Mmmmmm......Fiber

See!!!!! I haven't forsaken knitting!

This pattern is Knit Strawberries by Pezdiva. I followed this patterned EXACTLY as written, which is very rare for me, but it is a really good pattern. It is actually my new favorite intermission pattern (that is when I need a break from a larger project). It takes only about 20 minutes to make a strawberry so they give me near instant gratification. Knitting one of these little babies helps me remember that larger projects will eventually be finished.

Knitting the fake food has also helped me realize that my kids don't need anymore cheap toys. Notice that I didn't say inexpensive.

According to Merriam-Webster cheap means "at minimum expense," and inexpensive means, "reasonable in price."

Christmas of 2006 my DH and I bought our DD some cheap toy food from the dollar section at Target. We bought a mix of fruit and vegetables. They were all one color, and about one size, regardless of the fruit or vegetable represented (the strawberry and celery were the same size). The following picture is a comparison between the strawberries I knit, and the plastic strawberry that was in the set we bought at Target. Sure there is a place for cheap plastic foods, but that place is not in my house anymore. Instead my kids are going to get inexpensive toys like these knit strawberries. The yarn was already in my stash, and it took very little time to knit. The cost to make these strawberries in both time and money was quite low, but they were not as cheap as $1 during a trip to Target. So now instead of supporting a big box store, the inappropriate use of oil (in the form of plastic), and instant gratification, I am supporting hand work, renewable resources (wool), and patience (waiting a little while for mom to finish the new toy). Most of all I enjoy making the toys for my kids, and my kids have already played with their fibery fruit than they ever played with the plastic stuff.

Speaking of reasonably priced, but not cheap stuff.......
After months of researching all of my options I have finally ordered a new knitting bag. It was a difficult decision to make. All of the options were really quite good, and the decision finally settled on preference alone rather than any particular strong point in the bag I picked or weak point in the bags I didn't pick. In only a few short days I will be receiving a Swift by Tom Bihn. It seemed the most utilitarian and adaptable for me. In a few weeks I plan to do a review on it.

Finally, a little something from the Tom Bihn website.