Oh, Just Bag It!

I say, just bag it and go to the beach! August is my favorite month at the beach in San Clemente because the water is really warm and therefore fun to play in. We have tried the boogie boards, body surfing, and inner tubes and I have to tell you that the inner tube is the only way to go. It is incredibly fun to get into the inner tube and ride the waves and bob up and down. It's something I used to do as a kid and I still find it fun as an adult. Give it a try!

I understand that not everyone enjoys going into the water. For example, Mr Puffy doesn't like to go into the ocean - he is more of a lounge chair kind of guy. He does enjoy walks on the beach, though, and he likes to sit on the deck and watch us in the water.

Why bag it? I began thinking about bags and felting this weekend because at the San Clemente Farmer's Market I saw some beautiful felted purses for sale. The seller was kind enough to tell me the yarn - and believe it or not - she uses Knit Picks Wool of the Andes (doubled) and US 13 needles. The purses were finished with beautiful agate stones as clasps and they had a small amount of novely yarn for some texture. The results were just stunning.

The bag above is knit with a kit from Dancing Leaf Farm and is primarily Peace Fleece with some proprietary yarns for the striping. If you are a newer knitter felting is a great first project as "felting" hides any uneven stitches and allows exploration with color and texture. I actually substituted a different pattern ~ the very cute Sophie Bag from Mag Knits which is a free online knitting magazine.