Clothespin Mess

That’s what I had on my hands after using my new clothespins for the first time. They had been packed so nice and neatly in their plastic tray, and then I just didn’t feel like trying to stack them all back up.

Easiest solution? Throw them in a bag. Only problem was, I didn’t have a bag like that lying around. So I made one.

Basic instructions (I didn’t write down anything as I was doing it, so very minimal instructions) are on the Ravelry project page. It has a drawstring closure

and sits pretty well when it is full.

It was actually a pretty easy project to figure out in an afternoon, so hopefully my vague instructions aren’t too confusing.

Swatching Up A Storm

I’ve got to admit, I was not very good about swatching before starting a project for many years. Most likely because I was using cheap worsted weight acrylic yarn that doesn’t really change gauge much for so long that I didn’t think it was necessary. Using real yarn has taught me the value of doing a gauge swatch first. That and reading the book Custom Knits Accessories by Wendy Bernard. I rarely follow a pattern to the letter, so swatching is pretty important.

I’ve even started washing the swatches to see how the yarn does in a normal wash cycle, so I know whether or not it will be okay to wash the final product. Much better to find out that a small square shrinks than having an oddly misshapen hat or glove at the end of laundry day.

I’m casting on two projects this weekend:Starry Stole (swatch 1) and Zooey (swatch 2). I knit the swatches Wednesday, hand-washed them yesterday, and now I am ready to measure once more to be sure and cast on.

Oh, and my other swatch project is still going strong. Up to 297 out of 400 right now according to my Google+ Photo Album. Only 103 more to go.

Bathroom Caddies

I have a lot of toiletries. Lotions, toners, toothpastes, etc. And I use something different at night than in the morning. Sharing a bathroom with a little one who still puts everything from the floor directly into his mouth, I can’t exactly leave these things in the cabinets because that would put them directly at his level and I’d find him drinking lotion at some point, I’m sure.

That lead me to the solution of keeping everything on a shelf in my closet out of reach of tiny hands. But, I needed an easier way to transport everything back and forth without dropping something in the hallway and waking little bear up right after he goes to sleep.

Tada! Bathroom caddies. Nesting bathroom caddies, in fact. See, I started with a nice little roll for my toothbrush, toothpaste, and flosser:

Created a slightly large holder with handle for my facewashing things for the morning:

Then made a rectangular box with handles at each side to hold everything together:

Now I just take out the parts I need and have a handy little way to carry it all back and forth. The morning one worked really well today. Plus, they hold all my stuff on the shelf very nicely, even when it refuses to stand up.