What I am working on now...

When I really should be doing something else more important...The pattern is from Umami by Ezura Yoshimi (ISBN4-579-1085-6).

Actually, this is sort of important. I have promised myself this bag for a while now. I am using a super-synthetic snake skin that I bought at Fabricland from the remnant bin. I finally have a project for it. I am finding the gathers more challenging than I thought I guess because it is kind of hard to see the thread on the fabric and, because my new sewing machine is proving sort of difficult to work with. It is not a fancy machine--I just bought a cheaper brother machine because I wanted to make sure that I wanted to continue to sew--but now I sort of regret it. I loved the brother machine that I had when we lived in England but this one is not so easy to use. Anyway, I will post the project after I have time to photograph it.

Murakami mits

Just taking a quick peek at Ravelry before I am out to pick up my daughter and I saw these amazing mittens that combine two of my favorite hobbies: knitting and Haruki Murakami! Tora says that the mittens are knit with the following quote from a Wild Sheep Chase: "You'll never see that woman again...Because you thought only of yourself." A Wild Sheep Chase by Haruki Murakami

More at Tora's blog: knittingalot