Is it really free?

I have this theory as to why we have had a realatively mild winter in Minnesota this year. I think it is because of my broken heat valve. I have to have my windows open in my condo to keep it from being 85 degrees in here. With all the windows open I can get it down to 75 degrees. But clearly all that heat from my house is going outside and keeping it to warm to snow or anything else. Perhaps everyone who is just wishing for the white stuff could call my condo association manager and complain.

I am reading The Broke Diaries by Angela Nissel and it is hilarious. She writes these diary entries about all of her misadventures of a broke college student. OK some of the things she goes through are hilarious. I feel a little like it is a flashback to college. I have been out 6 years so some of the things are like distant memories. The credit card companies that give out "free" stuff to get you to apply for their card is pretty funny when she discovers that the "free" mints are going to cost her much more in interest and finance charges.
I almost fell for the "free" thing gimick last year at the winter carnival when I had forgotten to where a hat. I could have bought a hat from a tent at the winter carnival for $25 or I could have gotten a "free" NHL hockey team hat. In the end I realized that filling out the application would require standing in the cold for five more minutes without a hat so I decided to continue trying to wrap my scarf around my head while I walked closer to the car. Now that I can knit I will never be without headwear again.
So here is the picture of my moms knitting bag. I got her a fun thick yarn that she can make a thick chunky scarf out of and I got her that sugar and spice yarn so she can make potholders or something. The bag is totally cute. I made it myself and it has two little pockets on the inside for needles. The one I saw at the crafty planet had pockets on the outside but I like inside pockets. That way it is much harder to lose your needles if you bump up aganist some thing or set you bag down. If they fall out perhaps they will fall to the inside of the bag first rather than the floor of the bus.


Mom's knitting bag