirrel Speaks. It starts up on September 1st and runs through October 14th, so it will have to be something easy and quick. I may even make a little amigurumi monster with the rainbow colored yarn.

Tomorrow will be the best Craft Wars on TLC ever for a number of reasons. First, it is starring the Impatient Crafter herself, Margot Potter!

And reason number two is that Craft Wars is now on at a different time, 8pm eastern time/7pm central time. That means prime time for the east coast, yeah!

I can’t wait to watch Margot in action as she and two other competitors take on Christmas crafting. Here is some of the 411 from the press release I received:

This week Christmas comes early on TLC’s CRAFT WARS! Contestants Cheryl, Ivan and Margot compete in a series of challenges filled with Christmas cheer; they must create a Christmas tree out of post office supplies. I’ve included the episode for you to preview as well as a sneak peek and photos from tomorrow’s episode. PLEASE NOTE: TLC has moved the time of CRAFT WARS- it’s now airing Tuesday nights at 8/7c.

Also, don’t miss Tori Spelling giving TLC’s CRAFT WARS fans the behind-the-scenes scoop when her tweets appear live on-air during Tuesday’s episode. Tune in to see what she really thought of the crafty creations Tuesday, July 31 at 8/7c on TLC.

And even better, here is a video sneak peek:

Why silly stuff like this excites me, well, I don’t know, but I was giddy yesterday when my Stockinette Zombie HO bag arrived in the mail. “HO” is one of the many fiber terms thrown around over at Ravelry, and it means “half-finished object.” Here is Coco helping me open up the package. We both were impressed with the extra swag (pin and sticker).

The Stockinette Zombie podcast is one of my favorites because it is just like hanging out with two fiber ladies who are chatting to you. And while I have a lot of project bags, for some reason, I never seem to have enough.

After blabbing about getting the knitting bug here, word is out that I’m now a knitter (though still a newb at it), and I was asked by a rep of Morehouse Farm to try out a few knitting kits. Here is a photo of the Bow Tie Scarf kit, which includes a skein of merino and knitting instructions for the scarf.

Here is the skein that’s inside and behind the instructions included in the package. The colorway is called Fantasea, and it is variegated with shades of green, blues, and a sort of berry color. It is 100% merino, three strand ply, which the instructions also says is worsted weight, 145 yards or about 2 ounces.

To say this yarn is soft I think is an understatement; it’s luscious! I was really surprised at how soft a wool yarn could be. As I cast on, I realized this was not the same kind of wool or even merino I’ve used in the past. It kind of has a silky feel to it.

The kit instructions are pretty basic, but this is a beginning level project so it is not complicated in the sense that there is a lot to explain. So far, I am having great success and love working with this yarn.

The kit sells for $14.60, and it includes the skein and instructions for the scarf. The yarn purchased on its own is $11.40.

Morehouse Farm also sent me this Merino Hat kit ($13.50). It also includes a skein of merino yarn, and these instructions are a little more involved since the project is more advanced than the scarf kit. The instructions are for adult, child regular, adult small, or child small, and explain how to make it either knit flat or knit in the round.

Like I said, I’m now a big fan of the yarn. As far as the kits, I think they are good place for beginners to start or for someone who wants an all in one kind of package; for example they’d make a nice gift if you know some who knits.

I’m a fairly new shopper at Knit Picks. I purchased some Brava acrylic recently for a baby hat I made for a friend, and about 2 days after I ordered it, I got an email about a sale they had going on as well as an offer that if you made a purchase (of anything) you got a free skein of Brava. ERRrr….yah…kind of bummed me out since I had just ordered some of that! It would have been nice to be given the skein when I had made the purchase! But, timing is everything, right? And I have heard so much about this company and its yarn, I went over to take a look at the sale. I was really impressed with some of prices, and I am still trying to expand my yarn horizons, and oh, yeah, I have a thing for baby alpaca now, so I caved and ordered (after doing some yarn research of Ravelry).

First I went for some more baby alpaca, Tidepool Heather Andean Treasure. I got a bunch of this because it was about half the cost of what I had paid at the not so local yarn store, and I had dreams of making a super soft shawl out of it. Now that it is here and I’ve touched it, I’m not so sure. It is soft, but compared to the other alpaca yarn (from Casade), it is not thrilling me. It is soft. It just isn’t “angels are singing” soft when I touch it. I guess maybe you get what your pay for.

My other yarn acquisition included some fingering weight Chroma in a colorway called Guppy. I may need to see a shrink for ordering such thin yarn, but I’m imagining a light, bright, and lacey shawl that might be gifted if I live long enough to make it.

Here is some more Chroma yarn, also in fingering, in a colorway called Fossil. This allocated in my mind for a shawl, this time for me, possibly something I could leave in my office at school.

This is some sock yarn I plan to use for making fingerless gloves for a friend of mine who loves red. It’s called Cochineal Felici, whatever that means. I’m doing pretty well in the fingerless gloves category right now, so I don’t think I’m delusional imagining this project.

Finally, here is the “freebie” (ha ha) that I got in Rouge. I plan to use this for making some toy crowns for next month’s Crochetlist donation drive.

I’m not sure if I’m a Knit Picks convert yet. My experience so far with customer service was not so great. I won’t give details because so many people rave about this company, and I’m going to give them the benefit of the doubt and assume that my experience was an anomaly. As far as the yarn, I was disappointed in the quality of the alpaca compared to my previous alpaca purchase at a yarn store, but I’ve learned a valuable lesson that not all alpaca is the same. In fact, since then I’ve read on the Ravelry boards that some can even be itchy…yikes! I’m hoping that once I actually start to use some of this yarn, especially the Chroma which I love the colors of, that my opinion will change.

I have heard endlessly about Knit Picks, and as it happens, a friend of mine recently asked me to make a hat for her soon to be born grandson using “gator” colors of orange and blue. I searched high and low for soft acrylic yarn in the right shades. Orange was especially tough to find. Luckily, Knit Picks has started carrying an acrylic brand of yarn called Bravo, and it comes in lots of different colors, including orange and bright blue. And, as promised in the web site’s description of the yarn, it was nice and soft, and at $2.99 for 218 yards of worsted weight, I am pretty impressed with the price too. Unfortunately, I was in such a rush to make the hat (actually ended up making two for her) I spaced out and didn’t photograph them! I have a lot this yarn left, so I’m thinking of using the orange to make some monsters for a toy donation drive I plan to participate in soon.

One of my yarn splurges awhile back was a 50 gram/170 meter skein of Peter Pan Double Knit 55% nylon and 45% acrylic. I purchased it at a yarn store with the idea that I make lots of baby items. Plus, since I’m trying to branch out and use different types of yarn, I knew I could find a use for this. I ended up making a few baby hats with it as well as a doll hat and doll scarf.  Even though it is only 50 grams, it has gone a pretty long way, so I have probably gotten my $6.75 cents worth out of it. However….

I have to admit that after working with it a fair amount now, it is okay but I’m not overly impressed. I actually felt it compared a great deal to Lion Brand’s Baby Soft yarn. The Pastel Print (very similar in color to the Peter Pan yarn I purchased) comes in 113 gram skeins for almost the same price, $6.49 retail (if you don’t catch it on sale). It is also a mix of nylon and acrylic: 60% acrylic and 40% nylon.

At least I tried something different, and I have few more baby hats in my donation stash, but unless I stumble onto a huge Peter Pan Yarn sale, I don’t see this as being a yarn I will purchase again any time soon.