Freebies, purchases, mags and shawl progress

Progress on Shawl

New bargain bag

crochet freebie

Well how about that for covering all my subjects!
Firstly I wanted to share progress on the Kate shawl and show I am still knitting away! I've started using the 2nd ball of Rowan felted tweed and its fair chomping through the yardarge as it grows.
I'm unsure how far to knit (wide) but as I've got 8 balls in total and have mentally put these all aside for the project I'm prepared to keep kniting until it feels right to stop.
Its a comforting and relaxing knit being so EASY and I can pick up and knit a bit and put down in between .. Arielle has come to the point where I'm shaping and heading to finish the "back" and I'm thrilled with this project and have my eyes out for more of this yarn.  The local HoF has it currently on a good 50% sale but I'm waiting to see if I can do "better"! 
As I'm relaxed about increasing my stash (a/ I don't need more yarn and b/ I can't afford more yarn!) I'm relaxed at the prospect of "mising out" on any bargain - these days if I wants a knitty something or other, I buys it (but nothing beats the glow of a dead good one off twice marked down BARGAIN!).

A good buy, instead, however was the "cat" bag - for a fiver! Two varieties - a dog and a cat themed bag for £5 apiece I bought one just because I liked it!  The opportunity to show off our new furniture means the pic isn't as good as it might have been, but you get the idea - simple bag, lined,  zipped and a small inside zipped pocked just right for shopping trips.

This weekend I've got the current editions of The Knitter and Simply Knitting to enjoy! And this month's freebie on SK is a set of crochet hooks.  Which makes me think I ought to do something crochetey instead of talking about wanting to do something!? x

Sadly my friend knit-pal-Sally is poorly so we're not going to check out the new yarn shop as planned, but we hope to make it next weekend.  At the time I thought we might be going, and with this in mind had managed to resist the temptation to buy some SOCK YARN!  I'd love to get something yummy and pink - very probably I will buy the Collinette Jitterbug - for the Marlene sock pattern, but I came close to buying some bright PURPLE 9354 Regia merino which is soft and very yummy and even closer to buying the pink Regia silk Rose 0035  I squished and squashed both and petted them before settling back into their shelf and walked AWAY .. sigh .. what is it about yarn that makes it so hard to resist? is this how chocoholics feel?

This weekend I plan to cast on for another stuffed heart (to fling at the Cardio whom I've an appointment to frighten on Monday) and will enjoy the new furniture as I knit ..