Loved and Abandoned

The feeling of spring is getting into my bones. I'm dreaming of flowers, open windows, and all the lush green that ushers in the summer. Oddly, this spring fever that compels me to start cleaning or planning my window boxes also drives me to finish current projects that are lingering. Last week I finished up some pajamas for the boys that had been sitting in pieces and picked up the shawl that I hadn't touched since October. It feels great to be checking tasks off my list.


You may vaguely remember (about a year ago) I started working on a design for a knitting notions case. Begun with such gusto, it's shocking to me how I had set it to the side to start new projects. Maybe it was the construction details that got complicated or my fear of failure. Who knows? Anyway, I picked it back up and it is done.

This notions case is padded with batting (it feels so soft), has pockets for stitch markers and scissors, padded felt area for sharp needles and a place to secure darning needles. My vision was to have it be a machine-sewn piece but with enough hand-details that it looks a bit rustic. I was really excited to find the buttons that actually look "woodsy" at JoAnne Fabrics.

I am generally happy (80%) with the way it turned out. However, there are some definite tweaks I want to make before the pattern is written up for distribution. One of which is an original design for the embroidery on the front (I wasn't really doing that myself back then) and another is roomier pockets with a place for a small tape measure.

I'm a big fan of that button.

This process of revisiting something I started a year ago is so eye-opening. With every stitch I sew or knit...I have been learning. So slowly that I never even knew it was happening. I have better solutions for techniques I thought were a good idea last January. Wow, kinda awesome. This old dog learns new tricks. I'm excited to share this design really soon.

–Cassandra