Hello out there! I have been assembling a shawl for a member of one of the yahoo groups I'm on; several of the members crocheted squares, and sent them to me, so I put them all together... this is the first time I've ever done anything like this, and boy was it ever fun!! I can't wait until she gets it... I think it turned out beautifully! I learned many things by doing this little project. I learned what "tagging" your squares meant; I had no idea what that was until I received squares that were tagged. I asked my daughter (who is almost 6 years old) to help me put the squares into a nice looking pattern, and I think we did a pretty nice job, if I do say so myself! There were enough plain and variegated squares to alternate them, sort of a pseudo-checkerboard. She had fun helping me get them situated, and I enjoy including my kids whenever I can. Another thing I learned while assembling this shawl is what something crocheted by a left-handed person looks like when compared to right-handed work (if that makes any sense). I had the entire shawl assembled, and was putting the outside round on it to finish it up... I got to a square where the stitches were facing the "wrong" way! So I'm looking at the square, then looking at the back of the square, then looking at the front of the square, and I'm absolutely SURE that I have the square facing the right way. But the stitches are facing the opposite direction from the ones I'm stitching. I was stumped for - oh, I don't know - 30 seconds or so! Then it dawned on me that I must be looking at the work of a "south paw"! I found myself chuckling at myself for not having noticed until then - and VERY happy that I really did have the square facing the right way! Now, if I can figure out how to put a picture of it here, that's what I'll do. Keep in mind, I'm very new to this whole "blog" thing... so I'm still learning!
Okay, it seems as though I have managed to get a photo of the completed project on here. I would appreciate any feedback any of you may have. I added some buttons so that when the recipient wears this shawl, she has the option of (hopefully) fastening it so it doesn't fall off! I would like to thank everyone that sent squares - didn't it turn out GREAT?? I really think she's gonna like it!!!

Okay - this has been fun, and I return you now to your regularly scheduled life. I hope you have a wonderful day, week, month, year and life!!! - Mel

Well, I suppose I should do something with this Blog thingy... yesterday I noticed that some of the Butternut squash seeds the kids and I planted are beginning to sprout, so I will be getting some recycled containers ready for plants within the next week or so. Also, some of the sunflower seeds we put in the front of the house where William (my eldest) removed the decorative bushes/trees are coming up. I'm getting excited, I was expecting my daughter to be more excited about new things growing, especially since she helped plant the seeds... perhaps once the plants get a bit bigger... or when the tomato plants begin yielding some of her favorite fruit! We'll just have to wait and see, I suppose. A friend of mine from Idaho sent a link on how to build a spiral herb garden - I plan to put one in my front yard. I imagine it will be best to begin the preparation on it this summer and fall, so in the spring I can get the plants put in and we shall see how that goes. The link, for any of you who may be interested, can be found here
Thanks for reading my first post! I hope you have a wonderful day/week/month and year!

- Melani