Crocheted Flower Placemat

So, I've just been itching to use up the rest of the nylon twine I had left over from the Easter basket project (and I found some orange twine tucked away too), so I came up with a flower placemat for spring and summer outdoor dining.  It's up on Ravelry, and here's a pic:

I don't know why, but I just really enjoyed working with the twine.  But, it's time to let it go now and move on!

Blog Round-Up -- the Yarn Stash

FaveCrafts has a blog round-up each month, and this month's question is "Where do you buy your yarn?"  You'd think the answer would be simple, but I really had to think about how I go about getting yarn.  I think, initially, like most people, I go to a local yarn store or chain craft store to see what's new and FEEL it.  There's just no substitute for feeling the yarn strand between your fingers to figure out how soft or firm it is, how thick or thin it is, and how hard or easy it is going to be to work with it (someday, maybe our computer monitors will simulate sensations!). But, I have to admit, if I want to buy more of a yarn I am already familiar with, then I do get online and start searching for the cheapest price I can find (and, of course, shipping has to get factored in, but, often, you can order online and not have to pay sales tax, so it probably averages out).

Lately, I've been wanting to experiment with "yarn substitutes", and I enjoyed working with the nylon twine from the hardware store!  I read an article recently in Inside Crochet magazine about using cassette tape for crochet, so I'm looking forward to giving that a try soon, and, of course, I will report about it here :-)

Right now, I am just looking forward to having the next 2 days off from work so I can get a grip (you know, just knock out all those things still hanging over my head!)  Of course, the weather is supposed to be gorgeous in DC the next few days, so visiting the cherry blossoms will probably move to the top of the list before other things....

Today's Thought:  Rule # 11 -- Avoid foods you see advertised on TV.  Only the biggest food companies can afford to advertise on television, so whether or not the latest formulations of their products really are more healthful or not, you should try to avoid getting sucked in to the hype.  We started to count how many commercials were for processed food or chain restaurants, and the numbers were amazing.  By just paying attention, we've become more sensitive to realizing that we want something just because the jingle was catchy, not because we really think it's going to be good for us or actually tasty.

So Tired...

This has been such a slow moving week in many ways, but at least it is finally Thursday.  I just need to make it to Saturday :-)

I did get the Easter project done!  I was in the hardware store last weekend and saw this really cool nylon twine in all sorts of bright colors.  I'd say it's probably DK weight (about 11-12 wpi), and I bought a spool of hot pink.  Here are the results!

The pattern is available on my designer page on Ravelry and hopefully soon on FaveCrafts.

This weekend, the plan is to regroup, get mom's vest finally done, and design the pattern for the upcoming Yarn Club shipment!

Today's Thought:  Food Rule # 33 -- Eat some foods that have been predigested by bacteria or fungi.  Ok, that just sounds too funky, but the point really is to add some fermented foods to your diet, like yogurt, soy sauce, and sour dough bread (for those of you with more exotic tastes, sauerkraut and kimchi count too).  These foods are good sources of B12 vitamins, which you can't get from plants, and probiotics that improve digestion and the immune system.  We've been adding a scoop of plain nonfat yogurt to our plates at dinner time and have been using it instead of sour cream.