Out of thread

How does it always seem to happen that I run out of something just as I'm about to finish? Fate, I suppose. This time, it's thread. Plain boring brown thread. I thought my house was stocked to the gills with brown thread. But no. Three seams from finishing my Mother in Law's Christmas gift, the spool ran dry.

And there are no more spools.

Thankfully, I pressed myself to try to finish ahead of time, so I have several days to make a run to pick up some more - but I really wanted to be done tonight! Oh well. Off to video games, instead.

NaNoSpinMo results

I didn't make my goal. Ended up spinning about 10 oz. of fiber out of the 16 oz I hoped for. I got distracted by getting my patterns up and running, but that's fine with me. I ended up with some gorgeous yarn, and I can't wait to knit with it.



The pink is the Miss Babs, the brown multi is Susan's Spinning Bunny, and the orange is fiber fest fiber which is sadly missing its tag. Overall: success!

Hillsborough Hat and Mitts

It's been a bit quiet here, but I've been working on something big.

This:



A little hat and mitt set. In Knit Picks Stroll Tonal...



Or in Three Waters Farm Silk Merino fingering.



The patterns are available for sale at Knit Picks or locally at Yarns, Etc.

Finished - finally!

I finished my first serious lace project this evening.

Just off the needles...



That is to say, the first serious lace project that I cast on, in May of 2009. The poor shawl languished in the WIP pile for months until I finally rescued it earlier this summer. There are dozens of mistakes, but it doesn't matter - it's done. I can't wait to see how it looks all blocked up!

More NaNoSpinMo

I realized that my last post had the wrong date on it. Hah. I've gotten the mom virus. I can't even tell what day it is!

Anyway, the official count: 6/16 oz. spun, 5 oz. plied. I'll have to take some pretty yarn pics in the morning.

My newest project is some superwash BFL from Susan's Spinning Bunny in colorway "Anshan's Biscotti," which is a lovely combo of browns and a hint of pink. I'm going for a sportweight/DKish 2ply. I'd like to use it for the yoke of a sweater.

After this, it'll be time to challenge myself. A 3ply. I've got some fiber I picked up back at MDSW that I've been meaning to attempt to make sock yarn from.

NaNoSpinMo day 2

2/16 oz. spun

3 oz. plied

I started the month by finishing up some spinning that had been on my wheel since the end of Tour de Fleece. It's some lovely 75 BFL/ 25 silk in "pumpkin" and I should end up with upwards of 450 yards of 2 ply.

While plying that on the electrowheel (which my darling mini-Durham Knits keeps on shoving off the table, sigh) I've started spinning up some BFL in colorway "Sugar" from Miss Babs. It's dyed a light pink with streaks of dark brown. I'm going for a heavier weight so I can make some fingerless mitts.

NaNoSpinMo

Instead of NaNoWriMo, since there's not a chance I'll finish anything more than a couple thousand words, I'm going to make this November a spinning month.

I pledge to spin for at least 10 minutes every day. I pledge to spin at LEAST 1 lb of fiber before the end of the month. On travel days, I will use my spindle. I need to make me some yarn, and I'm finding that spinning is the first thing to go with the babe.

SAFF and falling leaves

I had the privilege of going to the Southeastern Animal and Fiber Festival this past weekend in Asheville, NC. I came back with a lovely load of loot, of course, including some fantastic fiber and sock yarn from http://www.missbabs.com/, and we had a great time driving through the falling leaves. I think we hit peak leaf season in the mountains dead on.

Even mini-Knits enjoyed his time, I think. See?

Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day.

Today is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day. I wrote this last year, but I feel it bears repeating:

October 15 is Mother’s Day. Not the sort of Mother’s Day that one celebrates – October 15 is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day, and far too many women across America and Canada will be observing it. It’s likely that you know someone who belongs to this unfortunate sisterhood. Your mother, sister, aunt, grandmother, the woman in the cubicle beside you; somewhere between 15 and 25% of pregnancies end in loss. I will be remembering, too.

Miscarriage and infant loss are difficult to talk about. In past generations, when the loss of young children was much more common, it was not something that people shared. It wasn’t until after I lost my daughter at 11 weeks gestation that people started coming out of the woodwork to share their own stories. My grandmother had more than one miscarriage; an elderly friend lost three children in her life; two of my friends shared their losses.

At some point, you will know someone who loses a baby. DON’T refer to the child as “it.” Call it a baby, regardless of gestational age. A miscarriage is a loss of dreams, along with that baby. DO reach out. Let the parents know that you’re sorry and acknowledge that their child existed, is loved, and will be dearly missed.

On October 15, take a moment to think of those of us who miss those children we never got to hold or see grow up, and remember that they might be closer than you think.

Mommy and Daddy miss you, Clara. 3/22/2009.

Delicata Squash and Apple Soup

Ingredients:
3-4 medium delicata squash
1 cup apple cider
1 cup chicken or veggie broth
1/2 cup Cream Cheese (1/3 fat variety is fine, don't use fat free)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp allspice

Directions:
Cut the squash in half lengthwise and remove seeds and stringy bits. Roast the squash in the oven at 350F degrees until soft when punctured with a fork, about 45-50 mins. Let squash cool until they can be handled.

Scoop the flesh from the squash and put it into a pot. Add the rest of the ingredients and warm the soup to a simmer - do not let it boil. Blend with an immersion blender or in a food processor until smooth. Serve with toasted bread or croutons. Makes 4 servings.

Booyah pt. 2

And who just assembled most of an electric spinning wheel? Yep. Me again. BOOYAH!

Home Improvement Wiz

Guess who just repaired a leaky kitchen faucet with little help?

Oh, that's right, this kid.

The Knitting Slump

Sometimes, one gets sick of knitting the same pattern multiple times. I've hit my wall. I have GOT to finish knitting this hat so it can become a store sample, but I've already knit it before and it's just lots of stockinette with a bit of seed at the end and I want to knit lace! Now!

Grr.

The Trials of "Reversed" Gender Roles

I'm a stay at home mom, with a tiny part time job on the side. My husband is the primary breadwinner. I try to keep on top of household chores (though this doesn't always happen with a 6-month-old), he is in charge of paying the bills. I'm crafty, he's techie. I decorate, he keeps his hands off unless I start using too much brown or, heaven forbid, "Carolina Blue."

But when it comes to two very important household things, we come up against the reversal of traditional gender roles. My husband cooks. I am Mrs. Fix-it. It seems like it should work, right? He makes dinner, I fix things that stop working.

What this means in reality... I get tetchy when he tries to help me cook (which generally means he takes over what I'm doing as I don't know how to do it "right"), and he gets frustrated (and I do, too) when I try to teach him how to fix something. I'm not very patient at it.

September

It's this time of year, when the calendar says September but the oppressive heat says Summer, that I start missing Minnesota. When I moved away, I swore I wouldn't, of course. Who misses endless frigid months of a cold so intense that it makes your lungs sting when you take your first breath outside the front door in the morning? Who misses snow that lingers on and on and ON until the sides of the road are lined with half melted piles of black and brow spotted drifts instead of rolling fields of white? Who misses waiting for the bus, dancing from foot to foot in order to keep feeling beneath two layers of socks and fleece-lined boots?

I'm not that far gone, yet. I don't miss the deep winter, especially the end of it, when it feels like the summer will be swallowed altogether. What I miss, though, is September in Minnesota. I miss crisp, cool mornings. I miss that snap in the air, knowing that even if it gets warm enough to wear shorts in the afternoon, the days of baking in the sun are at an end. I miss dressing for the fair in layers, trying to decide if the morning chill will give way to shorts or only to jeans. I miss the early onset of chill, walking over crispy, frosty grass, wondering when the first hard freeze will show up for the year. And, most of all, I miss searching for a sweatshirt for taking a walk outside instead of searching for a water bottle and tank top.

I don't regret moving to North Carolina, but I think I'll always miss September in Minnesota, while I watch the thermometer hang in the 90s. My body thinks it's Fall, even if my surroundings prove it's still summer. So, I'll admit it. I do miss Minnesota.

Dye Day: The Results Post

And now for some before and after shots

First up, the lovely laceweight.

Before, slightly 70s harvest gold:



After, rose and gold with some dark rose bits:




And the sock blank....

Before, neon pink and hideous green:



After, blues with notes of teal and pink and purple:



I'm incredibly happy with what came out of the pot!

Dye day and cars

I had a fantastic time at the dye day. The sock blank went from hideous to gorgeous, and I'm really looking forward to starting on the shawl that is destined to come from the formerly pukey yellow laceweight.

I was going to take some lovely pictures of the dyed and dried yarn today, but something stood in my way... my car wouldn't start. So, in the morning (if I can get it started) I'm off to the garage with the little man. Sitting in a garage waiting room with a 6 month old - can it get any worse?

(The answer is yes. Just let me see what the bill will be...)

Rejection sucks

No Knitty. Sigh. I thought my socks had a really good chance but ah well. I suppose publishing is fraught with rejections. Not sure I'm really cut out for so much of it, though!

Dyeing to fix some dyes

Tomorrow we're having a big dye day at a friend's house. Hopefully I'll be able to attend, as I've got two skeins that desperately need overdying. I'll do before and after shots!

In other news, the shawl proceeds as planned, when the Durham-Knits, Jr. allows knitting to occur. He started solid foods this week, and we've had plenty of fun playing with apples and pears, and washing them out of his hair.

Milestones

After surviving my first hurricane (Earl, which swept by the coast of NC and the island on which I'm vacationing), I also survived the first section of the Shawl of Doom. It was nice to get through both of them together. The dreaded shawl gave me something to focus on instead of worrying what a hurricane would be like. Earl turned far from where I am, so the answer was... nothing to worry about.

Next up, section 2 of the shawl, about 60 rows of simple and identical stitches.

Rescue from the WIP bag

I generally like to limit the number of projects I have going at any one time to one pair of socks, one sweater, one "other" project, and one crochet project. Having such a limit means I've got one guaranteed portable project (the sock), one long term thing to work on (the sweater), some crochet, and one other slot for whatever. I'm more likely to get my projects done (and my needles back) if I feel like I can complete what I've gotten. Sometimes, however, I end up with more projects than I feel I can handle.

This is one of those times.

So while on vacation, I've finally decided to resurrect the First of All shawl from the WIP bag. Winter is coming, and the kind of winters we get in NC call for a light shawl. I'll finish this time. I promise!

Today I... (cont.)

- Made my charkha work



- Spilled bubbly water all over my Featherweight Cardigan

Today I...

- Finished building my charkha. Time to see if it works.

- Finished writing up the pattern for mittens to match the Cornwallis hat.

- Went to lunch with Durham Knits Jr.'s great-grandparents.

- Saved my blind and idiotic cat from strangling himself to death on a plastic bag.

(One of these things is not like the others....)

A little hat

I've been working on this design for a few weeks now, and I'm glad to have my prototype completed. I'm thinking of calling it Cornwallis.

The Dilemma of Pulleys

I feel like an idiot, walking into hardware store after hardware store and asking for a simple pulley wheel, only to discover the pulleys are a) too small and b) fused so as to make it impossible to remove wheel from casing. I need pulley wheels to build a homemade chakrha - an Indian spinning wheel run by hand and favored by Gandhi. There are various online plans for building such a wheel, and mine come from a 1996 Spin Off magazine article, which is now available for free online.

I'll try to take pictures as I go, to document the progress of my little wheel!

WIP: Handspun Citron

Right now I'm near to casting off a handspun Citron shawl from the online knitting magazine, Knitty. Citron is one of those viral knits - it seems like everyone is knitting it. At first, I wasn't too fond of the little shawl. It seemed too frilly for me. But then... I made the right yarn.

This.



The African Sunset colorway of Three Waters Farm BFL fiber, purchased from the yarn store where I work. I spun singles to keep the integrity of the colors and boy am I happy I did.

Because that is becoming this:



Yum.

Baby Carrier

Just a little something I've been sewing on (and a cruddy picture, to boot!)

Yak, day three

Been spinning up more yak while on vacation. Back now, so I'll move on to my other projects, but I'm gonna keep on working on the yak on the side. It's sooo soft.

Spinning Yak

Today I started a new project for the Tour de Fleece (even though I haven't quite finished the singles I worked on yesterday). Yak. 100% yak, purchased at MDSW, from Bijou Spun.

Now, I like to try to spin thinly. Sometimes the fiber likes it, sometimes it doesn't. This yak, well... I don't think I've ever managed to spin so finely. I'm glad I decided to do this on the spindle, because spinning yak is harder than I thought! It is SO fine and SO short staple that if I'm not careful, the roving simply slips apart in my hand before I even draft it. I'm sure the humidity here isn't helping, as yak sticks to my hands, but it's been a real treat to try out. I've only got an ounce, so I suppose the fact that it HAS to be laceweight is a boon. I think I'll be plying with some nice silk thread or something.

A peek at the first tiny bit:

Tour de Fleece 2010 - "Rest" day?

Today is supposed to be a rest day for this year's tour de fleece but, as I'll be away Wednesday, I'm spinning today and resting then.

Today's obsession:



This is 2oz. of "African Sunset" BFL fiber by Three Waters Farm. I've got another 2oz. to spin up, as well. These will remain singles and are likely destined to become a Citron shawl. I'm awfully proud - I spun all 2oz. today, plus put them onto the Niddy Noddy, all while Durham Knits Jr. napped. It may not seem like much of a triumph to many, but it is with a 4 month old.

Tour de Fleece 2010

Whoever thought I would swell with pride when watching a kid grab a rattle? But my son has been working on his hand-eye coordination now, at 4 whole months, and the way his face lights up when he manages to actually touch what he wants is beyond amazing. I love that kid.

In other news, it's Tour de Fleece time again. I've been spinning my butt off, trying new things, like spinning with sparkles.

See?




Off to buy buttons for my new sweater...

Why I Hate Citibank

I used to have my main bank account with Citibank out of convenience, as well as a credit card. Why? Citibank was the only bank on the edge of the UofC campus, so I could get there easily. When I moved away from the midwest and citibanks were harder to find, I switched most things to another bank. However, I kept a credit card there, which I rarely use, and eventually stashed away as an emergency card.

I have need of the card (though not for an emergency). I went to look for it and can't find it. I'm sure I have a photocopy of it somewhere, but that too has hidden itself.

I called the lost card line. Guess what? You need your credit card number to access any part of that phone line. They routed me to new card services.

New card services gave me a new number. A new number which either tried to route me to the original number... or to new card services.

Next, they gave me a number that sent me to bank acct info. Which didn't help, since it was a credit card.

Finally, I went back to the original lost card line, got routed back to new card services, and was told I could only get help at a local Citibank.

Guess what? There are no Citibanks in Durham.

Dreaming of Purls

Why is it that I wake up in the middle of the night thinking of knitting? Seriously, when did I turn into someone this obsessed with yarn, to be designing knitwear in my SLEEP?

Sewing Machine Woes

I almost had a tragedy today. I was sitting on the couch and nursing the little one after a morning of sewing (and finishing a new purse/diaper bag small enough for quick trips out instead of a giant bag, go me) only to smell something. Something terrible. Something that smelled like burning electronics. Something that gave me a waking nightmare of the day my dear Husqvarna started smoking.

I dashed into the dining room/sewing room - there was no smoke, thank the Lord, but the smell was overwhelming. I'd forgotten to unplug the machine for the first time since the fateful capacitor overload... and there was a dog sitting on the pedal.

Yes, my stupid dog was sewing. As there was no fabric to sew, the machine was going at full speed and sewing air. The thread had gotten all tangled around the bobbin and brought the machine to the verge of overheating. I managed to get there in time to save my poor, overworked, antique machine. It still works, it's still fine, and I'm officially done being an idiot. Yay!

Two projects down, 8 to go on my self-imposed yarn diet. 1.8 more oz of fiber left to spin of my angora/merino mix. I can do it.

Life Etc.

It's amazing how busy life gets with a small child. For example, this is the first day in oh... 10 weeks that I've had the time to make my hair look nice. I hadn't realized how LONG it had gotten until I left it out of a ponytail today.

All the busy time with the baby means less time for the things that make me sane. I've yet to finish a single skein of yarn from the fibers I bought at Maryland Sheep and Wool (though I've gotten halfway finished with one). I've finished small projects, but I haven't finished writing up patterns for things that should have patterns, like the incredibly simple and cute neckwarmer that's just waiting to have a picture taken. No, everything revolves around my baby boy.

That's not a bad thing. It's just a HUGE change. As a consequence, I have oodles of lovely yarn hanging around that hasn't been knit, far more than I normally allow in my stash. As such... an official yarn buying hiatus. Until I finish 8 more projects, no yarn. And until I finish spinning at least 5 hanks of fiber, no more fiber buying. I have plenty on my plate!

MDSW recap

What a fantastic weekend, despite almost melting from the heat. The 5.5 hour drive up took more than 7 thanks to stopping to nurse every 2 hours and then ending up in festival traffic, but it was all totally worth it. MDSW is a county fairground packed with vendors, exhibits, sheepdog trials, and all sorts of fiber-bearing animals. I drooled over alpaca, convinced myself not to buy an angora rabbit, and shopped like a madwoman. We also went to an afterparty and met a whole slew of knitting podcasters.

I've finally got myself a tensioned lazy kate which really DOES make plying sooo much easier, and I managed to find a copy of Barbara Walker's 2nd treasury of stitch patterns, which I've been trying to track down in person for ages. Plus, I've got fiber. Lots of fiber. I decided to try to find fibers I haven't spun before, and did a fairly good job of it - I have falkland sheep, angora, and cormo to try out. I also got seduced by the softness of alpaca dyed in fall colors (drool) and splurged for 8 whole oz. of shiny, soft, smooth, pumpkin-colored Blue Faced Leicester mixed with silk. I also got YAK. I get to spin YAK! It's so exciting, to me at least.

The little man did an amazing job, although he spent most of the time fussing while in his stroller and wanting to be held. I couldn't keep him in the front carrier for too long thanks to how hot he gets in it, so my arms were killing me.

All in all a very successful trip. Now to spin until my fingers fall off.

Maryland Sheep and Wool

I get to go to Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival! Woot! Plus I'm taking mini Me. An infant and thousands of fiber fiends, what could be better?

Finish Line

For the record, the sweater lost. My little one arrived on the 18th. He's perfect. :-)

Racing the Little Man

So, I've decided to cast on for a new project. It's a light short sleeved sweater made of big yarn on big needles, which I'm intending to use to cover the 8 kajillion nursing tanks I'll spend the sweltering Durham summers in.

I'm going to race the baby. I'm due in two weeks. Which will be done first, baby or sweater?

(Hey, I've got to have SOME way to keep myself from going stark raving mad in the next couple of weeks, right?)

Funny Places to Have a Contraction

Since these things can go on for weeks before the baby actually arrives, this doesn't mean he'll be here any time soon.

Today, however, I had a quite painful contraction while waiting in line to check out at Target. The clerk was a young man, probably late teens or early 20's. As I paused in the middle of swiping my credit card to hiss and lean on the counter, his eyes got reaaaaally big. He asked if I was ok - oh, I'm fine, just a contraction, no big deal - and suddenly, he could not ring me up fast enough! He even offered to call an ambulance. It was pretty amusing.

Furniture Frustration

I so didn't mean for this to become a place to complain about baby-related stuff, but since that's what 100% of my life is right now, I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised.

The nesting mom in me is furious today. We ordered furniture for the baby back on January 18, and were informed that the dresser would arrive in 4-6 weeks, the glider in a similar amount of time, and the crib would likely not be here until about the baby's due date, which was fine, since we're planning on having him in our room for the first few weeks anyway.

4 weeks have come and gone. So have 6. And I've now been informed that we will not have ANY furniture until after the baby is born.

I'm going into a meltdown panic mode. I'm not sure if we can cancel the order at this point. We could just drive down to IKEA and get some basic stuff tomorrow, if we could do that (which is what hubby wanted in the first place, sigh) but I just don't know what to DO!

Guess it's time to do what always makes it a little better... and call mom.

Nesting

I always sort of thought that the so-called "nesting urge" that moms-to-be experience was mostly made up by women who were trying to explain away the sudden need to get some stuff done before the baby arrives. I mean, of course people are going to want to get stuff cleaned up so that there's not a ton to do when there's a small squalling person to look after. I'm not the tidiest of people, but I understand and accept that my house will be a nightmare for the first few months of baby living.

The nesting urge, though? So not a crock. Here's what I've done over just the past couple of weeks:

-23 loads of laundry, including every towel I can get my hands on and all of the newborn sized baby outfits
-reorganized my yarn and fiber stash for the 2nd time
-made a bulletin board and mail hanger for organizing all sorts of stuff
-baked and frozen several loaves of bread for thawing in the next month
-started actually cooking. I hate cooking. I love baking, but I hate cooking. All the sudden, I want to make food?
-rearranged the dining room furniture so as to hide the overly large dog crate
-put pictures up on the walls. We lived in this house for 2 years with no artwork. Suddenly, every room needs something on the wall
-barely resisting the urge to sand and repaint the kitchen cabinets. I'd be an idiot to start this now, but I DESPERATELY want to.

All of this is wildly out of my normal routine. I just keep thinking up new projects and have to talk myself out of starting them - after all, I've got 3 more weeks until he's due. I can't possibly finish EVERYTHING by then.

Recent Projects

Now that the birthday in question is past, I can finally post a picture of the purse I made for my sister!



The outside is machine quilted by yours truly and, though I didn't take a picture of the inside, it's a deep brown fabric with little swirlies on it. The teal outer is topstitched and quilted with brown thread that matches the interior fabric. Best of all, I did it with no pattern! I'm super proud of my first patternless sewing (even if I DID base the basic shape off of a bag I saw at the store).

And then there's something I'm almost as proud of...



My fair isle gloves! The pattern, which can be found on Ravelry, is the Ruba'iyat mitten by Heather Desserud. It's a fabulous Scandanavian-style mitten construction using an Arab-style geometric pattern on the backs. I knit them in possum yarn and they are absolutely the warmest things ever. I'm in love. I think there will be a matching hat.

In other news... t-5 weeks until the little man's due date. Must finish his sweater, and fast.

Things That are Awesome Today

1: Little durham-knits Jr. rumbling around in my belly.

2: Maternity belt. Oh my goodness, where have you been the past 3 months? My back pain - GONE. It looks ridiculous on but it is WORTH IT.

3: The first Cadbury creme egg of the season. I love ripping the foil off bit by bit because a bit of the creme has leaked out and stuck the wrapping to the chocolate. The extra effort makes that first bite even sweeter.

4: My snuggly dogs. They may bark a ridiculous amount, but they're just trying to keep me safe from that weird looking car across the street.

5: My fair isle mittens. Coming along nicely!

Things I love, yet also Hate

Things I love, yet also hate

Thing 1: My cat. I have a stupid cat. Not just your average stupid cat. A truly stupid cat who may end up killing himself through his own stupidity. Over the past 12 hours, he has repeatedly chewed through hubby's iPhone cord, incurring the Wrath of Husband, and just now pulled a lamp down off of a table and onto his head. He's just asking for it. Stupid cat.

Thing 2: Indian food. Oh do I love Indian food. I mourn because the inexpensive Indian buffet with the all-you-can-drink masala chai just closed, and I didn't know about it. But I can't eat it anyway, because I'm 8 months pregnant, and it gives me the worst indigestion I've ever had in my life. I miss Indian food. I miss it so, so much. And sometimes I eat it anyway, and deal with the night of anguished Tums consumption just because I can't help myself. Just a little bit longer and you're evicted, baby, do you hear me? Because I wish to eat mounds of Indian food and NOT regret it.

Thing 3: Fair isle mittens. I love the pattern I've picked. (For those on Ravelry, Ruba'iyat Mittens.) I love the yarn, a gorgeous wool, NZ possum, and silk blend, which my mother in law brought me back from their trip there. I finished the first mitten on Tuesday night, and it fits perfectly. And now... now I have another mitten to knit. An identical mitten to knit. And as much as I want to have these perfect, beautiful, softer and warmer than I'd believed mittens on my hands, I also am having trouble making myself start the second mitten.

Thing 4: Designing patterns. I've got two already-tested patterns ready to go up for sale on Ravelry, and I'm having trouble making myself put them up. You see, these are my first paid patterns. I'm terrified that nobody will want to buy them. I spent hours and hours perfecting each of them, and there are some things about each that I still don't adore (even though one of my friends has made 6+ hats from my pattern, so I'm guessing she likes it...) but I'm too blasted nervous and embarrassed to just bite the bullet and figure out the system and upload the patterns. I could have duds. I could have a couple of winners that at least someone will spend a couple of dollars to purchase. Right? And with me out of work and Little Man due to make his appearance very, very soon, a couple of dollars would be very, very nice.

Purse!

And here it is, the purse. With my much suffering machine in the background.