Yarnjeannie's Crochet Cache

Of course, all weekends are too short. The workweek should be 2 days and our weekend 5 days long. Someone got it back-asswards. I did get to spend time with sweet Justin today. He is just the cutest little guy and I love him to pieces. He sure loves his fruit snacks. We had pizza and some pretzels and juice. He enjoys looking out the window at the traffic passing by. Not that we live on a busy street, he just likes to wave at the cars and trucks. Back to work tomorrow. First thing on the agenda for tomorrow is to call the gastroenterologist and make an appointment for an endoscopy of my throat. The GERD is awful lately. I hope that everything is still okay, and I seriously want to have my medications reevaluated. I've had some really bad nights recently. Time to pick up the hook and yarn again. I set it aside for a while and I need to dive back in before I lose the resolve to crochet.

I asked my sister to make a couple of chemo caps for my sister-in-law. I received them in the mail today and I will mail them to my SIL tomorrow. They are cute - reversible in a soft flannel fabric. I had offered to pay my sister for her supplies and time, but she refused any money for them. So thank you very much, Dear Sister. I also decided to change my blog background again. I'm sick of winter and holly berries weren't cutting it anymore. I've been down lately, so maybe some blue skies and green grass will lift my spirits. A loaf of peanut butter bread is baking at the moment. I have to take a look at it. It smells delicious.

Before: After: Another post today - whew! I pulled the bread machine off the shelf today and made a loaf of honey wheat bread for my sister-in-law to take home with her. She was visiting for a few days. We took a ride to the Lancaster/Lebanon area to visit a farmer's market and do some sightseeing. After finishing the wheat bread, I mixed a batch of dough for soft pretzels. I never tried making them before. They definitely were not what I expected. Philly soft pretzels are indescribably good - definitely doughy on the inside and with a slight crust on the outside. I turned the finished dough out onto a pastry sheet and divided it into 16 equal parts. Each part would have to be rolled into a snake-like rope, then twisted into a pretzel shape. Rolling these things are great exercise for the arms - believe me. After shaping the pretzels, they go onto a greased baking sheet and you brush them with a wash of egg white and water. They rise again for about another 30 minutes, ...

I wish that: Spring would hurry up and get here. The snow is finally leaving, but everything is now so brown and ugly. Not that I want more snow to cover it up... I had more time to spend with grandson Justin. He is a true rainbow in a world that sometimes seems only shades of gray. My husband and I were able to afford an early retirement. So many things that we'd like to do together. I could afford to take those flying lessons before it's too late. The world could be at peace, of course. I could give my kids their dreams. Miracles were more plentiful - but then I guess they wouldn't be miracles, would they? I just know of so many people in need of one right now.

On Row 42 of 87 - got off to a slow start when I reached row 14 and realized I was using a G hook instead of a J. I was wondering why it seemed so small. Lots of frogging - made me sad. But we're on a roll now. It's a nice pattern - repetitive from side to side so I really don't have to keep referring back to the directions. Pictures to follow when I finish it.

This isn't the best photo of the crocheted cloche I made last week. I have to find my "model" - one of those styrofoam heads from the beauty supply store. But it will give you an idea of what it looks like. I'm working now on a pink ribbon "Hope" afghan to donate to our Pink Ribbon committee at work. They can chance it off to raise money. I ordered the kit from Mary Maxim. I love the pattern, but I hate the yarn they chose to send with the kit. I only got 2 rows into the afghan, and came across one of those small knots. You know the ones I'm talking about - the yarn breaks at the factory and they tie a knot and trim it off close. You know that if you crocheted leaving that knot as is, it would come apart for sure and unravel your work. Not to mention - who likes having knots in their work? I remember my Aunt Anna crocheting a pair of slippers and our cat chewed the yarn off. Boy, was she miffed when she came to the break in the yarn! I can s...