time for tricks or treats

I am sitting here over-thinking this post, partly because I'm so tired that I can only think in terms of slap-happy profanity. Also, I am trying way too hard to think of something even remotely profound to say about Halloween. Oh, Halloween.... It thrills me every year and takes me back to the awesome parts of childhood. When designing a trick or treat tote for a class at gather here, I kept thinking back to those plastic orange jack o' lanterns my mom would get us from Woolworth's. We would take them along with us as we hit every store on the way home from school and every apartment in the building later that evening. The goal was always to fill it to the rim and then some. Later that night we would sort through our treasure like satisfied little pirates, separating our plunder into three basic categories - "Yum!" "For Trade" or "What the fuck were these people thinking and how old is this gumdrop?" I would try to convince my sister that she wouldn't like my favorite candies so she should trade them with me for something "better." What can I say? I was a fiend for Almond Joy.

So this tote... easy to make, a fun project for the kids, and all you need is a couple of sheets of felt. If you're in the Cambridge area, come on by and join us next Tuesday. I also have a batty version of this which will be included in the class pattern. I'm hoping to have some photos of that before the end of the week.