A Rainy Day with My Main Squeeze

With the shop closed yesterday, my current real estate deal simmering along nicely, and lots of rain and chill, I settled into my favorite sweatpants and big teeshirt for some crappy daytime television and serious knitting.

Beau had other ideas for me, Mavis:


I know the focus is like looking through vaseline, but really, doesn't his Cute just overshadow all odds?

P.S. -- That crumbled blue heap in the foreground is my Yankee Knitter Aran pullover. Yes, I've been "working" on this for more than a year now, but I think I'm in the homestretch!

"Doggie Bag" becomes a Sweet Purse

I was able to spend a little time at my sewing machine this morning in order to make up a lining for a knit project that I finished a few weeks ago. This is the inside of the bag:

The fabric is from my stash and of unknown origin ... but it's a soft flannel and cute print which I think looks very good with the yarn. Here's the outside:

The yarn is a really great beaded cotton and rayon that I bought on impulse a year or so ago.

I found the pattern by chance a while back, as a freebie by a nice blogger. It was designed as a dog poop bag (how chic!) but I thought is would make a nice small handbag. You can find the pattern here.

Infested!

We came back with a few stow-aways from our trip . . .


This little rat and 5 of his best friends have made themselves cozy in our front room among the Halloween earrings and pins.

Off on an Adventure!

It promises to be a beautiful Fall day here in my MerryLand! The DH and I will be heading out shortly for a leisurely day of adventure in one of our favorite close-by towns, Fredericksburg. We'll be looking through the shops with different eyes today ... hoping to find some new stuff for our own shop. So, I guess this isn't totally a laid-back trip; we are also hunting for the business.

Which, by the way, is really kicking my butt.

Yes, I love it ... searching out the new products ... researching the stuff we know nothing about ... finding creative display ideas ... meeting the new customers and those that haven't visited the shop for eons (or at least before we took over) and then hearing their very positive comments ... it's all good.

On the other hand ... I'm doing little else. No blogging, minimal home maintenance, barely keeping up with my family and friends.

Did I mention knitting?

Okay, I know this is typical with a new business start-up, so I will try to remain positive. I'll get those damn dust bunnies soon!