My ideas are leaking out.

I feel like the Little Old Woman in the Shoe, who had so many children she didn't know what to do. Have you ever had so many ideas to post about that you just couldn't get any of them out? Or were afraid that they would rattle around in your brain so much you would forget them, or worse they would leak out? I started a list of post ideas, but then I lost it. I think kidster #2 threw it away or hid it somewhere. He's in the hiding things stage.

Hey, don't forget today's the last day to enter the giveaway!

Stash Management

Got some new yarn yesterday. In total, I spent $20. I have enough for three sweaters! Not that I'll make them into sweaters...that would take me a long, long time.

I'm planning a summer tank with this. Yeah, I know it might be next summer. I can hear you snickering over there.
No plan for this yet but it's good basic black kidster yarn for the stash. And at $0.50 each I couldn't let it sit on the shelf.
And this is for my kitchen. Perfect match (it's really red, not pink as it appears in the pictures). My Ravelry friends might have noticed that I've spent some time faving a bunch of dishcloth patterns. Now if I can only get off Ravelry and start knitting!

Check out the other Around Abouts!

One of the most flattering thing for me has been seeing other people make bags from my pattern.

One of the first ones was fiber friend Gretchen's Around About. She used the same yarn for the color pattern, but switched out the pink for brown. Funny how one little change can make something so different!

This one is from Montananana's blog. She stayed with the pink theme too. Isn't it cute?

And this one from AprilFoolGirl is a solid color. I love it!

Anyway, I do hope the other projects on Ravelry get finished soon, the suspense is killing me!

And don't forget to enter my giveaway!

About me tag

Super Speedy Shortly passed this Meme on to me. I've been working on this post in bits and pieces (ie, when I get a few moments or before Curious George ends), forgive me if some of the answers are a little off. So, as if you didn't know enough about me already here goes!

What is your current obsession?
Reworking (ok, trashing and redoing) my Amybelbags website and getting my Etsy shop started.

What is your weirdest obsession?
Fruit snacks. I love them. I buy them and end up eating them all before the kidsters even get any. I tell myself that they are ok for me because they have no fat. And I'm sticking to it. I think I'll go get some right now!

What are you wearing today?
Shorts, t-shirt, Teva flip flops. That's pretty much every day. Except when it's cold. Then it's jeans and a sweatshirt over the t-shirt. And maybe sneakers, but I push the flip flops as far as they can go.

What’s for dinner?
Whatever Hubster decides to make. Yes, you heard right. I am a SAHM and he cooks!

What would you eat for your last meal?
I have to admit that I had trouble with this one. I think it would be steamers or lobster. Maybe both, but it's not like I never get to eat them with being so near the ocean and all. Our town just opened up the shellfishing beds so I think I'll actually be having a lot of clamboils this summer. Let's hope none of them are my last meal though!

What’s the last thing you bought?
Does clean teeth count? I went to the dentist today. Without insurance it cost me $85 big ones just for a cleaning. And I told them to pass on the x-rays. If they want to know what my roots look like so badly then they can pay for them! Needless to say they didn't take the x-rays.

What are you listening to right now?
Birds chirping and the faint sounds of the neighbor's grand kids, here for a visit, playing next door. It is fantastic since the windows have been closed most of the summer so far due to this terrible wet weather we've had up here.

If you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour, where would you go?
Maui, on the road to Hana. I went there with my mother in 2000, and they were right in the middle of a drought. There were hardly any waterfalls and I feel a little jipped.

Which language do you want to learn?
Preeschoolease

What do you love most about where you currently live?
Location. There is water everywhere. Tidal rivers and open ocean are just down the road. When the kidsters get restless I can just pack 'em up and head over to the town beach. We're there in five minutes. And if they lose it while we're there, we can head home in a jiffy without feeling like we blew the plan for the entire day.

What is your favorite colour?
Edible greens like olive, kiwi, avocado, lime, and celery (my Ravelry ID sums this one up perfectly).

What is your favorite piece of clothing in your own wardrobe?
Teva flip flops. They are like walking on air.

What were you doing ten years ago?
Father's Day weekend (the then non-)Hubster took me to Cape Cod for the weekend. It was our first "back together" thing we did since having a two year break. The rest is history.

Describe your personal style?
Functional.

If you had $300 now, what would you spend it on?
A new bathroom floor. It was the only floor we didn't redo, and it shows.

What are you going to do after this?
Put the kids to bed. Do some more surfing, then go sit with Hubster and do some knitting. Hopefully. If there isn't any laundry to fold.

What are your favorite films?
I am an '80's movie lover. Give me a good Ghostbusters or Back to the Future installment, but my all time favorite by leaps and bounds is Romancing the Stone. "Say hello to my little Mule!"

What inspires you?
Seeing my kids become independent. I don't get sad or weepy that they are growing up. I like to see them making progress and succeeding.

Do you collect anything?
Does yarn count? Ok, that was too easy. Actually, I guess I "collect" presents. When I see something that the kidsters (or anyone else on my list) would like and, here's the important part, when it is on sale, I get it and put it away for either Christmas or Birthday time. It makes it less stressful for me timewise and moneywise when that time comes.

What makes you follow a blog?
Nice pictures, funny commentary, beautiful (but attainable) knitting.

What was the most enjoyable thing you did today?
Well, the dentist was not exactly fun, so I'm still waiting for that one. Although I have thoroughly enjoyed being able to sit here at the computer and do some blogging, raveling, and the like.

What is your favorite FO and why?
The bee mittens I made for Kidster #1. I told him I would make him mittens and he said bees. Not sure why a 5yo afraid of bees outside would pick that but we went with it. They came out great and he loves them to death. It is my most rewarding FO.

If you had the afternoon off and all to yourself what would you do to relax, besides knitting or raveling/blogging?
Ok, this is my question. I thought it fitting since knitting and computer related pursuits are my favorite things to do when I have a little free time. So to peel me away from those might be hard, but I would do some planting, replanting, or garden fixing-upping, then soak in the pool to cool off and work on my tan. That is assuming that this New England weather starts acting like it's actually July around here!

Now for your turn. The rules:
1. Respond and rework; answer the questions on your blog, replace one question that you dislike with a question of your invention, add one more question of your own.
2. Tag others!

I'm tagging:
Nean the Bean
Alexandra
Angelina
JJewelry
missus.mint

Why I Love Knitting Purses

Handy dandy yarn storage.
She is now complete...except for the felting.
And here is what I ended up with for scraps. Got to love that!
Now for ripping back the blue one and getting that one done. I have a week before my father arrives. I wonder if I'll be able to get it done by then. Hmm, ambitious I know. I wont hold my breath!

Summer Slowdown

I have to say that now that school is over I am finding it hard to steal a few minutes to post to the blog. And I don't seem to be the only one, as more than one of the blogs I follow are in the same boat. Is it the heat that seems to be gripping the country? I wouldn't know. New England has had a dismal summer so far. We managed to get three fantastic days over the holiday weekend, but now we are back to cloudy, rainy and 70 degrees. If I get any paler I might turn translucent!

To boost my spirits and hopefully yours too, today's post will be "giveaway day". You all know about my giveaway, right? Well, in case you needed something to go in that project bag I am giving away, here are a few more from my fiber friends.

Shortly is having a sock yarn giveaway to celebrate the release of her new sock pattern.

Darcy is also having a sock yarn giveaway on her blog.

So go over and enter. It's cheaper than playing the lottery!
I have managed to finish one of the cabled handle bags. Pictures next post!

Project Bag Giveaway!

A bit ago I got my hands on a few Infi-knity bags from my friend H over at the Tink-n-Frog. They are great reversible project bags, perfect for small projects like socks!

I picked these two because they reminded me of things I had been talking about here lately. The pirate bag reminded me of my latest pirate escapades. And the butterfly bag for my new cable needle necklace.

But wait! I am giving one of them away! One lucky blog reader will get to choose their favorite.

Ways to enter:

1. Visit the Tink-n-Frog Etsy shop then come back and comment on what you like.

2. Jump in the sandbox for an extra entry (those of you already playing get two more entries). Leave a comment saying you did so.

3. Post this giveaway on your blog with a link to this giveaway. Comment with your post link.

Sorry, I don't tweet, plurk, or floss. Wait, I do floss! I'm one of those weird people who actually like flossing :).

Enter now through July 15th.

Random drawing will be held on July 16th, my six month blogiversary!

I will ship internationally. It might take a while, but I would not think of leaving out some of my loyal fiber friends!