This bag by Drops is the free pattern of the day.  I really like bags that are not felted, like this one.  It can be found here.  It is knit in a bulky weight yarn on US 8 needles.  I think that this would make a really tight fabric which would be perfect for a hand bag.  Check it out.  It would also make a great summer project, in that, it would not be too hot to knit.

Here are some photos of the gardening that I have been up to.  The pots contain two strawberry plants and a tomato plant.  I also have some flowers, basil, and beetberries in the smaller pots.

Lets start with Design Your Own Knits: In 5 Easy Steps by Debbie Abrahams, because I like it the best.  This book really freaking rocks.  I will tell you the only think I don't like about it first:  it does not really go into very much detail about knitting in the round.  Having said that, here is the rest of the story.  The chapters are as follows:
1.  Inspiration, Stitches, and Yarn - this chapter discuses places to find inspiration and how to translate that to knitting, different types of stitching, and yarns and how their qualities affect your knitting.  2.  Ideas Onto Paper - this chapter discuses using proportional graph paper as a tool for design.  3.  Knitting a Swatch - discuses how to knit a gauge swatch and how to use it when designing.  4.  Mapping Out the Design - this is where you really get your hands dirty and a lot of the math is explained to you.  5.  Getting Kitting - helps you take all that planning and turn it into a garment.  The end of the book also has some core patterns that you can manipulate and charts for average measurements for if you are knitting for someone you can not take measurements on.  I love, love, love it!

Now, for Teach Yourself Visually:Knitting Design by Sharon Turner.  This book is also very good but is mostly just has patterns for you to alter here and there to make your own.  This is great if you don't want to go through the trouble of designing from the ground up or if you are ready to just throw yourself in there and start knitting.  I like this book but it is not very informative and does not actually teach you how to make your own pattern.