Money saving tip #2 Lets get through this together and strong! Also an update on my knitting progress on shawl

OK here is tip #2 that you have been waiting for:

Brew ice tea and coffee for an inexpensive refreshing drink. It is less expensive than bottled soda or pre-made drinks. If you do purchase pre-made drinks purchase them in one or two liter bottles rather than individual bottles. Buying cans or plastic bottled drinks are a more expensive way to provide drinks for your family. To lower your cost even more, purchase the tea and coffee on sale and using coupons. Every penny adds up over time. If you save $10.00 per month in beverages it adds up. What could you spend the $120.00 per year on?

Save or invest that money to make the most return on brewing your own cold beverages. Enjoy and stay cool!


Coffee and Tea recipe to follow - check back.

OK now onto the knitting scene. I have been working on a wrap pattern for my 18 year old daughter. It is from the book Divine Accessories, "Anisette" Wrap by Kristeen Griffin-Grimes for French Girl. I got the book from the local library (another way to save money support your local library). I am about 1/3 done. It is my first lace project. It is a little different but enjoyable. I always thought lace would be to difficult, not so much.

I am using Rowan Kidsilk haze. I have never used such a light weight fiber. It got a little getting used to but once you get used to it, it is wonderful. The color is black but I think they called it Wicked. Here is a picture of my progress:



I purchased the yarn online. I found the best price of about $16.00 per skein from
WEBS - America's Yarn Store
75 Service Center Road
Northampton MA 01060
http://www.yarn.com
Phone: 1-800-367-9327
Email: webs@yarn.com

I was pleased with the price, quality and service. This is the first time I have purchased from them, but I will be back!

Hope everyone has a great day! Remember to enjoy what your doing, do what you can to make the planet a better place. It is all about loving one another.

Ways to survive this economy

With every con there is a pro. This bad economy is on everyone’s mind, but there is a silver lining to every cloud. An economy like this does allow us to get back to basics and see clearer what is most important to us. I have always said “time is valuable” rather than “time is money”. There are more valuable things than money and this economy makes that even clearer.

This economy presents many challenges but with those challenges come with opportunities. Having to economize and reduce spending allows us to have more time with family, be greener and perhaps leave a smaller footprint on the planet. We will leave a less contaminated earth for generations to come if we are more conscious about what we use. We can teach our children what budgets are and how to use them, help them to understand what is important by our own actions and teach them not to be selfish and how to use the resources around them. Teaching by example is great.

I will be posting money saving tips daily. I would really appreciate input on how you and your household are saving and making ends meet in these challenging times. Let’s get some discussions going that will benefit us all.

My saving tips revolve around my life experiences which include being a wife, mother, business woman and crafter. My suggestions are biased by the fact that I love my faith, family and work. Many of my money saving tips will include links to how they relate to any of the topics that make me who I am.

OK here goes…

My first money saving tip is:

Buy boxes or bags of healthy snacks and divide into small plastics bags rather than purchasing convenience snack packs.

Try to keep your family healthy by providing healthy snacks. Keep away from the 100 calorie packs and that type of thing. Read the nutrition label and package each snack with the amount to adhere to your individual requirements. Purchase fruits and vegetables on sale and re-pack for on the go snacks.


©Copyrighted by ForgetMeKnots

New Novelty Scarf listed on site.

Hello everyone: Just had to show you a new scarf we listed in our shop today. Check it out!

TKGA - Basic knitting coorespondence course

I have been working on completing the basics, basics, basic correspondence course being offered by The Knitting Guild of America. I completed level one. Wow what an awakening. I learned 5 increase methods and how and when to use them. We did 5 swatches, I submitted them and they were returned within a few days with very helpful, kind tips. I also received lesson 2 which I will start this weekend. I will start on scrap yarn before using the wool I purchased for the actual swatches just to be sure I understand what I have to do. This level is focused on decreases. The picture shows my first lesson swatches.

Doing this course makes you learn, research and critique your work, making you a better knitter. I have always wanted to design my own patterns. The Masters course with prepare you to do that. I have reached out and designed a dishcloth pattern and I kind of like it - I will post that soon.

Working on hubbys socks

I have been working on my hubbies socks for awhile. Every project comes before them. Not sure why just having a hard time focusing. Here is a pic.

I started them a few months ago using a pattern from the book Knitting Rules! They are my second pair of socks. I love knitting them they are very fun.

Hello everyone, here is an example of ocean jasper and silver bracelet I recently made and sold. The jasper is beautiful, it has every color so the bracelet matches everything. Amanda and I sat down the other night and brainstormed and got creative. Very rarely do we use a pattern book, our designs are unique. We never make the same thing twice. We have lot of fun though!

My first post

Wait until I get home and show this blog to Amanda. She is going to love it. Amanda and I started an online spot for all things crafts. We focus on beads and fiber but we are always interested in talking about and kind of craft. Let's do that here. Forget your stresses and responsibilies (only for a short time) and lets get creative.

Time for the fun to begin.