January 26, 2018
Dear Everyone:
Some time last year I began to attend a weekly “Crafts Workshop” at the
Martinez
Senior Center. This consists
of about two hours each Tuesday afternoon spent with other people who
enjoy knitting,
crochet,
needlepoint,
embroidery and
assorted other “Needle Arts”.
There are also quite a few people who
quilt, complete
with sewing
machines and
ironing
boards.
At first, I contented myself with baby blankets and “sweater sets”,
which usually mean a baby sweater with matching cap and booties.
Then I decided to try my hand at crafting animals.
I had a book, which I picked up somewhere, with patterns for
various whimsical creatures, all done in simple crochet stitches.
First, I tried making a dragon, with yarn leftover from a previous
project involving the
University
of Oregon colors of green and yellow.
I showed the dragon to the (other) Needle Arts group that
"Jeannie" and I meet with about every other Saturday.
They pronounced the dragon very handsome indeed, but insisted
that he should have scales down his back, not something the original
designer had felt necessary.
Nevertheless, I added some double-crochet shells along the back, which
met with the group’s satisfaction.
Flush with success, I made a second dragon with leftover
Oregon
State University orange and black, complete with scales this time.
“Marni”, the woman who heads the almost-every-other-Saturday
group, and who introduced me to the Crafts Workshop at the Senior
Center, fell in love with the first dragon.
However, she controlled herself and positioned both dragons in
the display case in the lobby of the Center.
Meanwhile, I decided to try another creature and fashioned a whimsical
koala bear, in
lavender, which I brought to the Center for donation one Tuesday.
One of the quilters, whom we shall call “Tabitha”, spotted the
koala bear immediately. She
picked it up, cuddled it, and pronounced that her
soon-to-be-first-grandchild would absolutely adore it.
Then she began haggling with “Lenore”, who runs the Crafts Workshop and
sets the prices for donated items.
I think they settled on $10 for the bear.
When “Tabitha” was told that there were dragons in the display
case, she was off like a rocket.
$18 later, she had the University of Oregon dragon curled in one
arm and the koala in the other.
Happy was “Tabitha”.
She also wanted to know what other animals I might be planning to make.
I showed her the book with the patterns.
Naturally, a soon-to-be-first-time-grandmother found all the
creatures adorable; but she indicated that a
giraffe would be her
first choice as that was her daughter’s favorite animal.
So, I decided to try making a giraffe.
Actually, it was, in some ways, even easier than a dragon.
However, I had a sneaking suspicion that, if I brought a giraffe
to donate, it would never make it into the display case, much less stick
around long enough to be included in the next
Pancake Breakfast, a
monthly fund-raising event.
Not with “Tabitha” waiting to pounce.
I decided to make more than one giraffe.
In fact, with various colors of yarn, I made a whole herd of
giraffes. One was in
variegated yarns that actually formed stripes of red, pink, orange and
yellow. Another was in
variegated colors named, “Day Glo”.
It was a very bright giraffe.
I also had a color combination called “Black
Light”, guaranteed to make your eyes water.
Finally, I used some leftover “baby yarn” to make two smaller
giraffes.
Then it was Christmas
and New
Year’s and the Senior Center was closed for a week.
Then, I had my little trip to the hospital.
Not until the weekend after that did I actually bring all the
giraffes to our almost-every-other-Saturday meeting.
I wanted to get this group’s “approval” before donating the herd
to the Center the week before the January Pancake Breakfast.
I also wanted to hand the bag of giraffes to “Marni” just in case
I couldn’t make it that Tuesday.
It was a good thing that I had entrusted the herd to “Marni”, as I
decided to stay home and rest the following week.
I sent her an email that I was “OK”, but would not be coming to
the Workshop that day. She
sent me a follow up email Tuesday afternoon, informing me that none of
the herd would be making it to the Pancake Breakfast.
As soon as she took them out of the bag, “Tabitha” and various
other “crafters” swooped in and claimed them all.
On the Plus Side: All the
money goes to the Center. On
the Delta Side: I need to
make more giraffes in hopes of getting at least one all the way to the
next fund-raising event. Or
at least into the display case for a few days.
In the meantime, “Jeannie” gave me a new book of crochet animals for
Christmas. I’m currently
working on a floppy-eared
bunny. In turquoise.
I have plenty of time.
Easter isn’t
until April this year.
Love, as always,
Pete
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