WIP Wednesday: Friendship&Fiber&Flowers

 My friend, Teresa, met me at a new LYS in Gresham, Oregon, littlelambandEwe!  She has a great post about our adventure which I hope you will read, if you haven't already.  From littlelambandEwe, for my birthday my youngest daughter and my son-in-law bought me Babs, the little ewe, sewing caddy marketed by Lantern Moon.  My oldest daughter and her family bought me the book, the finer edge Crocheted Trims, Motifs & Borders, by Kristin Omdahl; and they also got a little black sheep tape measure, and a lovely ball of pink yarn. I bought myself some buttons from there with visions of attaching them to wonderful fiber gifts I make for family members and friends...ahhh that the dream will become reality :-)

Teresa and I had  yummy lunches in the restaurant across the street.  Then we wandered through an antique store back across the street.  I managed to resist some large too expensive for me cobalt blue beads.  Teresa wondered if they might be Indian trading beads.  But I did purchase a little inexpensive Japanese cobalt blue float that I balanced on two of my cobalt blue glasses to photograph.  A friend long ago who was a nurse, told me she had read an article that reported that some Russian scientist had conducted experiments that suggested that staring at deep purple blue for fifteen minutes a day acted as an anti-depressant and appetite suppressant.  I have been collecting cobalt blue glass ever since, but can't vouch for the Russian scientist's conclusions.

Since last Wednesday I have managed to put a few more rows on my merino blanket.  My youngest son gave me an Amazon gift card for Christmas and I got two fiber related books.  I started crocheting a basket from the pattern in one of the books.  I am using cotton, but the book suggests using a variety of other materials that look amazing.  I also started with Teresa's coaching, the Ruby shawl pattern sold on Ravelry by Anastasia Roberts.  Even though I have ripped out rows several times and need to rip the last row I started, I am very excited about the pattern!  I love the shawl Teresa made and the new one she has started...beautiful colors that will be practical for use for years to come.

I cleaned out some dead plants from the front garden, trimmed my two Joseph's Coat rose bushes, and purchased a deep purple African violet; I took a photo of it to share with you and cheer you on toward Spring :-)

This Saturday most of our household hopes to drive to CA to visit family members and friends and I may try to post from my iPhone, but no promises :-)

Meanwhile, I am wishing you happy days and wondering what works are in progress in your life?

Love with hugs from,
Gracie