French Market Bag

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Here is the other project I CO for Make Something Day, the French Market Bag. I'm using Paton's Classic Wool and US8 needles. Thanks to the Magic Loop method, I was able to CO eight sts, join, and begin knitting a circle. First time, people! New technique learned! I'm a bit further than this picture, I've got the bottom of the bag done, and have switched to solid pink for the start of the body of the bag.

If you need help learning to graft or Kitchener stitch, Knitting at Knoon has a new video.

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Keeping the "We" in "Yes, We Can!"

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• A challenge for you!
• Twenty tips for staying warm in your apartment. (I like #19!)
• A Year of Crockpotting! Recipes to keep good warm food on the table forever!
• Holiday Shopping: Just Don't! "Predictably, consumers have clamped their wallets shut. A 1.3% decline in retail spending in September ballooned to 2.8% in October, the largest one-month drop in the history of that statistic. Facing such financial uncertainty, who would buy a new car, TV, stereo or sofa? Restaurant spending is dramatically off too, and credit card use is down. While some consumers have been on a debt-fueled binge for quite awhile, apparently they haven’t forgotten how to sober up. And fast. They’re acting smart and cautious. That’s a good thing. Scaling back on gifts and holiday spending this year suddenly seems like the socially acceptable thing to do. Spending liberally can feel unseemly. Even older children will recognize that these are unusual times....Support local and socially responsible businesses when buying what you need. Give all that you can to those who are suffering. Spend less time in malls and more connecting with friends and family. If the experience of those who have already decommercialized their holidays is any guide, you’ll find yourself less stressed, more fulfilled and with a little more money in your pocket. I suggest more music, less wrapping paper."