What’s in my Bag?

Today’s post is going to be a lot of fun! I’m giving you a peek into my craft bag, or at least one of my craft bags. I tend to have several projects going on at the same time. So, here we go!

What’s in my bag?

A couple of years ago I worked for Lands’ End in Sears to make a little extra money for Christmas. I love Lands’ End, but many of the other aspects of the job were not so great. So my second job didn’t last very long. But, I did take advantage of my discount for the few months I worked there. Everyone got Lands’ End gifts for Christmas and I got this tote, among other things.

I love anything plaid, so as soon as this one came into the store I snatched it up! The canvas makes it a really sturdy tote, great for holding my craft items and craft books. There are pockets on the inside too, so I can store some smaller items. The only thing I don’t like is it is open. I like bags that have a zipper to keep everything inside, but with my craft stuff it isn’t that important.

If you like my tote and want to order one for yourself click, here. Mine is the medium size tote. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like the plaid one is available now. I would check late summer or early fall online or in the stores. They might bring it back for the holidays, or maybe you can find one in clearance.

Even though this is the medium tote, it is really big. I can shove a bunch of stuff into it. Sometimes when there isn’t a crochet project in it, I’ll take the tote to the library. I can haul a bunch of books in this thing without worrying that the handles are going to break.

This is pretty much everything I use for my crochet projects. The only thing I didn’t get to include was a yarn needle, but other than that this is it! Now, I’ll break down everything in my craft bag:

Craft books

I always have at least one craft book in my bag. I usually have several patterns too, but the project in my bag now is one I made up myself, so no need for a pattern. 🙂

I just ordered Amigurume by Allison Hoffman from Barnes and Noble. This is a hot ticket book! I’ve heard it is out of stock on B&N and Amazon. It really is awesome. Allison aka Crafty is Cool, who is an amigurumi genius, gives you all of the information for you to make your own amigurumi dolls. I can’t wait to give it a try.

The second book is from one of my favorite crafters, Dottie Angel. I scored this book at the local library book fair. It is such a pretty book with several really awesome crochet projects. Unfortunately I think this is out of print, but you might be able to find it on Ebay or at your local used book store.

Necessities

This next group is what I call my necessities. I can’t crochet without these items. Starting from left to right:

• Westcott titanium scissors – I love these scissors. I actually have three of the same size and one in the larger size. But be careful, because these bad boys are sharp! They are also great for cutting felt.
• Floral pencil-case with various size hooks – Pencil cases are the perfect thing for carrying crochet hooks. They are cheap, the perfect size, and zip close. I got this floral fabric pencil-case in the dollar bins at Michaels. Remember when their bins were $1.00? Now they are $1.50. Ugh! I also usually only use plastic crochet hooks. My hands are always moist, so metal just makes my hands smell like metal. Yuck! And I don’t know why, but wooden hooks just don’t work as well. So, it is all plastic for me. I have several of the same size hooks, in case I need them for different projects or if I can’t remember where I put it. That happens a lot!
• Clover “Kacha Kacha” knitting counter – Clover is my new favorite brand. You’ll see something else Clover in the next picture. They really know how to make items for the crafter. I picked up this counter a few months ago when I really needed to pay attention to my rows. I don’t know how I got along without it. I think I might need to order a second for my other crochet projects. I got mine from AC Moore with a 55% off coupon.
• Reading glasses – I’m starting to feel my age. So when I have to work with really small or intricate patterns I whip out my red reading glasses. I picked these up at JoAnn Fabric several years ago. They are super cute and were only $2.00! Can’t beat that.
• Plastic container with handmade ’80s stitch markers – I love my ’80s stitch markers. They make me laugh when I use them. I don’t do too many projects that require stitch markers, but when I do I only use my “Save Ferris”, “80s Girl”, “Boy Toy”, and “Jake Ryan” stitch markers. They are so simple to make, so why spend the money to buy them in the store? Thinking of adding a quick tutorial for them soon, so stay tuned for that. I also picked up my neon green plastic container at the Dollar Store. I think it is really to store beads, but my stitch markers are made with beads so it works.
• Altoids or gum – Today I had Altoids in my bag. Sometimes it is gum. I usually have something edible in my bag and a bottle of water. But, no water today.
• iTouch with headphones – I listen to music all of the time, so I definitely need my music when I crochet. My favorite crocheting music: Tori Amos, Fleetwood Mac, and ’80s.

Yarn and other goodies

• Yarn – You can’t have a crochet bag without yarn. So, this is my current crochet project. As you can see I just started it, but it will eventually be a gift for someone. The yarn is Lion Brand Country in Hampton Sunset. This is my new favorite yarn. It is bulky, so it works up quickly, but it is also on the expensive side. After I took the picture I frogged it, basically for the color. It just wasn’t right. So, I’ve switched to White Mountains. I’ve been adding to my stash weekly as I get 50% or 55% coupons from AC Moore. I finally have enough skeins to make my project.
• (below the yarn) Crocheted flower appliques – I picked these up in the sale bin at Michaels. They were clearance to $.25 a piece! I couldn’t pass them up. They won’t be used for this project, but I always keep them with me in case I want to use them.
• (above the yarn) Clover pom pom maker (small) – Funny thing about this pom pom maker. It was on my Christmas list last year. I guess it was the go-to gift, because I ended up with three! One I kept and the other two I took back and got the larger pom pom maker, not shown in the picture. These pom pom makers are so simple to use. I’ve been making pom poms for everything.
• Notebook with a pencil and pen – I always keep a notebook with me with both a pencil and pen. I guess it is the writer in me. You never know when you want to jot something down. My orange & blue (Go Gators!) notebook I got at Michaels in the dollar (fifty) bins and the pencil and pen at Staples.

So there you have it! Now you know what I carry in my crochet bag. I’ve included several of the items from my bag on the Crafting with Cat Hair book shop. You can find the link, here, or on the top of the blog!

What do you think? Am I missing anything?