Giving Thanks

 It is Thanksgiving, today. In Canada Thanksgiving comes on the second Monday of October. Most of the country has finished the harvest, and snow is often seen before the end of October, so it makes perfect sense to us. However, when working for a multinational company, I would often have to explain why nobody had answered the phone on Monday.

We know the snow is on the way. It has been close to freezing when we get up in the mornings. The trees look like this:

And the ground looks like this:

My young friends from next door went on a walk with me, this morning, and suggested these pictures. We talked about the history of our neighbourhood, and how other places don't have big trees that turn red, orange and yellow. 

I have again joined Leanne at Devoted Quilter  in her WIPS-B-Gone Challenge.  It includes any project that you would like to get finished. I discovered a pair of baby socks with the first sock done as far as the toe, so I scored a quick finish by completing the toe and knitting the second sock.

Harry Potter socks for a little girl named Ivy, born in late September.

Meanwhile, Emme is celebrating her birthday, today.

She looks like a very grown up, serious, one year old. (We don't actually know when her birthday is, but it is around Thanksgiving.)

Meanwhile, her best friend, Mudd is trying to look grown up too.

Now to see how many more finishes I can manage.

A Squirrel or Two

 I have gotten a few things done this month, including a quilt I planned to bind. And then there were the things that popped up.

The kit for Oscar arrived and was just begging to be knit, so I dropped everything and made an Oscar hat. It is going to a fundraiser coming soon.

Then I was told that my favourite little boy didn't have enough masks for school. So, of course, Nana had to drop everything and make 10 more masks.

I despair of every being free of mask making, however, his teacher said that they must be good masks because he doesn't try to take it off in class, like some do. Oddly, after being told it was an emergency, they are still at my house. Does it count as a Squirrel if it's a request from a dear one?

Meanwhile in my WIPs Be Gone, I made a back and binding for a quilt that I started a long time ago.

I remember trying very hard to make sure that the same fabric wasn't touching and I see that I failed. Oh, well, it will be done and the new owner will love it.

I also pulled out this UFO from the start of the pandemic.

I think I decided that the zipper was a bit wonky, but I think I'll leave it wonky. It can be a design feature, right?

I am going to link up with Sandra for her DrEAMi #58 linkup.

Money Bag

 My first WIP finish for the WIP B Gone 2021 100 Day Challenge is the bag I started just ahead of the challenge. It was started so that counts, right?

Sometimes, a project just comes together. This bag has been on my list since about February, so when I saw the Butterfly Bloom Box from Blue Calla Patterns, I knew this was the fabric and zipper combo.

The Money Bag is a small crossbody bag/ belt bag and the pattern is from the Ujamaa Bagettes. A portion of the bag pattern proceeds goes to the Grandmas Helping Grandmas, who support the Stephen Lewis Foundation.

The back of the bag has belt loops with rings to attach the crossbody strap.

Isn't that zipper great! Notice the turquoise topstitching. It came from an impulse buy of a Tula Pink thread set. Obviously, I needed it. One does have to remember to change the thread back after topstiching, or you discover you are stitching with turquoise when you should be stitching with black.

The zipper slide has a butterfly pull.

The interior has a zippered pocket, card slots and a slip pocket.  I used the rainbow zipper on the top. too, but since it is recessed, only I will see it. The lining fabric is the same Laurel Burch print as I used in my Roxy Wallet. I still have a bit left.

There is a lovely big exterior pocket with room for a phone, keys and a mask. 

Here it is, wearing it's strap. the hardware is Emmaline Bags (as usual).

If I make this bag again, I think I might put zipper tabs on the ends of the zipper. It will save the angst of trying to sew over the ends of the zipper tape and keep the zipper out of the seam allowance.