Non-knitting crisis diverted

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My apologies to those who know this story.  I thought it was funny and wanted to share it with the rest of you.

I don’t talk about my job much however it allows me to buy yarn without guilt.  I don’t know about your workplace but at mine we have busy days and not so busy days.  Today was going to be one those not so busy days and truthfully, I’d rather have a busy day than a trying-to-look-busy day.

I am an administrative assistant, an office manager, the glue that holes it all together, or whatever you want to call me.  I have a degree in art education so this “office” stuff was new to me when I returned to work after vacating the public education field and became a stay-at-home-mom for seven years.

I have no background in office machines or equipment.  I don’t know if those who attend secretarial school/classes learn such things or if there is even a secretarial course one pursues in this day and age.  (I’m not that ancient am I?)  But I have become an expert in office machinery.  Or at least everyone in my office thinks that I am.

Today I had to save the massive paper shredder.  Remember this machine that ate my granddaughter’s dress?

This thing is the size of a washing machine!

A co-worker came to me this morning and said, ” ‘Somebody’ left paper clips on top of the shredder and they fell onto the blades.”

Because I can read minds, I determined that she wanted me to rectify the situation particularly when she told me I would probably need something like a letter opener to retrieve said paper clips.

I made sure the paper shredder was not only turned off but unplugged as well.  The letter opener was a good idea in principle but not the right tool for the job.  So I bent another paper clip into a hook and fished them all out.  There were about 10-12 saved from certain death.  All the offending paper clips went into a paper cup so they couldn’t escape again.

Crisis diverted.

What kind of super-human powers do you have?

Not much knitting update

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I’ve been knitting a little bit on the Garter Stitch bag I’m making for my sister.  15 of the 22 squares are finished.  I’ve been doing more sewing lately than anything else.  Well, except for going to work and sleeping.

This is my sample project.  I followed the instructions (links at the end of this post) to make the box bag.  This is the perfect size to throw in a ball of sock yarn, double-point or circular needles and a sock pattern to take where ever.  Or to use as a toiletry bag, lunch bag, shoe bag (adjust the size), for small toys, game pieces, the possibilities are endless.

I bought this bicycle fabric to make these box bags for a group of 7th graders: 4 girls and 12 boys.  I thought the print was generic enough for both boys and girls.  The bags will be filled with snacks but they can use it for whatever they want.

My daughter and several others disagreed with me.  They thought it was to “girly” for a boy with the pink and lavender bikes. 

So I bought another fabric that reminds me of granite hoping it would be more “manly.”

I was going to give the girls the bicycle fabric bags and the boys the granite bags.  What do you think?

I used several tutorials.  Tutorials: Dragoknit for the basic pattern and  RoadyJane for the no-raw-edges tutorial.

I also used fusible fleece fused to the outer fabric and lined it with a solid cotton.  In orange.  Plus there are no raw edges.  I started with a 12 x 16 inch rectangle.  Fusible fleece is 11.5 x 15.5 inches.  The strap is 6 x 10 inches.  I reduced the “corners” from 1.5 inches to 1.25 inches.  If you look at the instructions, you will understand what I’m talking about.  I did that to make the bag longer and not as high.  My sample is how the pattern is written and I wanted a squatier bag.

My final dimensions are 7.5 long, 4.5 wide and 3.5 tall.

I bought my zippers in bulk at a wonderful place in New York City.  Check it out if you need a lot of zippers: ZipperStop Products *  Great prices, great service and they’re made in America!!!

* I do not work for nor receive any compensation from ZipperStop Products.

Deserving

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My new knitting tool arrived two days earlier than expected.  I have been wanting one of these for at least a year and a half.  Didn’t get it for Christmas.  Didn’t get it for my birthday.  Didn’t get it for Valentine’s Day.  Thanks to these two posts, I decided to buy one for myself.  When you read my personal engraving, you’ll know why.

Engraving:

Tablet cover take 2

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Remember when I made the first tablet cover for Mr. Aitch’s e-tablet?  It was too wide and too short.

I finally finished it this afternoon.  It seemed like this took F.O.R.E.V.E.R. since I already made one.  It took awhile to get motivated to start it all over again.

The pre-felting size was 11 inches wide by 23 inches tall.  I had already sewn one side when I remembered to take that picture so just imagine that it’s really 23 inches tall.  The all important pocket was 11 inches by 10 1/2 inches once it was all sewn together.  I added a solid blue edge and checkerboard row to the top of the pocket area as well as knitted it longer.  The back is solid navy blue and I didn’t take a picture of it since it was boring.

I soaked it for about an hour in a vinegar and water solution before felting so set the blue dye so it wouldn’t run into the gold.  I didn’t add enough vinegar this time since it did run a little.

Post-felting measurements were 10 inches wide  by 8 inches high for the pocket.  That was the most important measurement.

The lining was hand sewn using some microfiber suede cloth I got on sale at Joann Fabrics. 

Perfect fit.

Blood, sweat and tears went into this.  Blood: when I stuck my finger with the needle while sewing the lining.  Tears: when the first cover didn’t fit.  Sweat: while felting this and wondering if it would fit.

Mr. Aitch is happy.