Celestine done!!!

All right, here's Celestine:





Isn't she pretty?! I am thinking about tossing her into the washer and felting her a tad bit. She looks pretty strange, a star with each point a different color, but it was fun to explore that pattern and fun to explore that yarn!

I wanted to share a really cute crochet pattern I found from my Ravelry-surfing: a crochet amigurumi dragonfly! Isn't that too cute?!

Did I mention that there is a translation for the Revontuli-huivi shawl into English from [Finnish]? Here it is; looks like an easy and warm shawl to me.....Love it in the gradated yarns....

Here is a really neat knit top FO, with a link to what japanese magazine the pattern is from. It looks really simple. And non-boring to make! I should have started with a couple of sleeveless tops for my first sweaters....

And I know it's late days for a Christmas ornament, but this reindeer pattern is really cute....It would be a fun make.

Another 'after the fact' Christmas knit that I just found on Ravelry: these knit ornament covers made from leftover sock yarns!

I borrowed this photo from a Raveler (spoonsnspools) who made one, to show what they look like! What a cute idea!!! I may have to get that pattern....

I joined a tatting group in Ravelry, it is so cool to see that other people really do tat! I know they do, but have not met one since the dear old lady who taught me when I was a newlywed. She taught me so many cool things, including a really cool recipe for "zucchini jam." But mostly I remember sitting in her living room, while she showed me how to tat. That was in 1983. Everytime I do that craft I think of her. I was blessed to have such a neighbor!

So for all you tatters out there, here's a link to a cute tatted butterfly motif.

And, have you seen this book (scroll down to see the crochet lace Japanese craft book)? Oh look at the beautiful white Irish Crochet Lace cardi....I've always been extremely fascinated by Irish Crochet Lace, I was collecting books and patterns about it in the 1980's, but then, as now (with Ravelry), it was more of a study and less of an accomplishment! I spend so much time drooling over things, that there is no time to actually make them! Heh.

But I think I might pull out my old books on Irish Crochet lace....

I am pumped about February, because, getting through that month (mentally intact) is usually my biggest feat of the winter--I have something amazing scheduled next month which will make it ROCK this year!! I signed up for a three-Saturday spinning class, that really only costs about $10 an hour! I am so excited, yet bummed out that I have to wait another 3 weeks before it starts....I can hardly wait! I get to review drop-spindle spinning, then move up to a wheel. And I've heard this teacher is great about letting you take a wheel home to try it before committing to buy! What a great plan to avoid cabin-fever :)

And, I'm feeling pretty good considering I didn't take off any time over Christmas. I decided to save that week off for late April, as every year I die a little inside if I can't get out to my garden. This spring it's gonna be great to be outside during daylight hours! I may even be able to have a little garage sale!

Feeling good about my New Year resolutions. This year it's about going back to daily exercise of some kind (after 2 years of studiously avoiding any), getting a grip on my eating habits, spending habits, and thinking habits. Even though some of the old die-hard habits are slow to change, at this point, they are still uppermost in my mind. Habits take two weeks to form; in order to change a habit, it's gonna take at least two weeks of orchestrating change. January has already seen some progress! Yay.

I have started doing some yoga poses in the mornings again. It has not become a regular thing yet, as I have had 3 separate respiratory illnesses so far in 2008, and that has put a crimp in my plans. But I am very happy to start off the day with a couple of easy poses to get some flexibility going. It's gonna be a while before I can do much in the way of down-dogs, or a full practice of any kind, given my stupid wrist ganglion/arthritis symptoms. But I can work up to it. After all, I have all year...!

p.s. but you should see me, flopping around like a fish out of water, trying to do sun salutations. Snicker.