A work in progress, and Finished

During one of the rare frozen blue days we had over a week ago I took Faith out for a walk around the block. Snuggling a baby blanket around her shoulders and head I remembered crocheting a hooded cape for Aurora years ago. That evening I dug through my stash and came up with several skeins of blue&white Lion Brand Homespun yarn. Perfect for a baby who tends to spit up. Next I selected a size O (11mm) Tunisian hook so it'd be a fast project. I've been meaning to make something using the Tunisian technique, and this seemed a perfect match. After a quick reveiw of Stitch Diva's tutorial a hooded cape was begun. A long business meeting saw it grow about 6 inches but some shoulder space needed to be built into the design. The frogging took place immediately after getting home and the new shape started. I was on a mission. Piece of cake. Uh, not really. Three times it was frogged but a good shape finally developed.
(In the picture, one side is slightly folded over the other.)

Since this picture a few more rows of regular crochet was added onto the hood, I still need to add ties and a few embellishments before giving it to Faith. It's my understanding that Tunisian crochet, also known as afghan, or cro-knit, uses less yarn than traditional crochet. It really did work up fast, in spite of my redoing it several times. Tunisian crochet is definitely worth exploring if you've never done any. If you're interested in a hook please visit our website Jenkins Woodworking, Ed makes hooks from size N on up to V. V?! Who ever heard of a size V hook? That's 28mm in diameter! Yep, he's making them now after a request from a yarn shop in Missouri who wanted that size for designing patterns using chunky yarns.








A couple pictures of Faith snapped at meeting this morning.









I didn't get out for a proper Walk With Me Wednesday last week. Walking seems to get shoved to the bottom of my priority list and before I know it another day is gone and I have done nothing more than walk to the P.O. We had a beautiful snowfall most of the morning last Tuesday. I walked up a few blocks up Grandview, the street where soapbox races take place during Summerfest. See the snowflakes dancing around the apples?

Our town was used for the town scenes of the upcoming Hallmark Movie, Valley of Light which will air this coming Sunday evening, January 28th on CBS. Tune in and see our town made up to look the way it may have looked in 1946. There may be glimpse of a plum heather runner I wove several years ago. Our Meetinghouse was used in the movie and I'm hoping the runner was left on the piano during the filming. :-)

Last week I wrote briefly that I'd taken a trip to see my brother.
These mountains seemed symbolic of his life as I flew over them on my way home.
My oldest brother's life has not been easy from the moment of birth when the attending nurse panicked because he was coming before the doctor had arrived. She didn't allow him to be born which caused problems the rest of his life. Then at the age of two he had a terrible case of pnuemonia which he barely survived. For various reasons his life has been filled with hardship and trials. Around November '06 he was diagnosed with inoperable tumors that had spread throughout his body. The visit two weeks ago was to say goodbye to this brother. Though weak and wasted away in body, his spirit and mind were very strong.

Do you see the lake framed by the mountains?

As the plane continued to fly north along the Sierras another lake appeared. I was astonished to see not only the water but a thread of a road which drew a line to a town. A town with people living in what had appeared from 30,000 feet to be wrenching desolution. It's the little dark spot in the center left. Life!



He remained optimist, cheerful, friendly, literally giving his only jacket off his back to someone needing it more than he.

His life was hard but he held strongly onto the thread of this one hope and assurance - God loved him dearly and someday all would be well.

This past Friday at 8 pm he finished his hard run race on this earth and went Home.