Inspired

Last weekend I spent a bit of time organizing and documenting my stash. I created a new plan, since I had accumulated a lot of yarn while my normal stash was in storage. It now seems like I have two big piles. Once combined the amount was quite large, so I have pledged to myself to refrain from yarn purchases at least until the end of the yarn and maybe into next.

While sorting through the pile, I noticed three little skeins of cotton yarn left over from the baby blanket I made my niece last year. After I photographed and entered them into ravelry, I set the yarn aside for a quick little project. I saw the Rachel Bag on Lori's blog and instantly loved it. Now that I had the yarn in my stash, I knew I wanted to make it and make it soon.

And that is exactly what I did. The little bag came together so quickly. A few hours for each side and another for the finishing. I dug through my fabric and found a bit of coordinating cotton for the lining. I love how it turned out. I initially thought the bag was for me, but I soon decided I needed to give it to a friend. It is not really her color. I think she favors more of the bright pinks and purples, but I hope she will like this one. She is such an inspiration. In the past year she has lost a significant amount of weight, after she was diagnosed with diabetes. Not wanting to take medication, she took control of her life and changed her outcome. Now most days she pedals like crazy at spin class each morning and eats sensibly. She also is caring for three children, one of which has epilepsy. She has handled her oldest child's illness with such grace. His seizures are more severe and happening with regularity, but she remains calm on the outside. After much testing and more to come, she supports him, her husband and her girls. I always knew she was a remarkable person and now I have a little something to give her.