Blasts from the past

Most people that have known me for a long time, know that crocheting seems to be second-nature for me. The funny thing is, I learned to knit before I learned crocheting, and while I enjoy them both immensely, I rarely make crocheted garments. Every once in a while though, a design comes along that trips my trigger and I just have to make. Just like this one....

I love wearing this!!
I subscribe to an e-zine version of a magazine called Crochet! Magazine and with each issue they have web bonuses. Kimberly's Pineapple Lace Tunic by Tammy Hildebrand was one of them for the July 2011 issue. The moment I saw it, I knew I wanted to make it, even though I already have one crocheted tunic. It's an ecru colored one, and it's beginning to lose its pizazz. I wanted to choose a color that was a sort of neutral, that I could pretty much put any other color with it, but yet one that 'pops'. I phoned my daughter who owns a yarn store, and asked her opinion for yarn as well as color. So I owe her for making such a great choice for me! I used Pure Pima by Berocco, and I believe they call this colorway, "Limelight". It was such a beautiful yarn to work with. One hundred percent cotton isn't my favorite yarn to work with, as it can sometimes be hard on the hands, but this yarn is so soft, it was easy to forget it was cotton.
I was hoping to get some better pictures of it this weekend. As it turned out, my photographer  husband had to work part of the time, so the opportunity wasn't there.

On my needles is Ishbel, a shawl my friend asked me to knit for her daughter's birthday on the first of August. It's actually coming along quite well, which surprises me given that she wanted it done in black. I'm hoping to have it completed in the next couple of days, since she needs it at the end of this next week. I'll post pictures once I have it blocked out. The knitting group I belong to decided a couple of weeks ago to do a knit-along (KAL), and the Kudzu shawlette was chosen. I am thrilled with mine thus far...it's a beautiful design! I think I may have already told you about it in a previous post, so I'll put pictures up, once again when it's blocked. The other two projects I have in the rotation I've already talked about as well, so as I complete them, I'll share them with you!

Tour de Fleece...well, this has been quite an experience, and I have loved every minute of it so far! Even two of my grandchildren I had for the day a few days ago, wanted to learn how to use my spinning wheel. They did a great job!!! They were fascinated with how you could take some of "that fuzzy stuff", and turn it into yarn! I'm thinking I will be getting them each a drop spindle in the near future. They had fun with that as well...seeing who could spin it the fastest, I had to stop each time they did and let the twist travel up a looong ways before they could go at it again. They learned a lot that first lesson though!

To say the past few weeks have been hectic and crazy busy for me, would be an understatement!! I am on the reunion committee for my high school reunion that is coming up at the end of this month. I have had a blast being the private investigator and locating people. When I find them, not one person has been upset, in fact, just the opposite..they are so happy and surprised! I'm sitting here chuckling at one of the calls I made to an old high school friend, now living in Arizona. When she answered the phone, I said "HI *****! This is (first and maiden name), how are you??!". There was a pause, and she said "ummm, should that name mean anything to me?" So I told her, "it better, seeings how we not only went to school together, but we grew up in the same church together!" Then it occurred to her right away who I was and I explained to her the main purpose of my phone call. She can't make it to the reunion, but since she still has quite a bit of family in the area, she makes several trip a year, and we have planned to meet up for dinner sometime. It has been so wonderful reconnecting with my past, and I can hardly wait to see everybody after 40 years!!! One of these friends from my past is even going to come stay with me and Scooter for the weekend, and I'm looking forward to catching up with her so much! Yes, she has even remembered how we both crocheted in high school, and I'm loving it!