Raking in the presents!

So, here we are closing in on the end of March and I may or may not have had an event this week involving turning another year older, blowing out candles, and over-indulging in a dessert kind of way. (Can you tell I don't really feel like talking about now being thirty-two? Sigh....) Anyway, the good part of course is that I have I'm a lucky girl who got to spend time and get very well wishes from the very sweet people who love me. Chocolate, laughing and beverages were consumed on the appropriate birthday-level scale. Oh yeah, and they also gave me presents too. Here are the knitting related ones

Look at that! That's like enough knitting knowledge to stop a bus isn't it? Wow! My dad gave me the 2 Barbara Walker knitting treasuries (and also "Knitting in the Old Way", which I now just realized is not in the picture). My husband gave me the Nicky Epstein "Knitting on the Edge" books and the Amy Sedaris book (I know it's not knitting but it's in that craft category, and totally hilarious by the way) and also Little Miss Sunshine on DVD which I watched for the second time yesterday and have officially decided it is my new favorite movie. The lovely Tracy gave me the "Favorite Socks" book and yes it just as good as they say it is. It's one of a handful of books I own where I can really say I'd be hard-pressed to find a project in there that I would not want to make. I really could make every one. And the "Victorian Lace Today" book? That would be a gift from me. To me. And I happen to love it. What a great gift! Doesn't everyone buy themselves birthday gifts? Gifts as in plural right? I hope so because that's not the only thing I got myself.



I had heard someone talking about a corduroy messenger knitting bag on a podcast awhile ago. I didn't buy the brand the person was referring but recognized immediately that a corduroy messenger knitting bag could possibly be the penultimate knitting vessel that would someday surpass all my knitting in public dreams. Behold the Namaste Messenger Knitting Bag. Can you tell I love it? I adore it? And I'm so not into 'buying stuff' lately. But this bag... Every time I knit I admire it. The corduroy is soft as butter, yet sturdy. The inside? Gobs and gobs of space.



The bottom even unzips to make even more room! So the next time I'm knitting a 50 inch top-down raglan I don't have to worry that the entire sweater is not going to fit in my bag. No problem! It is so roomy! But small stuff is kept safe and sound too-the little pockets in the front? So useful, and cute. And there a bunch of small pockets lining the inside also-it's hard to photograph the black. And the style? It's just so me. I love messenger bags. And I'm so happy with this, it's so useful and practical, yet stylish and classic and punk-ish. And I'm totally tempted to cover that top flap with different pins from bands and stuff. Because even though my drivers license says otherwise in my head I am still living in 1995. But that's ok right? Back in 1995 I'm still 20 years old. Eeek!