Wednesday, January 10, 2007

Away too long, but I've got new toys!

I made the decision to go back to school, full time, while trying to homeschool my son, take care of my 3 year old daughter, run the household, and a business. Something had to give - Etsy & crafting.

I removed most of my Etsy listings and stopped making things. I really hated it. That didn't stop me from shopping, though. During that time I purchased a new Griffon glass grinder and a Bond Ultimate Sweater Machine (Deluxe). I got the Bond just the other day.

The glass grinder was a no-brainer, must have item for me, but the knitting machine?!? Where did I get an idea for that? Simple. I am a very busy knitter that craves instant gratification.

I decided to try a "hobby machine" before I go spending big bucks on a better model. So far, I've cranked out 2 scarves and one hat. None of these projects took over a couple of hours each - including machine set up, etc. Needless to say, this machine is my new favorite toy!

More Bond USM info: The reviews on this machine are mixed, but I took a chance and I'm glad I did. Some people feel using a machine is cheating. I was one of those people. But, given what little time I have to spare, I don't want to spend 6 months on a child sized sweater! You don't have to know how to knit to use the machine, but it helps. I'm still in the process of making all the patterns in the provided book (as Bond recommends) in order to learn the basic techniques, but when I'm done I'll be branching out into more complicated stitches. Stay tuned.

1 comment:

Wear Your Wild said...

Hi Sugar! I saw your link on Etsy and thought I'd come pay you a visit, since we rarely see you there anymore. Your knitting machine sounds great. I've never seen one. I just started blogging last Saturday, so I'm trying to get a feel for it by visiting some of my friends blogs.
Hope all is well in Texas.
Katie- BlackStar