a word from our sponsors

...or something like that. Isn't that what they say when there's a break in the regular schedule of your program? Did you miss me much? I've spent the better part of the past 2 weeks laying flat on the floor with a couple of herniated disks in my back. Let me just say, it's not been a picnic at the beach. And I'd rather not repeat this event ever again. Most of the time I haven't been able to even knit! At one point, I went for 6 full days without any! Since then most days get about 10 minutes tops before I have to quit.

This is a Tems machine, and along with a heating pad, ice bag, fish oil, bio freeze and Motrin, have become my newest 'best friends' over the past 2 weeks, rather than my yarn and knitting needles.

I would prefer my knitting.

Hands Down.

Prior to that I was working a on a couple of projects...2 of them were parts of swaps with online knitting groups. This is the Christmas Lace Dishcloth that I knit up in Lion Cotton, Morning Glory Blue. I'm thinking my kitchen should have some of these at some point. But this one was sent off to Kansas with a post card from my hometown. That Ravelry group swap was for only a dishcloth and a post card. It was a 'sort of' round robin, so while my cloth went to Kansas,

This blue one came all the way from Paris, France! The colors are perfect for my kitchen, and with the crochet stitches reminds me of my Mom's crocheting she used to do. Most of the dishcloths she made for me years ago are really showing their age. And by that, I mean..they're falling to shreds because they've been very well loved over time. But, can you imagine this? When I first moved to California, I didn't know when I'd be able to go home again, if ever. Letter writing became a regular activity as it was certainly cheaper than a phone call. Little by little my friends went their way, and as I had more babies, I went mine. Now here we are nearly 30 years later, the Internet puts me in touch not only with new friends from around this country, but from worlds away and those who love to knit and crochet, too! It's no longer a solitary craft for me to love. I know for all you 'younguns'....you're rolling your eyes, but for me, well, I welcome the new technologies that have spun faster than the pages of the calendars had flipped over the past 3 decades. Never in my wildest thoughts could I have come up with such a fabulous concept as email and Internet..not to mention blogging!

In one of the Yahoo groups, we did a Red, White and Blue swap and had to send at least 3 r/w/b dishcloths. I'd sent this set to North Carolina...

And look at what she sent back! 5 dishcloths, a towel/holder and a book with not just patterns, but stitch ideas! I've already got my eye on a couple of the stitches in there...down the road a bit.

Then we had some company that we've not hugged in a veryyyyyyyyyyyy long time! These girls used to live next door to us when the kids were all little. Peggy came to live with us some time later for a short while before getting married and having some kids of her own. It was a really great evening when Steph and I had the opportunity to sit and laugh over dinner and play catch up. They now live a few hours away from us again, so we're planning on lots more visits without waiting 15 or more years in between!

Last night I was able to work on this blanket for awhile and am hoping to send it back to NY with my oldest who is now in town visiting for a couple of weeks. Only 2 more white pattern repeats before the top rainbow section. With any luck it should be finished before the week's end. That will be 2 of the 4 crocheted afghans finished I'd started back at the end of April. Good the the last 2 babies aren't due until November at the slow rate I'm getting these done.

Now, I'll have some fun news coming up here in a couple of weeks...so stay tuned, but in the mean time...here's a couple of teasers for you all!

Check out the button....

and the I-cord...any guesses?

Stay tuned!