Well - After leaving the knitting needles behind...

One more post about flying and knitting at the same time! I read that if you think they may be taken away from you, take a padded postage paid, self addressed envelope to TSA with you in case they say you cannot take them, drop out of line and mail them to yourself...sounds like a lot of trouble for a hobby to me.

I did leave my knitting needles behind because I read something about if they are pointed - and metal, they may be taken away by the TSA. So I flew to Arkansas from Arizona without them, read a book instead.

THEN!!!! I was changing flights in Dallas/Ft Worth, and sat down right beside a lady who was knitting ... at the gate!! Knitting needles in her carry on. We had a good laugh, and I'm going shopping for the needles I need to finish this project. So far I'm not on anyone's terrorist list because I knit. I really do respect the efforts the gov has made to protect Joe Citizen, it's just an inconvenience that bothers me, but I really enjoyed my book today - Atlas Shrugged - good read.

TSA is running my life. I want to knit on the plane. And I have two new books.

There are so few times that I have 2 or 3 hour blocks of time, this 3 hour flight on Friday will feel like wasted time, if I cannot knit. So as a backup, I finally found a paperback version of Atlas Shrugged. I'm so into reading it again, I read it over 40 years ago ... I bought B & N's last copy last night. Also, I got the Prayers That Avail Much 25th anniversary edition. It is an incredible reference book for life's situations, and how to pray for each circumstance. It isn't a formula, it's an amazing collection of scriptures that apply to each concern that you can pray the scripture mentioning the name of the person involved.

Some of the topics are Prayers to Glorify God, Prayers to Watch What You Say, Prayers to Receive Forgiveness, Prayers for Peaceful Sleep, Prayers for the Loss of a Loved One, Prayers for Loved Ones Caught up in a Cult, Prayers for People Living With Abuse, etc. I started looking for this book when a Pastor used it as a reference book for the Prayer and Fast the church is participating in, we chose to be a part of this experience, and are so excited about the event. Our experience has been that when we take time to pray, and fast a meal, a period of time, or certain foods or habits, that we are more focused on our purpose and calling, and see God's involvement in our lives and the lives of others ... I'm excited!

Our day-to-day ministry is an outreach to Bikers, which encompasses homeless and veterans, and sometimes homeless bikers and veterans. We try to work in conjunction with the existing churches, find out what they're doing and join them. The outreach of this church in the heart of Phoenix is clicking. Friday night Dinner and a Movie (Friday Night Live) has over 70 people from the streets and the neighborhood coming on the parking lot for a brief greeting, a movie (currently showing the entire Star Wars series week-by-week) and a meal (and popcorn), chairs in rows in the parking lot with a blow-up screen. We mingle and talk, and have an area set up for prayer. We've cooked the last two weeks, fun!!

When we do Motorcycle Events, we register for the event and participate, or we volunteer with the leadership and work set-up, tear-down, registration, or set-up a ministry booth serving coffee, ice-water, and giving out "Biker" theme Bibles. Yep, I take my knitting. Because there are days that we sit in our booth for a few hours while the entire participation is off on some charity ride or doing "Biker Games" that get a little offensive ... so I stay in the booth with the coffee and ice-water.

Thinking back over the last year, I've had my knitting with me on the motorcycle, tent camping, in motels all across country, in our RV camper, at picnic tables, under our canopy at biker events, in people's homes as we travel and stay with family and friends, always in the truck, and of course sitting under our canopy in a church parking lot (our temporary home) in Phoenix. I'm planning on being more focused on praying as I knit. I pray while I knit but my new goal is to pray the scriptures as I learn them and apply them to specific needs of the people we meet along the way, and for our loved ones.

That is what this book is all about: Know what scriptures apply to your circumstances, and pray quoting them in faith that God hears and is taking action. It's more to build my faith than to get God moving!! He's already moving - I need to build my faith that HE'S IN CONTROL!!

So glad he's God and I'm not - I could mess things up pretty royal.

Knitting Pattern a Day
OH, I almost forgot - I finally found a copy of Knitting Pattern a Day, This is the daily pattern CONTEST that I hope to submit a pattern to, I'm still planning on being published in 2009, I wrote out a new pattern the other day in the truck (waiting for the hubby to go to 3 different stores for a specific tool he needed for his Motorcycle). It could be the one!!

Gotta pack.

Knit Pockets - Taking Knitting Needles on an Airplane (TSA Approved??)

The pockets on a Toddler Cape are so tiny, knit in stockinette stitch for 2" knit in ribbing 1", they are the cutest pockets I've ever made.

OK, I am enjoying making this cape.

I'm struggling with laying it down, but I cannot take it on the plane with me because I'm concerned the needles size 2 (very tiny diameter) and very long, will be confiscated by the TSA. I've read and re-read everybody's blogs and all the TSA rules, they say knitting needles are allowed, but bloggers say they've had them taken even, or especially, if they have the printed TSA rules and argue the point. WOW - I'm taking my interchageable needles though, but that won't get this cape done, so I give in, I'm laying it down for a week, that hurts.

I'm taking the needles I need to make Ken's slippers (clogs), finally starting them, wow I've really had a knitting mental block. If I figured up all the stitches in this little cape (teeny tiny stitches) I've probably knit enough stitches for 3 felted bags ... but oh, my goodness, this project is coming along beautifully, I think I'm going to use the scrap yarn to make some hacky sacks for some boys I know, found a great free pattern from Berroco called CATCH.

So, off to the store, laundry tomorrow and pack the next day, Little Rock here I come, without my size 2 needles.

I-Cord - How to Knit one and How to attach an I-cord to a knit purse

First of all decide if you're felting the fiber once it is knit because felting shrinks the length by 1/4 to 1/3.

To make a hefty i-cord, start with 4-6 stitches, cast on, and knit, then move the stitches to the left needle, repeat knit and move to left needle, this places the loose yarn to the left but the first stitch is on the right, bringing the stitches around into a tubing effect. Knit the piece until it is 1 and 1/3 the length of the finished desired piece.

To attach to a felted bag, I use grommets, they come with instructions and in various sizes, and need a little grommet tool for each size, and a hammer and a workbench surface. Make the holes in the felted bag by using graduated sizes of metal needles to poke the holes in the fabric.

THIS IS A GREAT LINK TO HOW-TO MAKE AN I-CORD

Once the holes are the right size, add the grommets, thread the felted strap through and use your yarn to sew the two ends together with a darning needle, the yarns match the strap and using invisible stitches (hiding each stitch inside the two ends of the strap, the strap becomes one continuous loop - make sure it is woven through the grommets first though, or you'll be cutting it apart to fasten it to the bag.

To felt the strap, you must use 100% wool yarn for it to work effectively, place in a pillow case, fasten closed, throw in a pair of jeans and the case wash in hot water about 8-12 minutes. When done, stretch the strap very tight, and often, and let dry completely. DONE!!

Yep, I made all of those pendants in the current picture in my banner.

I have been making teeny tiny clay purses to use as decor on my purses. They are miniatures of the purses I'm knitting for Etsy, so tiny and cute!!

The picture on my current Blog Banner is a collection of some of the pendants I've made and used on bags.

Here's the picture for future reference, as I like changing out my top banner pic occasionally.


From left to right, Lee Ann's bag had a woven clay, the pink cell-phone purse had pinks and purples throughout so I did a swirl color effect and added it with matching ribbon, the center pic is a variety of pendants before use, the pendant outlined in stripes has a small bead on top matching the stripes and pulled out all the colors for a purse I made Denise, and the last on the right is the earth/denim bag I made for Emily and one of my first polymer clay pendants.