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