A Few Finishes and a Start.

Happy Wednesday my friends.  The sun is trying to break through the fog here and the snow is melting.  Life is good!

We have a baby shower at church on Sunday for a sweet little girl that is due February 7.  I made this sweater set to go with the blanket I showed you last post.

Remember I told you that Harumi is having a girl too.  well I made her a set just like the one above with this yarn....

But as soon as I finished it yesterday I popped all of the blankets and sweater sets in the washer and dryer and then I packed up Harumi's and took the box to the post office this morning before I even thought about taking a picture.  Imagine that little sweater, hat and sockies in the above yarn.  It was really cute.  Sorry about the no picture thing.  :-)  I bought a few little girl outfits and some toys for Harutaro.  I know he'll be a great big brother to the baby.

And then I started something for myself last night.  Lucy at Attic 24 made one of these ponchos in the Lucy colors and then sweet Pammy Sue at Scotty Place on my sidebar sent me the pattern after she made her beautiful poncho.  You should check hers out.  I changed the colors a bit, but here's the start.  I've never made a crochet ribbing out of front and back post stitches before.  I've used those stitches as design elements but not as ribbing.  It works amazingly well but let me tell you, it sucks up the yarn.  What you see there is an entire skein of Red Heart Soft in wheat color.  256 yards.  Just for the cowl part.  Wow!  I bought another skein this morning on my way home from physical therapy.  I'm trying to decide if I want to put a row of the darker wheat (like the cowl part), in the body of the poncho.   I'm liking it so far.  What do you think?

Speaking of physical therapy, I've been twice now and go back again on Friday.  It turns out that they don't believe it's my back at all but my neck!  Oh. My. Goodness.  The pain I was in Monday night after the exercises they did to my neck.  I also get a machine with electrical impulses up and down my neck and ultrasound when they are all done to relax the muscles.  I have exercises to do here at home too.  The thought is that I injured my neck at some point in the past and may not have even realized it.  When it wasn't fixed, the pain just traveled down my spine to a weak point.  Pretty interesting.  My back hasn't hurt since they started the therapy though!  Who woulda thunk it?  :-)  I won't complain if this fixes the problem.  Everyone is really nice there too and I really like the phyical therapist.  We've had a couple of good conversations while he's been working on my neck.

I'm going to relax for awhile and then work in the kitchen a bit on some pre-prep for our Christmas party tomorrow night.  We always wait until the first part of January to have our Bible study potluck and gift exchange.  It gives us all something to look forward to after the rush of the holidays and the inevitable let down.  We've done this for many years now and we love it.

I hope you are all settling into the new year well and happily.  I am so glad to call you my friends and for you stopping by to visit.

"In the same way, let your light shine before others, that thye may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."  Matthew  5:16

Blessings,

Betsy