A new skill

Over the holidays, I decided I was going to learn how to crochet.  I had known how to crochet once upon a time (third grade maybe?) but as far as doing it now, no.  Well, I can crochet the little bit that is needed to knit--for a provisional cast on, to tighten up an edge--but not really Crochet with a capital C skill crochet.  I really want to make granny square blankets.  That is my only reason, honestly.  I've loved Granny Square blankets since I was in first grade.  My friend Andi had a Granny Square blanket in her living room.  I loved that blanket, with the multi-color flowers surrounded by black fronds.  I'm sure it was acrylic.  Everything was in the 80s.  I've wanted a Granny Square blanket ever since.

So I started with a booklet (possibly the one Andi's mom used--look at how dated that is!).

And I ended up with that little squiggle of blue yarn.  Believe it or not, that is a foundation chain of thirty stitches.  Clearly this booklet wasn't going to cut it for me, so I turned to the internet.  How did I learn anything before YouTube?

I had a few problems.  These weren't supposed to be bell-shaped, but for washcloths they will definitely work.  I have a whole bin of Peaches and Cream cotton to work through, and I need a whole bunch of dish cloths.  My sister has already put in a request for some, too.  I've got a good start.

I understand why people prefer crochet to knitting.  It is so much faster.  When you're in a desperate need of a finished object, crochet to the rescue!  I got a little addicted to making these cloths for a while.  Seriously, my wrist was starting to hurt.

Of course, I've also been hanging out with this little one.

Oh my gosh, I love that little face!  He's finally sitting up well enough to sit in one of those jumper toy things.  But he is still such a little nugget that his little feet don't touch the ground at all, even on the lowest setting.

See those feet just dangling?  A lot of times I've got a little pillow or blanket under there so he gets used to putting weight on his legs (it's something we are working on with him in PT), but sometimes I just let him stretch.  Either way he's happy.

Oh yes, classes started again.  I'm trying to figure out how to balance everything.  I think I've got all the assignments written on three different calendars--desk, phone, and wall.  I do love the act of checking things off a list!

{this moment}

Joining Amanda today in the Friday ritual.  Sharing a moment from the week to pause, savor, and remember.

Winter hits the south

Well, it did get cold here.  When I woke up this morning, it was about 10 degrees, which around these parts is Really Cold.  I think the news said this is coldest it has been in about twenty years.  After having a really hot and humid December (humidity in December.  sigh.  I will never get used to it.) I was ready for a break in the weather.  I truly love the brisk air.  It makes me miss where I'm from.

Cold weather is also a fashion opportunity!  I got to pull this:

out of the closet!  I haven't worn this in years.  I love this sweater.  I bought it almost twenty years ago.  I was a waitress in a tourist town (skiing during the winter, boating in the summer) and this sweater was in a shop downtown.  I have no idea why I went into that shop in the first place.  It wasn't somewhere I would have normally shopped.  I certainly couldn't afford anything in there.  I actually visited this sweater several times before I bought it.  When I finally did by it and wore it to the bar where I worked, we all did a toast to my sweater.  

This sweater, more than anything else, is why I started knitting.  The owner of the bar was a knitter, or rather, knew how to knit.  She made two pair of slippers every year, one for her and one for her husband.  Nothing else.  The leftover (acrylic) yarn from that year's slippers and a pair of needles in a zipper top bag were taped to my locker one day with a note to "just start."  Another waitress gave me an old how to knit pamphlet.  It took me about two hours to knit the yarn equivalent of an eyebrow.

Of course, I can't put anything yarn-y out without Fred getting into it.

We call this "Fredding."  He does it to new laundry, old laundry, stacks of blankets, piles of yarn, the baby.  Anything that doesn't smell enough like Fred to suit him.  

Otherwise, we spent the day hanging out and keeping out of the cold.

I was even inspired to dig out the Big Brown Blanket I started in 2010.  That is about two inches of knitting there.  As of this writing, I've doubled that amount, but there is no way that a 4' x 5' blanket belongs in a book called Last Minute Knitted Gifts.  It took me a couple of hours to get four inches.  Well, three years and a couple of hours.  At this rate, Camden will take this college.  For his Master's.  Should I set a goal?  Throw down the gauntlet?  By the end of the month?  Hmmmm.... Let's see where I get to by the end of this weekend.

Off to snuggle under a big quilt and flannel sheets!  Ah, the coziness of flannel.  Delicious.