Washcloth

11:15 a.m.

It was -12C when I peeked out the kitchen window this morning, just after the sun came over the horizon. The sun did its magic, and the temperature has now risen to -1C. I plan on going for a walk again today, after lunch, when it is even warmer out there.

Yesterday I did get out for a walk, and it was lovely and sunny. But despite the above freezing temperature, the wind was strong and nipped at any exposed skin. The birds were exultant, in full song. I saw crows, chickadees, robins, blue jays, grackles and red winged blackbirds. The excitement of impending spring had captured us all.

Two packages arrived in the mail yesterday. One was the photograph project I had ordered online, I like the results, and that is a great relief. The other was my set of crochet hooks, and they are lovely. These hooks were recommended by Bex, and they make crocheting a lot easier.

Yesterday, after Attila got home from work, we made an excursion to pick up some fresh vegetables and some almond milk, which has replaced dairy milk in my diet. The tummy upsets have disappeared. I was relieved that I was able to tolerate cheese on my homemade pizza last week; it was our anniversary and we celebrated with homemade pizza. No more ricotta and bocconcini for me!

While we were out shopping we included a visit to Walmart, the only place I know of near us that sells yarn. I purchased some cotton yarn that I liked, Bernat Handicrafter, Stripes, and some Bernat Satin acrylic yarn. I also purchased a ball of yarn at NoFrills, as it was only $1.25. Now I have lots of medium weight yarn to play with.

This morning I have been practicing my crochet, the single crochet to be exact. I continue to learn. The tension is still giving me grief, because of the way I must hold my hand, the yarn keeps sliding off my fingers, making it impossible to control. What I discovered was that I could wrap the yarn around the base of my second finger, behind the ring I wear on that finger, and the ring holds the yarn where it needs to be. What a different this makes!

Using the cotton yarn, I began a washcloth. I looked at the pattern, started it, then frogged the starting chain. Starting again, I made a chain as long as I wanted the washcloth to be wide, and then began to create rows using the single chain stitch. I find the cotton yarn easy to use, and I like it because it is very, very easy to see what I am doing with this yarn, no fuzzy edges at all. It is good for learning.

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As you can see, I am still dropping stitches! I think I got it under control, in the 3rd row on the top, and the fourth row on the bottom. I am going to buy more cotton yarn and make washclothes until I get this perfected. I used this cloth to wash my face, and I really like it, imperfect as it is.

Weather

-3°C
Date: 11:00 AM EDT Friday 17 March 2017
Condition: Sunny
Pressure: 102.6 kPa
Tendency: Rising
Temperature: -3.1°C
Dew point: -14.6°C
Humidity: 41%
Wind: N 4 km/h
Wind Chill: -5
Visibility: 24 km

Quote

“If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.”
Abraham Maslow
1908 – 1970

I now have a crochet hook!