HAPPY CROCHETING!!!

YUM-YUM CROCHET   It's been a long time since I posted but it's been a long time since I have done any serious hooking. I have had lots of free time but I spend most of it reading and cybering. Lots of cold, snow and bleakness this winter.   I also head up to Maine to take care of my 90 year old mother. My dad passed away in July and she has been having difficulties dealing her loss of her best friend for over 70 years. She also doesn't like to stay alone but she has her cat and she has me, lol. I live in Pennsylvania so it's a long trek to go back and forth.  Anyway, I have enjoyed being at home. I made this mandala. a pattern of zootyowl's. I love her blog. I also have another blog: susanzarzycki.blogspot.com.  I also started Mandala Madness by Helen Shrimpton. I'm not very far into it. It has 17 parts of it and each part has several rows. In this picture I have completed part one and I am halfway...

How it all started... First came retirement, at age 55, then knee replacement a few years later. Up to that point I was a quiltaholic. I had to give it up temporarily when my knee started to give me agony when holding the pedal to the metal on my sewing machine.  After replacement surgery I decided to teach myself to crochet doilies. I had been taught the basics when about 8 or 9 yrs old but hadn't followed through until pregnant with my son when I started a sweater set but didn't complete it. It's still in a box and he is now 44 years old. First started by making granny square blocks, then when I felt confident in my pattern following skills I down sized my thread to cotton, Peaches and Cream, and finally to thread crochet. Before I got to the thread though I had made about 30 granny-stitch in the round doilies with yarn. And, several blankets. Lucy, of Attic24 blog fame, was very influential in my choice of yarn and colors and even patterns. I became obsessive with...