Today is leap day, a day for many people to celebrate their long awaited birthday. So I would like to say Happy Birthday to those individuals and go out and have a blast on this special day. My father used to joke that my mother was born on February 29th she was really born on the 27th he just liked teasing her. He was such a kidder.

 

It's amazing to realize how much my mother instilled in me my love for all things crafty. I used to watch her knit and then one day I decided it was time to learn how to do it too. My mother learned to knit the European way as she was born in Italy. She was fast when it came to knitting. She never used a pattern and always managed to finish a project. Where as in my case I always seemed to be taking my projects apart or working on several at the same time and not really finishing any of them.

 

I used to get bored just knitting and purling stictches. Then I discovered how to do cable stiches and found a pattern that used all three. I was so excited when I finally finished a project, it was a knitted top using cotton yarn. I then learned how to work with open patterns and managed to make a few more tops that actually fit and looked good. I still buy different yarns to work with I just love the colours and I just can't resist, it's like an obsession. Don't tell my husband but I have a secret yarn stash as do many knitters.

 

Then one day I lost interest in knitting and moved on to my next love sewing. I took Home Ec. courses every year that I was in high school. In fact that was the only class I really enjoyed, I couldn't wait for the next class. Once again I went crazy and started buying all kinds of fabric and started making my own clothes when it was hip to do so. Nobody ever realized that my clothes were sewn by me unless I told them.

 

I remembered well the lesson of "stitch and press", that was the trick to having professionally finished seams. I remember spending hours looking at pattern books and finding just the right fabric to use. I even sewed my own wedding dress. But like the knitting I stopped sewing too. I realized that sometimes it wasn't worth the effort it was so much easier to buy something already made. I hated sewing zippers.

 

I've now done a turn about and have started knitting again, no tops yet just scarves, ponchos and wraps. I've even managed to start crocheting again too. Although I find crocheting a little hard on my thumbs as I kind of wrecked them when I played volley ball. The thumb knuckles get very painful when I crochet for too long.

 

I've even managed to start sewing again, only bags no clothes. I do have some dress patterns I would like to try and  fabric squirreled away for when I'm ready. I'm finding that I enjoy the sewing. I really lose track of time once I start working on a project. I love putting the different combinations of colours and patterns together. I also enjoy the fact that no two bags look the same. This appeals to my teenage dream of becoming a fashion designer.

 

Oh well, time to either pick up my knitting needles or put thread to needle and do some sewing. So since February has an extra day and it already feels like a long month without the extra day, why not take this time to learn a new craft and show off your new found talent.