Those of you who have gotten to know me, or who have known me for a while, know that I’m on a trip to see the world, or at least that part of the world that has temperate weather (ie: not too hot or humid) and doesn’t have too many “third world bugs” (because I’m a wuss about creepy crawlies). The knitting thing sort of happened in the middle.

It’s been two years now since I packed up my bags, and there’s not a day that goes by when I’m not aware that I’m really, really lucky to be doing this. Despite the fact that I’d rather not have gotten a divorce (the main impetus for seeing the world right now, while I’m still young enough to do it fairly easily), despite the fact that I can’t work while I’m traveling (due to the visa restrictions of every single country on earth, and so am living off the inheritance money that my father and grandparents left me), despite any major or minor downsides to living like this (ever try hauling a stash around with you in a suitcase? thank goodness for friends and family), I’m aware that the vast majority of people envy envy envy my life right now, and I can’t say I blame them!

Mind you, ending up staying in Ireland in one place for six months was really lovely, despite the worrying reasons for it (my partner’s health).

While I would adore to settle down somewhere with my partner and my stash, right now it’s not really possible, so I’m just trying to enjoy the trip — and Lord knows there’s a lot to enjoy — while I’m in it.

The thing is, though, I believe in payback. I believe that God/the universe/Karma/whatever demands this of us, whether we’re conscious of the process or not.

Which is what the Spotlight section of this blog is about. I plan on featuring charities, people, and causes there that I feel people should know about, not only for the sake of the charities, people and causes, but also so that I am enabling others to payback too. That’s why the KAL for KAS, and that’s why I try to remember to do something kind for someone every day, among other things.

Right now, though, I’m starting to wonder if I’m making myself a bit of a feedback loop.

I’m having an awful lot of fun getting the Knitterly/Crocheterly Prize together for the drawing at the end of the KAL. It’s sort of brought me to a dead stop on everything else, so I have to remember to sometimes work on my Christmas presents, to work on the blog, and to work on the patterns that are hanging fire, but I do have to get it done.

If I’m having fun with the payback, do I have to payback on the payback, do you suppose?

I went to the market on Thursday (may go again tomorrow) in the town square and found some lovely heavy cotton fabric for the knitting/crocheting bag I’m planning on (as well as a matching needle case, based on the Hiya Hiya interchangeable case. This case has been very handy, and I love how compact it is, so I thought a copy of it would be nice to include with the bag. Here’s the fabric for the bag and lining, and some of the notions.

I went online yesterday too, hunting for bag innards for the bag itself. Since I’m out of my natural habitat, finding bits and pieces (a snap in the US where I know the markets, shops, and web stores well, as well as having a comprehensive list of wholesale suppliers from being in business for so long) can sometimes be difficult, as often things are named differently, including even the kind of shop I have to look for. (Sewing things are found at a haberdashery in the UK, for instance.)

The lovely little online shop of Lisa Lam (who is currently working on a book on making purses and handbags), U-Handbag, is very handy indeed — nice to have everything in one place and in one order. (If you’d like to give making your own handbag a go, she’s got a lot of great tutorials and free and for-sale patterns for you to use — it’s fun, try it!)

With the exchange rate, everything’s painfully expensive for me, but it’s not like I’m making these as a business venture, so gritting my teeth and paying for what’s reasonably priced (if you’re not converting dollars to pounds sterling) is necessary.

I found a little bottle of Eucalan to include, and I’m now going to start keeping an eye out for some really fabulous yarn at the sales. Depending upon whether it’s a knitter or a crocheter, the prize will include a nice hook and/or a nice set of tips and cable. I’ve thought very seriously about including a used but full set of KnitPro Harmony interchangeable needles, which I was going to sell because I literally never use them; but it seems like it might be kind of weird to include a used set…*

What do you think, guys? A full used set (generous, but not very professional, maybe?), or one new pair of tips and a new cable (professional but not nearly such a prize, I’m thinking)?

---

* Most of these tips haven’t even been used – I knit a swatch with one of them, and that’s about it. I bought them before I realized that I don’t actually like knitting on wood.