Yarn Giveaway Winner!

After running the numbered comments through a random number generator, we have a winner in the yarn giveaway, Lori Molowitz!  I've sent you a message via hangouts - if that didn't get through, you can contact me at the email given on my profile page.

Thank you so much, everyone who commented and shared your stories!  I enjoyed reading them very  much.  We are a well traveled bunch .... readers wrote of trips to Rome, Switzerland, Alaska, Japan,  Santa Fe, Prince Edward Island, the Pacific Coast Highway, Disneyworld, the Black Hills (we went there for our honeymoon), North Carolina, Estonia (I'm also fascinated with Estonian folk knitting), and Finland, of traveling through Europe, of seeing the ocean for the first time and snow for the first time.

Several of you wrote of how you are just learning to knit and/or crochet or are teaching children and grandchildren. Welcome to a pastime that will be rewarding, relaxing, and thoroughly consuming!  And congratulations to one reader who is knitting for two grandchildren and one great-grandchild who are all on their way!

I was touched to see how many knit or crochet and contribute their pieces to others and have a blog post coming up on donation work.  And thank you for sharing how you knitted/crocheted for loved ones with terminal illnesses and while on military deployment - there are times I have relied so much on knowing that pretty soon I can sit down and lose myself in my work.

I was glad to see how many of you also love pineapple crochet!  And thank you Dianne for the link to this beautiful shawl.

And thank you everyone for your wonderful stories of when you also "time travel!"  I loved reading of how hearing certain music brought back the ocean salt smells from an Oregon trip, of how finding old boxes brought back memories of first learning to knit and crochet, of how knitting and crocheting brought back memories of the great aunt who taught one reader.  I also flash to what I was last watching on TV when I sit down and pick up my work again - and will remember I was working on when I re-watch an old movie!  I too work while I'm riding in the car and always think about what trip I was on when I use one of several afghans.  And I too use brightly colored yarn that reminds me of summer to transport me out of the winter doldrums!

Finally, I have to wish DebMarche and her husband a happy 35th anniversary!  We will be celebrating our 40th this year ... how time flies!

Happy Creating!  Deborah