Since the last photo, I finished the two aqua fan rows, two tan fan rows, three brown fan rows, and one more tan fan row. It measures almost 20" long and 46" wide; the desired size is 60"-66" long and 46" wide. So I'm about a third of the way done, and it's been moving along so nicely! I don't know what has taken me so long to get working on this project, but I'm really enjoying the process and the finished product as well. It's predictable since it's a four-row pattern repeat, so it's great for working on in the carpool, in the office at lunch, and while I'm watching old movies. Last night, it was The King & I; tonight it's Funny Face with Audrey Hepburn and Fred Astaire.

Either Mom's not checking in on my blog or she doesn't know how to leave a comment yet, but I haven't heard boo from her about the fact that I'm working on her afghan. I hope to finish it by mid-March. Now if I could only figure out a way to crochet while I'm walking on the treadmill or riding the exercise bike at the gym, I'd be VERY happy.

As for the rest of the day, I did make it to the gym for a double workout (twice the cardio time and four sets of the weight circuit instead of two) after mass, and I did get the cards completed for my One World, One Heart winner (copies of some of the cards I made in December). And I did obtain a new laptop. As I've complained here before (or complained somewhere before), my six-year-old computer has not been very cooperative with the drills I've been putting it through in the last several months--blogging, photo editing, Facebook, etc. Unfortunately, I haven't finished the laundry, but there's always tomorrow night.

Hey pals! I had a great day today! I attended a quilt show with a schedule of quilting classes (quilting more than piecing) and I got a lot of great ideas on how to use templates to design patterns for my quilts. I can see that I'm probably going to need a lot of practice to get good at this, but now I've got the ideas to try and some visuals to aspire to. I took two classes: one from Patricia Simons of Quilter's Rule, Inc. called "Unlocking Your Creativity, Templates are the Key!" and the other by Sheri Wood called "Not your Grandmother's Feathers." Both taught me a lot and I'm so glad I attended. And then there were the fat quarters that needed to come home with me.

I'll show you some of the sketches from those classes later, but I did actually get something creative done today! I had a special Valentine dinner with My Favorite Three Year Old and her folks. But while I was up in West Bend after the quilt show, I found the PERFECT gift for the Wee One--fleece fabric printed with Curious George! She adores George and with my penchant for the music from the movie, we talk about George often. So I bought two yards and fringed the edges using my rotary cutter, Shape Cut ruler, and mat. And that's it--less than an hour later, a fringed Curious George blanket! I thought about doing two layers and knotting them together, but she gets pretty toasty when she's bundled up in my two-layer fleece blanket, so I figured one layer was better for her. That monkey is SO cute that I almost wished I was keeping it for myself. But she was so fascinated with the process, since I did all the fringe-cutting at her house. She was right there next to me while I cut the fringe--her Mom said if she got any closer, she'd have had to be tattooed on my arm. I love the idea of teaching her to make things when she gets bigger. I got her the little stitch-around shapes for Christmas (Disney Princesses), so I'm already helping her out with her fine motor skills!

I'm going to do a little more work on my afghan tonight while I watch the end of The King & I. I've been working on it in the carpool (when I'm the passenger, of course) and I can get one complete two-row pattern done on most commutes--four rows or two fans each day. So I'm making some good progress and I'm excited about that.

Tomorrow I'll finish the cards for my One World, One Heart winner, finish the laundry, and go to the gym after Mass. I'm so looking forward to a quiet day at home tomorrow. But I figured you'd all want to see my not-excessively-creative creativity for today.

I had hopes of being creative tonight, but with 50-60 degree temperatures, I had to take a walk/run, and then walk over to the gym for a weight circuit, then walked back. I made dinner, did all my online checking, and now I'm on to dishes and laundry. When you get that lovely of a day in February in Wisconsin, you take advantage of it when you can, as we won't see it on a regular basis for months.

It was such fun walking around town tonight. Everyone was out walking--parents, kids, teens, dogs. Everyone I encountered was in the best spirits, thrilled with this break in the weather. These are the days when I really love living within blocks of the lake and in this neighborhood.

So hopefully tomorrow I'll get some time to make some cards and work on the afghan. I'll be sure to post photos as I create.

I don't have a photo of it, but I did finish a few more rows on the afghan today. I had a little unanticipated time to kill today because, on my drive to Illinois, my windshield had a moment of destiny with a rock and got a little ding. Since it didn't crack, I knew it was probably repairable, but with the changing temperature (above and below freezing), I figured I'd better get it fixed ASAP, or tiny little water droplets in the ding would freeze, expanding as they did, and cause a much more costly-to-repair crack. So I called my sister, who gave me the number of my aunt, who gave me the number of my distant cousin who owns a service station in town, who gave me the number of a place that repairs dinged windshields! And they did, in about 30 minutes, which gave me a little more time to crochet. Just grabbing creative time as I can. I'll post photos soon!

I actually carved out a little creative time this week. I took my afghan project to work and got a few rows done. I'm going to bring it in with me more often, as we've started a little knitting/crochet circle on lunch. The best part is that the company's made arrangements to have lunch brought in and available for sale one day a week and it's great! Soup, sandwiches, and salad and it's yummy.

But check out the progress I made. Okay, so it was only one brown fan repeat and the two tan fan repeats, but it's still progress. So I'm on my way to making my goal of getting this done before the end of March.

I don't know if I mentioned it before, but in some ways, I'm a Jill of all trades when it comes to making things. I don't consider myself an artist, or really an expert in any one technique, but I've dabbled in and gotten enamored by most of them. So when a newsletter from Lion Brand Yarn "binged" in my e-mail box today. I had to pass along something that actually gave me a pleasant shiver.

Lion Brand Yarns has a collection of reader stories on their Web site--the one referenced in the newsletter that spoke to me today was actually called Sisterhood of the Needle. Even if you aren't a knitter or crocheter, these stories tap into that creative spirit and energy--the idea of sharing our passion for creating with someone else or how it has changed our lives. Whether it's knitting, beading, sewing, stamping, scrapbooking, decorating, shopping, or whatever brings you joy, this sisterhood is always willing to offer opinions, lend a hand, or just chat about our experience with a given technique and feel better for it.

On a trip to Florida a few years back, I was sewing the binding on a quilt that I was giving to the recipient once my plane landed. (Nothing like "just in time" quilting; surely none of you are such procrastinators!) As I worked on the project, women (and men) in nearby seats asked me about the project, inquired about my progress, and basically cheered me on. A there-and-back-in-a-day flight later that year found me toting no suitcase (why bother) just a large bag with yarn, needles, and hooks to make some scarves for Christmas gifts. Again, I found fellow passengers stopping by, sharing stories, and inquiring about my unconventional traveling supplies. I like to think that sharing such experiences with others encouraged them to start a new project as much as I enjoyed the stories of their experiences and the inspiration to try something different. Do you have stories to share? Post a comment below.