In which I show off my latest finished project

Sometimes it is very tempting to give up blogging about anything excepts books and reading, and just have a lit blog. I would enjoy that, but I'm unwilling to entirely give up other things I like to share, especially things related to living in Poland, the occasional post about my reluctant-to-be-blog-subjects children, or just whatever happens to be on my mind. So my blog will remain eclectic. I am NEVER tempted to turn my blog into a craft blog (there simply isn't enough material), but as long as I'm being eclectic, I can toss the occasional craft project in here, too.

This week, we had practically the only snow we've seen all winter, and we had it with a vengeance. We probably had 7-8 inches accumulation in the course of a day, and it looked so much like what Christmas should have looked like, it inspired me to finish this mat which I am giving as a very belated gift to a friend here in Poland. She is Ukrainian, married to an American, and we generally speak Polish, as her English is weak. We have a lot of the same tastes in decorating, and so I knew I could make anything for her that I would like myself. And I like this very much--it has an unusual shape and a contemporary approach to "lacy."

The pattern came from a Polish magazine. I have been buying them all year since we came back, and they are full of terrific and unusual patterns--good visual patterns, so there really isn't a language barrier even if you don't know Polish. I've picked up a bit of the vocabulary connected with crocheting from the magazines, but haven't had occasion to use it in conversation.

With that project finished, and a fairly large "spring" project underway, I don't think I'll be doing much else except buying more magazines in the immediate future.