What should have been an easy crochet project turned out to be a two year project simply because of my carpal tunnel syndrome. I wanted to make an afghan for Josh's nephew but wasn't sure what colors to make it in until I came upon the pattern for the Corner to Corner afghan through the Wayback Archives. Then I remembered he liked the colors I used for a doll blanket so I used those colors. It would be easy to say that the color choices tested my eyesight the whole time I was working on it - especially the orange section. I made it large enough to fit over a queen size bed and long enough to cover his 6'5" frame. The afghan was originally supposed to be for his birthday last year - then I thought I would get it done for Christmas '07 - nope - talk to the hand. Then I worked on it hoping to get it done for his birthday this year - didn't happen so I was determined to get it done for Christmas this year and I did - I finished it up two weeks ago and mailed it out to him. Of course, now he's on a vacation with his sister and family so he won't see it until probably sometime in January but at least it's done and in his house.Another project that I was working on mostly as a trial basis was a towel topper that has a shape of a Christmas tree for the topper. I found one on the web but the instructions called for it to be made seperate from the towel and to be sewn on when done. Well, I'm not one for Step One - Step Two when it can be done in one step so I went about experimenting with the pattern until I got it to work out with the same number of stitches but crocheted directly on the towel instead of seperately.
This is the end result in that. I kinda like it - in fact, I made a few for the Oasis 
Senior Center for their craft shop and they sold a single towel for $10! Cool beans. Maybe I'll be able to get more of them done for next year's Christmas sales. I wanted to make the button gold but didn't have any gold colored yarn with me that day. My button isn't really a button either - I've been using those bone rings and sc around those then taking a needle and sewing through the sc to the other side several times to make it whole. Works just as good as a regular button but cost less (have you seen the prices of buttons lately???) - I can get 14 bone rings for the price of one card of two buttons!
Senior Center for their craft shop and they sold a single towel for $10! Cool beans. Maybe I'll be able to get more of them done for next year's Christmas sales. I wanted to make the button gold but didn't have any gold colored yarn with me that day. My button isn't really a button either - I've been using those bone rings and sc around those then taking a needle and sewing through the sc to the other side several times to make it whole. Works just as good as a regular button but cost less (have you seen the prices of buttons lately???) - I can get 14 bone rings for the price of one card of two buttons!Now I'm off onto my next project(s) - I want to make an Native American afghan for Mike's birthday (may be lucky to get it by Christmas LOL) and I also want to make some shawls for my mother and her friend for when we go to the dinner theatre and they want to keep the chill off their shoulders. If I like them enough I might make some for the nursing home residents as well.
