A couple weeks back, my laptop went kaput. No coaxing from the local Mac doctor could revive it. I was told that replacing the hard drive (to the tune of about $250, installed) would make it functional again, but I took the sudden death as A Sign: after four years, it was time to ditch my dented, second-hand MacBook Pro and get a new laptop. More to the point: I had an excuse to get a MacBook Air, something I’d lusted after ever since the I first saw a TV ad with one being seductively pulled out of a slim manilla envelope.
You see, I travel with my laptop. And the old MacBook Pro was heavy. In comparison? The Air is tiny.
which would you rather lug through an airport?
Oh, yes, I love me my new laptop. Lighter and faster than the old behemoth.
The “gotcha!” is that the new laptop practically swims in the padded compartment of my old laptop bag. And that got me thinking. Wouldn’t it be fun to make a padded sleeve for the laptop? Maybe quilted, or – better yet! – knit and felted. Yes, that was it: out of Lamb’s Pride in my stash, with fat cables for textural interest.
With great excitement, I related these ideas to Da Hubster. His response: “Why don’t you just buy a padded sleeve?”
Yes, you guessed right, folks: DH is not a crafty dude.
Why make something you can buy? Because it’s fun to envision something unique, then make it a reality. Because it’s a chance to exercise hands-on skills. Because it’s a way of getting what you really want, instead of settling for what’s available in stores.
Because I can.
So I’ve pulled a couple skeins of Lamb’s Pride out of the stash. And I’ve thumbed through some stitch dictionaries, bookmarking cable patterns with promise. Next up: knitting and felting a few swatches. It ought be fun. It won’t be complete before my next trip, though: first thing tomorrow morning, I leave for Stitches Midwest. Whoo hoo! Hope to see you there!
Tagged: ideas.
I love my Mac Air as if it is a living creature. So glad you now have one too. It made my iPad seem clunky and inefficient.
» Cat Bordhi
JC Believe it or not - I too have a Mac Air !! I love it too. Got it in January. Got it because I was going to take a few classes out of town and needed the computer - was not going to lug by 17 inch one I use in the office. Hope all is well. Not able to go to stichches in the fall but hoping possibly for the spring. Maybe you could even swing by the new place near the beach (only 1 mile from the bay and 2 from the ocean !).
» Dolores
Cat, I’m starting to think iPads are great in certain circumstances... but those circumstances are pretty limited. With the Air being not much bigger and way more capable, it wins hands down.
Dolores, if you are that close to the ocean, then yes, I may need to swing by and say hello! BTW, I’m tentatively planning to attend Rhinebeck in 2013. Wanna join me?
» JC
When I got a Nook last year, I began spinning random colors of yarn, envisioning a simple case for said Nook. I spun, I knit, I felted. I've gotten so many compliments about it, and feel it's at least semi-safe riding around in its wooly sleeve inside my purse.
» Denise